20. THINK BEFORE YOU SPEAK

In this day and age people are all too quick to judge; to pass opinion; to write people off but the truth of the matter is that this is a dangerous and upsetting game as you never actually know what a person is going through now or has gone through in the past; and the tennis world is no exception to this. All too often nowadays, people make broad brush comments about players without actually knowing the facts and this can lead to wider opinions being voiced without any consideration at all for the person about whom the comments have been made. 

Take for example, all of the comments that Raducanu has had to endure since winning the US Open in 2021. Emma achieved an incredible feat. She came through qualifying and managed to lift the trophy and win a Grand Slam. It was simply remarkable. But many people have since forgotten how incredible this feat was and have been quick to dismiss her achievement and criticise her publicly about her choice of coach, her fitness, her focus etc. – pretty unjust in my opinion.  What Raducanu does or doesn’t do is up to her and her team and is of no business to anyone else. For sure people can pass an opinion but to try and speak about her life and what she does, without fully knowing the facts is wrong – but I guess that’s what sells column space, as they say, and in this age of social media it is almost inevitable. 

However, I just wish people would be more sensitive to the impact comments in the media, especially the social media, have on people, and in particular, tennis players. The impact can be huge. Things have been said in the past about my player and about matches she has played and decisions she has made with regard to her tennis career. Some of these comments have been cruel and unjust especially when no one apart from her and her immediate circle have any clue as to why key decisions were made or why she has played in a certain way. People are unaware of what is going on or has gone on in her life and unfortunately, she is far from unique in this situation. Pretty much all players; athletes; and general people in fact, have a story to tell. We all go through things in life that have an impact on us and on our decisions, and which may affect what we do and how we perform and no one has the right to say we have done things right or wrong when they do not know the facts. 

So be prepared, especially if your player is a junior, that things may be said about her, her matches and her actions and be prepared to ignore them and filter out the good and bad accordingly. No one will know your player better that you, or the player herself. No one will know what she is having to deal with at any one time better than you or her. So, if she is struggling on the court, it may have nothing at all to do with her tennis – it may be health issues, family dilemmas, school work/exams, anything – and it is certainly of no business to anyone outside of her immediate team.

So before you speak or write that comment about someone, just think first and consider if the comment you are about to make is justified. Do you know all the facts or are you just being judgemental and potentially mean? Have you thought about the impact your comments might have on that player? Be kind and considerate and support the athletes who are working hard day in day out to make a living. It’s not easy and it is made much harder by people who choose to make unconsidered comments that can be destructive. 

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