This is a fine piece of reporting, sorely lacking in tennis journalism elsewhere as far as I can tell. I've yet to see anyone else be specific about how other sports are handling similar cases, while they slag the ATP for its tepid responses, much less share concrete actions they believe can legally be made by the various associations in the tennis world. Well done.
I am very surprised you haven’t mentioned just how fraught this entire process is. Remember Ched Evans. Convicted in full public eye, life, career ruined, and then acquitted in a retrial.
Also, there are currently 2 footballers on trial, or at least accused, Mendy and Bissouma, because the victims went to the police, which makes for an easier situation for sporting authorities to suspend players.
The current tennis cases are far trickier, precisely because one accuser chose the court of social media/journalism to air her story, and the other one taking/took place in a country whose laws the tennis authorities have no jurisdiction over, and the alleged abuse didn’t take place during tournaments.
Ps, it was Geneva, not Basel.
Historically, tennis has failed junior players with abusive, coercive parents, so I’m not expecting a comprehensive policy shift any time soon.
I repeatedly mention how fraught the process is. Mendy and Bissouma are charged with sexual assault rather than domestic abuse but both are probably relevant to the football example, although providing every single example is impossible.
Violence is violence. Tomic’s father was at least convicted but no one really that interested in tennis, until the Zverev case. And that is part of the issue. Most ppl cldnt give a toss about Basilashvili, let’s be honest. I tried to keep it above water for sake of balance, but Ben R I am not.
The ATP shld hv a policy but ban players from earning, from the Tour, without the accuser going to police? The lawyers would be all over it. Just debating.
Which is what I said in the piece, that the ATP would be in a seriously precarious position were they to currently suspend a player without pay/prize money given the nature of pro tennis' structure and earnings, and their current lack of codified policy and/or union. I'm not advocating anything, just laying out what will happen, and what the options are, given the circumstances.
Agree. I have been entirely silent on Twitter and am absolutely amazed as to some of the comments. Do they not realise lawyers trawl thru social media?
This is a fine piece of reporting, sorely lacking in tennis journalism elsewhere as far as I can tell. I've yet to see anyone else be specific about how other sports are handling similar cases, while they slag the ATP for its tepid responses, much less share concrete actions they believe can legally be made by the various associations in the tennis world. Well done.
Thanks Skip
I am very surprised you haven’t mentioned just how fraught this entire process is. Remember Ched Evans. Convicted in full public eye, life, career ruined, and then acquitted in a retrial.
Also, there are currently 2 footballers on trial, or at least accused, Mendy and Bissouma, because the victims went to the police, which makes for an easier situation for sporting authorities to suspend players.
The current tennis cases are far trickier, precisely because one accuser chose the court of social media/journalism to air her story, and the other one taking/took place in a country whose laws the tennis authorities have no jurisdiction over, and the alleged abuse didn’t take place during tournaments.
Ps, it was Geneva, not Basel.
Historically, tennis has failed junior players with abusive, coercive parents, so I’m not expecting a comprehensive policy shift any time soon.
I repeatedly mention how fraught the process is. Mendy and Bissouma are charged with sexual assault rather than domestic abuse but both are probably relevant to the football example, although providing every single example is impossible.
I am sort of playing devils advocate.
Violence is violence. Tomic’s father was at least convicted but no one really that interested in tennis, until the Zverev case. And that is part of the issue. Most ppl cldnt give a toss about Basilashvili, let’s be honest. I tried to keep it above water for sake of balance, but Ben R I am not.
The ATP shld hv a policy but ban players from earning, from the Tour, without the accuser going to police? The lawyers would be all over it. Just debating.
Which is what I said in the piece, that the ATP would be in a seriously precarious position were they to currently suspend a player without pay/prize money given the nature of pro tennis' structure and earnings, and their current lack of codified policy and/or union. I'm not advocating anything, just laying out what will happen, and what the options are, given the circumstances.
Agree. I have been entirely silent on Twitter and am absolutely amazed as to some of the comments. Do they not realise lawyers trawl thru social media?