Prejudice In Tennis History

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The world’s fourth most popular sport is a sport of focus, hand-eye coordination, movement, and competition. Tennis has been around since the 12th century, causing it to be extremely ancient. Like any other sport, it has witnessed discrimination against certain groups of people. The game has drastically changed its views and people that were once prejudiced-people of color and women- are topping the charts and adjusting the barriers even more by initiating equal pay and equal rules. The decrease of race and gender discrimination has increased the quality of play, and has changed the way that tennis is structured and viewed.
Tennis History
Tennis is thought to be first originated by ancient Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans. However, a more solid …show more content…
African Americans were only allowed to play recreationally and at some Black colleges. In 1916, the ATA or American Tennis Association to create tournaments for African Americans, which allowed them to play against Caucasians. Through this came some of the most influential Americans of all tennis history, as the African American race was the most influential in tennis. Althea Gibson, an African American player, became the first to win a Grand Slam while breaking the racial barrier; also, Arthur Ashe was the first African American to be ranked number 1 professional tennis player in the world, the first to be inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame, and many more firsts . Today, two sisters are still reducing any hints of racism in tennis. Serena and Venus Williams are top players in the tennis community, with Serena being ranked the second-best tennis player in the WTA. Sloane Stephens, number 25 in WTA ratings, stated “The Williams sisters influence everyone. They are two of the greatest players to ever play the game of tennis” (Robson). Her and many others have stated the fact that tennis would not have been as diverse if the Williams sisters had not become tennis players; and that they are one of the most influential players not just in tennis, but in maybe all of American

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