appear more equal to men. Females in sports were a direct challenge to the idea of masculinity since white, males were supposed to be the only individuals capable of achieving greatness through sports and elsewhere in life. Since the view of females in more aggressive sports was not a friendly outlook, King fell in love with tennis. Even though tennis was a gentle sport that had not changed considerable from the country club past time it had been in the 1920s , King managed to add unladylike aggression. King adopted power tennis, a type of tennis that used attacking, serve and volley game that she learned from Alice Marble. This type of competitive play suited King’s personality well as opposed to the country club, who she had many disagreements with. King felt like an outsider when she practiced at the clubs courts mainly due to class and gender. On one incident, King was banned from being photographed with the rest of her team since she arrived at a tournament wearing tennis shorts as opposed to a tennis skirt. Since tennis was considered a sport acceptable for women to play, women were required to meet society’s expectations on their outward appearance. Tennis was not the only sport women were still expected to wear restricting clothing. In physical health classes, girl’s uniforms were large skirts with bloomers underneath and were normally an unattractive shade of blue or green. Unfortunately, the issues revolving around Kings’ fashion choices were not the only…
Court. Billie Jean King finally accepted his request to play her after few times. The winner would get 100,000 a win takes all match On September 20, 1973 in the astrodome in Houston in front of 30,492 fans. About 90 million people watching worldwide on television. She had to win for all women this was a very vital situation. If she didn’t win she said herself “I thought it would set us back 50 years if I didn’t win that match,” she said later. “It would ruin the women’s tour and affect all…
Gender framing has been present in societies and cultures across the globe. There have been many instances where cultural values and upbringings have led to a view towards women athletes. The past few decades have been particularly eventful for women around the world. One thing prominent when comparing cultures from around the world is that there is a clear difference in viewpoint with each culture. I believe that there is are different views towards female athletes due to cultural aspects…
Who is India Westbrooks? India Love Westbrooks, 19, is a female who got fame before she even realized she was famous. India gained so much fame at the age of, just 14. People started to love her when her pictures started going viral on Tumblr, she was so beautiful. Although, India has four other sisters and two brothers, she has remained the most popular. Her fame continues to skyrocket through Instagram, Twitter, modeling for clothing lines, her romances, and her TV show, “#TheWestbrooks,”…
In 1999 Serena Williams won a singles victory at the U.S. Open, which made her the second black woman to win a Grand Slam title. The first being Althea Gibson. As an african american tennis player Serena has overcome and dealt with many difficulties. She has been told that she and her sister Venus (also a tennis player) are arrogant and unfriendly to others on the court and off the court. Serena is well known for her tennis skill and all the events that she has won at a young age. She also…
normative white identity in women’s tennis. She has pushed the boundaries not only in tennis, but also throughout women’s sports with her masculine physique and her extraordinary abilities on the tennis court. Serena Williams should be noticed more for her game and the achievements she has gotten throughout her career and not just because of her gender, ethnicity, or the way she chooses to present herself. Her hard-work should be recognized as a game changer in tennis and people should…
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…
It took years of hard work and dedication for Serena Williams to end up at the top of the tennis world. She proudly says that she came from nothing in a sport that expects you have a little something. While she’s currently No. 2, she ranked No. 1 in the world six times and held that position for a total of 309 weeks; the culmination of her achievements has led her to be regarded as one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. Serena, along with her sisters, found herself moving…
watched tennis match in the US. This landmark match was televised to over 90 million people around the world, including 50 million in the United States. The match was promoted by Bobby Riggs, once the world’s greatest tennis player, at every opportunity. He even filming several commercials with companies such as American Express and Sunbeam Curling Iron. When September 20, 1973 finally arrived, it was rich with allegorical pageantry. Bobby Riggs was carried onto the court in a gilded rickshaw…
Two of the world’s top tennis players happen to be women, and sisters. Their love of the sport and unreserved determination packed into years of serving, running, practicing, training day in and day out, have paved their path to pursue a dream. Raised in a family of tennis players, both Serena and Venus Williams have had the honour of being ranked by the Women's Tennis Association at the World No. 1 position. With only a year’s gap between them, they have played each other over 24 times in…