As we slowly recover from the ‘Murraymania’ comedown, we’re beginning to look for reasons why we can’t seem to snatch that coveted men’s singles title. Are our tennis players simply being paid too much?
One step away
Andy Murray put in a great effort, no one can argue with that. Somehow it’s even more heartbreaking, but all too familiar, when a Brit has victory in their hands before it’s snatched away by a calm, collected foreigner who appears to be some kind of robot in disguise. So why can’t we do it?
Among theories of class prejudice and laziness, some argue that it’s to do with the way tennis is funded in the UK. Could our tennis stars face the same accusations as our footballers: that the paycheque takes prominence and winning comes a close second? The LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) enjoys about £60 million1 of our tax money every year. How is it that we only have one UK player in the top-100 men’s singles lists, and Serbia (which receives a fraction of our kind of funding) has three? Could it be a coincidence that previously unknown wild
card Jonathan Marray won the men’s doubles?
A true champion
You may not have admitted it to your mates, but you probably got a little choked up when watching Murray break down in tears after the game. Or perhaps you were unashamedly bawling on the couch like a large part of the watching public? Either way, you have to admit that he did act like a champion in defeat.
Perhaps he’ll be back better and stronger next year and end Fred Perry’s reign as the last British player to win Wimbledon. Murray only needs to look at Perry’s longevity to see what winning the title can do for your place in the history books. Fred Perry’s legacy, however, is given a helping a hand by his fashion line that seems to remain effortlessly fashionable. Once summer arrives, it’s not long before you see the sharp lines of Fred Perry classics on countless celebrities and sports stars.
As we wait with baited breath for something resembling a summer, so we keep our fingers crossed for Wimbledon next year...
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