rant about celebrity motherhood

I like following tennis, as you probably know. I like the gladiatorial nature of it – two individuals locked in combat, trying to out-do, out-trick and outplay each other. No-one else to hide behind or to call on for support. Just you and them, and a couple of weapons (sportingly speaking)

Two things have really hacked me off with the coverage of Wimbledon this year: One is the constant, unceasing BBC obsession with Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. You would think the entire Championship had been set up as a procession to an exhibition match between them, and anyone else who dared to win a game or two was being an inconvenient show-off trying to steal their limelight. No wonder none of the young players are able to break through and reach the top of the game – everything seems to be tilted in favour of the two at the top.

The other annoyance comes from the coverage of Serena Williams, a player I used to hate and pass off as an over-muscled on-court bully, but have since come to appreciate as one of the best sportswomen of all time. Unless you’ve been living under a shell at the bottom of a very deep ocean, you’ll know that she had her first child last year (at the age of 35) and is now on the cusp of winning yet another Grand Slam title. All I’ve heard about in the past few days is how amazing it is that she can recover from a difficult birth and combine a sports career with being a mum and still go on and win Wimbledon and isn’t it amazing and isn’t she an inspiration to all mothers everywhere?

Well – no, not really.

We’re not talking about a 33-year-old nurse struggling to raise a daughter while being grossly underpaid by the NHS. We’re talking about an incredibly successful athlete and businesswoman who has not only had access to some of the best nutritionists and health specialists in the world for two decades but also has the wealth to pay for every little bit of help she needs.

She IS amazing. What she has done in her career is amazing, and what she’s doing right now is amazing, but to hold her up as a beacon and role model for other mums of her age is as ridiculous as calling her a champion of equal rights and equal pay….

Which I shall moan about at a later date (if I haven’t already done so previously)

Thanks for listening, and enjoy the Women’s Final.

RC 14-7-18