Roddick Stands Up, Stands Out
Written by RandolphC, Tuesday February 24 2009
Andy Roddick is best known for his shotgun-like serve, but he delivered one of his best backhands without lifting a racket.
The American fireballer announced that he would not participate in the Dubai Tennis Championship after Israeli-born Shahar Peer’s visa was denied entry into the United Arab Emirates.
Tournament organizers said they denied Peer’s visa because local fans were planning to boycott the tournament if Shahar Peer competed. They also said Peer’s security was at risk as protests of Israel’s missile attacks in the Middle East were planned.
Peer’s denial is a direct violation of the Women’s Tennis Association’s rules that states a host country can not deny a player’s right to play a tournament that she qualified for.
International outrage pushed the tournament’s board to give Peer a financial apology of $44,245, which is the average prize money for the tournament. The WTA fined the tournament $300,000.
While the fine delivers a stern message, the biggest statement can be made by the players.
Venus Williams gave words of support for Peer after winning the tournament. Roddick let his actions do the talking for him.
Roddick, the tournament’s defending champion, was in great position to repeat after top-ranked Rafael Nadal and second-ranked Roger Federer both withdrew from the tournament due to injuries. Instead, Roddick withdrew in protest of Peer’s exclusion.
Even though Dubai showed they learned their lesson by granting “special permission” for Israeli Andy Ram to play in the men’s tournament a week later, Roddick taking a stand for Peer by walking away from the tournament is bigger than the fine the tournament had to pay.
Without the defending champion, interest in the tournament dwindles as the excitement of watching a repeat is gone. Roddick’s stand probably didn’t affect the attendance or revenue from the gate and concessions, but it’s a reminder for Dubai that’s more poignant than the monetary fine.
In a day where athletes refuse making political statements because they don’t want to risk opportunities to make more money or offend endorsers, Andy Roddick’s willingness to stand up to make a point, sponsors be damned, is refreshing.
After winning the Dubai tournament, Venus Williams said she didn’t want to “rock the boat or upset people.” Roddick felt he had to rock the boat to get people’s attention. Andy did that, and he deserves praise for what he did.
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Good for Roddick! For a guy who gets belittled for not meeting expectations, he should be lauded for taking the appropriate stance in this case. It's nice that Venus gave words of support but how much louder would that support have been if she also withdrew? Andy, you've earned my respect.