Serena Williams - “underpaid and undervalued”

It is known worldwide that racial discrimination is prevalant in today’s world, even in the competitive sporting industry. As a widely recognised advocate for racial and gender equality, tennis athlete Serena Williams has come a long way in making environmental and social change for the minorities in the sport. Just how did she beat all barriers as an athlete in a predominantly white and rich sport to become one of the world’s heroes?

Williams was brought up in Compton, one of the most dangerous cities with an economically depressed environment. The area was plagued by gangs and violence, where gun violence was a daily occurrence. With the plunging economic and political climates ongoing, it comes as a surprise that somebody of that social class would encounter upward mobility to be worth an estimated $210 million in 2021. Facing financial difficulties being part of the lower social class, her father, Richard Williams, began training both Williams and her sister on the public courts, where they had to take cover from the gunfire numerous times. She had a much-disadvantaged experience socializing into the game as compared to her competitors, of which majority were born with a silver spoon in their mouths. They belong to families who have discretionary income, power, and an understanding of how social capital works to invest in such sports for their children.

As the athletes who come from such backgrounds are also predominantly white in colour, it is visible that being black poses a disadvantage for professional athletes in tennis. When Williams was beaten by Justine Henin-Hardenne in the French Open semi-final, she was booed every time she questioned a decision though she was clearly in the right. Every first serve she missed was also greeted with loud cheers, contributing to the hostility she faced from the crowd. White privilege has always been a discriminatory problem in Williams’ matches, with people sticking to their racial ideology that blacks are driven by brawn and impulse. This ideology is displayed in Australian newspaper “The Herald Sun”, which was eviscerated for publishing a racist cartoon of Williams’ after her US Open Final defeat against Naomi Osaka. It depicts Williams as a child, with an enlarged pair of lips and nose, fists clenched in frustration with a smashed racket on the ground. This was illustrated to also represent Williams’ racket smashing incidences, of which the penalties received have been argued to be an issue of gender inequality.

Sports, especially those competitive in nature, have always been seen to be more suited for males than females. Male aggression has been widely accepted as part of the norm, whilst women are oppressed in their display of frustration. One example is the aforementioned racket smashing incident which turned into a mockery of Williams’ frustration as a black athlete. When the same action of racket smashing was done by Dominic Thiem multiple times in the season, it received coverage and positive commentary that he “broke it in style". Media headlines were ringing with news of Thiem giving a broken racket to a fan, glamorising his actions and trivialising the obvious fact that women are receiving vastly different responses for the same things done. This is also backed up by the double standard penalty of $10,000 that Williams received in 2018 for calling the umpire a “thief”, a feat that has never been done to a male in the sport.

This ideology is further displayed by the obvious disparity in prize money received by both genders, with 71% of the world’s top 100 men having earned more than women in the same ranking back in 2018. The experience led Williams and her sister to join the advisory board of the Billie Jean King Leadership Initiative (BJKLI) to address the wage disparity in sports and all industries. Billie Jean King is a professional tennis icon who is similarly an advocate of gender equality. Her prominence as a pioneer for equality skyrocketed after her win at the “Battle of the Sexes” match in 1973, where she was challenged by Bobby Riggs for a prize of $100,000. It was considered a milestone in public acceptance of women’s tennis and has inspired her to advocate for gender equality for 40 years. Williams has also used her huge platform to advocate for equal pay for men and women in sports, speaking at length about the importance of women raising each other up.

Women in tennis receive far less visibility with the difference in media coverage compared to Men. In a chart crafted by Signal AI , the number of articles published for women in each event is significantly less than that of men at a 41% difference.

Chart 1 - Articles on 2018 Grand Slams by gender (between 1/4/18 - 30/4/19)

It is also reported that not only do men’s events receive more media coverage than women’s, but individual male tennis players also get more attention than female players. In the chart below, it is seen that of the top 10 articles mentioning individual tennis athletes, only two are of female athletes. The differences in articles on each female are also a far stretch, with 39,200 articles written on Serena Williams and 12,154 on Simona Halep.

Chart 2 - Top 10 tennis players by mention

Another major form of media coverage is the broadcast time dedicated to every match. As reported by Bowdy (2017), 90% of sports television hours have been devoted to men’s sports, whereby women’s sports are viewed as less significant for media coverage. Concern about the relationship between sport and the mass media is widespread, as numerous researchers demonstrate that although the media may appear to simply “report what happened”, realistically, they are actively constructing news through frames. Misinterpretation is common and some go towards their perceived influence through what they see on the big screens. Women have been underrepresented in the media, which presents them in ways to highlight their physical attractiveness and femininity (Mary Ko Jane, 1996). They are expected to dress and look a certain way, following the common gender ideology that women should be slender and elegant in build.

Title IX , a federal civil rights law that protects people from discrimination based on sex, has had a significant impact since its implementation. The law has opened doors and removed barriers for girls and women, allowing the female participation at high school level to grow by 1057%, and 614% at college level. Though tennis has historically been slow with progress for women with Wimbledon still listing the best female players in the world by their husbands' names, it is clear that the world is progressing in lending a voice to tackle gender minority issues in sport. Williams, an advocate for female equality in sports, has recently taken an exciting step in investing in the new Los Angeles women’s soccer team. This value-adds to her advocacy in promoting women’s sport and driving further dialogue around social issues impacting the community.

Just under a year ago, the “Black Lives Matter” movement was formed to speak up for the injustices faced by the African American community in the United States. This was implemented following the death of George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man whose neck was kneeled on by a white police officer for at least eight minutes and 15 seconds. Activists released “Campaign Zero” , which includes ten policy solutions developed in conjunction with activists, protestors and researchers across the country. Leading sporting brand, Nike, also played a part in the support of black lives, making a statement that they remain committed to addressing the issue of systemic racism experienced by the Black community.

Nike has been a brand sponsor and supporter of Serena Williams since 2003, landing her a $55 million paycheck. In the 2018 edition of the Australian Open, the brand ran an inspirational ad featuring the young athlete being coached by her dad. She also dons their apparels on court and even has her own collection under Nike, showing the effects of a symbiotic relationship between athletes and their commercialisation counterparts. This works hand-in-hand with increasing media exposure of the already world-famous athlete, also bringing greater awareness to organisations set up by Williams like the Yetunde Price Resource Center .

In all, it is through Williams’ intrinsic desire for worldwide change that she works towards being seen. With other “big names” such as her husband, Alexis Ohanian, spreading awareness towards racial equality in the workplace, others have learnt to be more receptive and empathetic. Though the portrayal of such issues through the media is a big driving factor for change, it is clear that tackling issues faced by minorities in sport is progressively getting easier with time. Her personal experience also serves as an inspiration for oppressed individuals in speaking up to create change.