My Tennis Kids, Serena Williams & Wasted Rackets

To quote Chris Evert, "I've never seen anything like this!"

But what drama!

Last Saturday, during the ladies' singles final of the 2018 US Open, Serena Williams smashed her racket, got penalized for coaching, and verbally attacked the chair umpire. She eventually lost the match and a chance to equal the tennis record of 24 grand slams singles titles held by Margaret Court.

Sadly, Williams's theatrics ruined what could have been a memorable night for the champion, Naomi Osaka of Japan, who just won her first ever Grand Slam title. Well, Naomi and the rest of us will eventually remember that night for all the wrong reasons.

I am both a tennis fan and a tennis player. 

I have watched in person matches of Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, Pete Sampras, Martina Hingis, Amelie Mauresmo, and of course, that of Serena Williams. I even have selfies with former World No.1's Andy Murray, Pete Sampras, and Marat Safin!

I have played tennis on the tennis courts of Seoul in South Korea, playing against Koreans and other nationalities, most of whom became good friends.

               (These kids love to play tennis!)

But my most cherished role in this sport right now is being a volunteer coach and instructor to young kids of a public elementary school in the Philippines. Nobody taught me how to properly play when I started; that's why I ended up with bad habits. I wanted to make sure these kids learn how to play properly from the start. 

 (Old tennis rackets and tennis balls - not in photo -                  donated by people who care)

(Old tennis rackets for local public schools in the Philippines: We don't even have enough tennis rackets, yet Serena Williams just destroys them as props for her theatrics.)

Last year, I asked my friends in Korea if they had old tennis rackets and tennis balls to spare as the local public schools (in my Philippine hometown) didn't have enough tennis equipment for the kids. And yet there she was, Serena Williams, seen by kids all over the world just destroying her expensive tennis rackets. How wasteful!

   (On my way from Seoul to Incheon International Airport) with the tennis bag on my back)

(Eugene carrying them when 

they got to the Philippines)

But thanks to those friends and donors who cared, I was able to gather a few old rackets, girls' outfits, and new tennis balls and donated them to two public schools in the Philippines (although they badly need more). 

(Turning over rackets & tennis balls to Mr. Noe Baldomer and teachers of AAYQM Elementary School)

   (Turning over rackets & tennis balls to 

Mrs. Lilibeth Jacobo of Valencia Ko 

  Elementary School)

One teacher even told me they only have two tennis rackets for eight kids; they had to take turns. And their tennis court? They had to make do with white lines written on the cemented ground.

(Sandy and Missy with their new girls' tennis outfits)

But what was worse, in my opinion, was the fact that, during the ceremony, the USTA President didn't even bother to address the issue. She even praised Serena and said,"...perhaps this is not the finish we were hoping for...", forgetting the fact that there were TWO players on court, and not only one, amidst booing and jeering by the New York crowd. I could only imagine how Naomi felt.

But amidst all these, with kids from tennis or from other sports, watching that shameful spectacle, it's only right to speak about the issues of fairness, sportsmanship, and respect because, sadly, a tennis superstar, someone who should have been promoting the sport, somehow managed to ruin it with just one match.

(Natassia, Missy, Rica, Sandy, Sean, Gabriel, 

Kentzhi & Joemar won all their matches 

at a local schools' meet in 2018)

Fair play
No cheating, please. If the rule says 'no coaching', then tell your coach not to send hand signals from the stands.

For me, throwing tantrums on court just to throw off your opponent or halt his/her momentum is cheating.

And cheating is wrong; it ruins, not just the sport, but your reputation as well.

Sportsmanship
Observe the rules of the game, accept defeat like you would a victory, and learn from your mistakes. It will make you a better player. Emotionally and morally.

Respect 
Even though he or she is your opponent, he or she deserves your respect like you deserve his/hers.

Remember the 1999 French Open when Martina Hingis crossed over to Steffi's side of the court (which is a no-no!) and even threw in an underhanded serve (which left Steffi shaking her head)? Martina got booed by the French crowd and was reduced to tears.

You should also abide by the rulings and decisions of the chair umpire, and not berate him just because he ruled against you. This is tennis where we shut our mouth, and let our forehands and backhands do the talking.

And my take on Serena's tantrums and theatrics? 

She did it to throw off her opponent. She was losing and was being outplayed by Naomi. With her coach's hand signals not working, she was probably ready to play dirty as long as she won.

      (Missy, Sandy, Daniel & Eugene won all their               matches at the local schools' meet in 2017)

But as I said, let's not emulate her disgusting behavior. She argued with the chair umpire using her 'mother card' and 'gender card' by claiming she was a mother and "...men out here that do a lot worse...". Well, Roger Federer is a father but we've never heard him argue against an umpire using his four kids as an excuse, have we?

So, there, tennis kids. Let's just play fair, respect everyone, and observe sportsmanship.

                   (We celebrated with pizza!)

PS. These are my happy tennis kids!  And even though our tennis rackets were just donated, we still have fun!