Friday, January 20, 2017, will go down in the world as ‘’an historic day. The inauguration of Donald Trump as the 45th president of the United States has been nothing if not controversial. And yet, in the week leading up to the inauguration, even as activists, celebrities, artists, educators, and sections of the media have spoken out against Trump, most professional tennis players have managed to avoid the subject altogether. Unlike actor Meryl Streep’s impassioned speech at the Golden Globes a couple of weeks ago, few players have used the Australian Open as a platform to make political statements thus far.

It was not an American player but a young Aussie who made the most explicit political protest during this new tennis season Down Under. Earlier this month, after an exhibition match against Rafa Nadal in Sydney, 21-year-old Nick Kyrgios, known for his brash attitude both on and off the court, went to his press conference wearing a t-shirt that featured an image of the then president-elect of the US with devil horns, crossed out eyes, and a red smile drawn over the mouth. Below the image were the words f*** Donald Trump. When asked by a journalist to talk about it, Kyrgios said, “It’s pretty self explanatory really.” Reactions to Kyrgios’s fashion choice were mixed on Twitter, with some praising him and others suggesting he stay away from politics. The majority of players, even Americans, have largely followed that advice.

Fear of alienating fans

The players cannot really be faulted for their reluctance to speak up about politics as they try to steer clear of controversy and focus on their matches. As American Nicole Gibbs points out in an interview with Ben Rothenberg in The New York Times, coaches and agents caution players not to alienate those tennis fans who might not agree with their political views. It is little surprise then that few are as outspoken as former player Martina Navratilova whose progressive views are no secret. An immigrant, a gay rights activist, and an unapologetic feminist, Navratilova has never shied away from controversy and has been a consistent and vocal critic of Trump throughout the presidential election.

Not everyone has followed in her footsteps. Even Serena Williams, who has in the past spoken out on issues such as violence against African Americans and gender equality, has avoided the topic that is on everyone’s minds this month. When the press asked her to share her views on Trump after her first-round match in Melbourne, she declined. However, she did have her own T-shirt moment, which served as a subtle reminder of what’s at stake. Following her victory over Belinda Bencic in round one, Williams sported a black T-shirt with the word equality emblazoned across it in white. It was intended to mark the birthday of Dr Martin Luther King Jr. She said, “We really want to speak up about things that we believe in and talk about equality. I think it’s a concern for just everyone in general. We want to make sure we always continue to move forward and always have the opportunity to have equal rights for all.” While the quote, as well as the fashion choice, are a direct reference to Dr King’s message of racial equality, the timing seems fortuitous.

Play

A quotation from Dr King can be found on the Twitter page of 23-year-old Nicole Gibbs, Serena Williams’s third-round opponent. The quote reads: “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter.” Ranked 92nd in the world and affectionately called Gibbsy, this player may not be well known to the casual tennis fan across the world. But over the past year or so, she has carved an identity for herself as an outspoken, unabashedly progressive athlete who seems keen to follow in Navratilova’s footsteps. Her tweets, Facebook updates and blog posts have often revolved around issues such as gun control, gender and racial equality, Obamacare, and Donald Trump. She has referred to him as “self absorbed” and “self obsessed.” Gibbs was not alone in trying to analyse the brand new American President’s personality. None other than Rafa Nadal, not really known for his political views, was about as harsh as he can get when he told online Spanish site El Espanol last week, “I don’t care for his manner of speaking – his way of expressing himself is not a style I appreciate.”

Tennis as usual in Melbourne

As the inauguration wound down on Friday night in Washington, DC, and thousands of women prepared to take part in a protest march in the American capital on Saturday, thousands of miles away in Melbourne, where it’s summer not winter, the sixth day of play got under way. It’s tennis as usual this weekend at the Australian Open. And yet, can it be true that none of the players, commentators, sportswriters or fans would be thinking at all of this political moment and what it means for America and the world? Although far away geographically from her home country, Gibbs admitted in an interview with The New Yorker a few days ago, “Let’s just say I will be at the DC Women’s march in spirit!”

Some have spoken clearly, while others have been more tactful, and yet others have preferred to avoid the topic. Whether or not players take advantage of the public platform they enjoy as professional athletes to spread messages in times of change and rupture is ultimately a matter of personal choice. But for many fans around the world, the Happy Slam this year provides a particularly welcome distraction this weekend. And sometimes that’s enough.

Oindrila Mukherjee tweets here.