Respect at the All-England Club

When I was ten, Wimbledon was the dream. More than any other tennis major, I wanted to play on Center Court at the All-Englad Club. I had only played on one grass court my entire childhood, but still I knew a good thing when I saw it. My tennis idol, Pete Sampras won 7 of his 14 grand slam titles at Wimbledon.  Pete’s 1996 five-set gut-wrencher against Alex Correja at the U.S. Open quarterfinal is my most memorable of his professional matches,but it’s the Sampras clad in all-white that sticks in my mind. There is just something about the grass court championship that seems a little heavenly. It seems a little out of place, in a good way, in this unsettling world. Wimbledon is the most prestigious and oldest tournamant in the sport. Perhaps it is the dress code that evokes images of heaven. Or, it could be the royal purple color that stands next to the deep green.  Usually, there are “royals” in the stands too. Maybe it’s the stadium delicacies that the tournament has become so famous for serving spectators that seems too good to be true. Where else can you go to get a healthy and unique stadium staple, strawberries and cream, than in England? The men who enter the Wimbledon draw are dubbed “gentlemen”. Where else do you see that in sport? Wimbledon is special indeed, and playing there must be invigorating and pristine.

In light of all the recent events that are taking place in the United States and abroad, I think what I love most about this lawn championship is the respect it upholds. The players show respect for the game and for each other when they step out onto the grass. Angelique Kerber lost a two-set women’s championship final yesterday to Serena Williams. Even in her defeat, Kerber sent out a congratulatory tweet to her opponent.  Williams notched an historic 22^nd major with the victory over the fourth seeded German. Serena has dominated women’s tennis for decades, and yet winning at Wimbledon still seems like such a prestigious honor for the veteran player. The tournament commands respect in ways that make me turn my head from the tragedies of our nation to the smaller world of tennis. I used to dream of swinging my Wilson racquet on Center Court, yes. But even more than that, I used to imagine a world where we showed respect for all people, where all lives mattered.

As the Rudyard Kipling quote that sits above the player’s entrance to Center Court reads:
If you can meet with Triumph and Disaster, and treat those two imposters just the same..."

Let us treat everyone with the same respect we expect to be given. Let us embrace our sameness more than ever. Let us share in victory—because when all is said and done, we all win if we stick together and remember Him who created us. I hope you enjoy breakfast at Wimbledon on this beautiful July Sunday, where the beloved Brit, Andy Murray takes on first time finalist, Canadian Milos Raonic. Expect greatness. Expect sportsmanship. Expect respect.