TITLE:
Tennis and Socioeconomic Class: The Change in Perception of the Sport
AUTHORS:
Yulin Zhai
KEYWORDS:
Tennis, Sport Psychology, Sport Sociology, Social Class, Sports
JOURNAL NAME:
Advances in Applied Sociology,
Vol.12 No.4,
April
20,
2022
ABSTRACT: From the 12th century to the early 19th century, a game of tennis was the
ideal setting where aristocrats could interact. Individuals who were associated
with the sport were categorized as well-refined and upper-class. However, with
the rise of individualism and free-market consumerism in the mid-1980s
associated with Reaganism and Thatcherism, tennis was made more available and
attracted the middle class. As such, the entry of players like Jimmy Connors
and John McEnroe revolutionized the game with their rebellious actions, which
transformed the etiquette of fine sportsmanship into a tough, aggressive game
filled with tantrums and vulgarities and the determination to win and make
money above all else. Through the commercialization of tennis, the public’s
perception has changed; tennis is no more “a sport for kings”, but a sport for all.