Calacus Weekly Hit & Miss – David Beckham & ATP Tour
Every week we look at the best and worst communicators in the sports world from the previous week.
HIT - DAVID BECKHAM
Football legend David Beckham became a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador in 2005 and has supported the organisation’s humanitarian work over the course of a glittering playing career and into retirement.
On Sunday March 20, David Beckham handed control of his Instagram account to a Ukrainian doctor working in Kharkiv to raise awareness of conditions in Ukraine’s second-largest city.
The former Manchester United and England footballer said he wanted to highlight the amazing work of medical staff operating amid the Russian invasion.
Dr Iryna, who is head of the regional perinatal centre and a child anaesthesiologist, posted videos and images to Beckham’s Stories throughout the day, displaying the grim reality of the war for those working on the frontline.
Identified only by her first name, Dr Iryna said the aim was to highlight how doctors work round the clock in times of war.
Talking to Beckham’s 71.6 million followers, she said: “Today I'm going to show you how we work in times of war and who we have become during these war days.
“We are probably risking our lives, but we don't think about it at all. We love our work.”
The doctor shared a clip showing a basement where displaced pregnant women and new mothers were evacuated to during the first days of the invasion, an intensive care unit where babies are being treated and oxygen generators donated by UNICEF.
Dr Iryna also posted about a woman named Yana and her baby son Mykhailo, whose family home was destroyed during the fighting. Mykhailo was recovering after he was born on the second day of the war with breathing problems.
In a video shared to his Instagram page, Beckham said: “I’m handing over my social media to Iryna, the Head of the Regional Perinatal Centre in Kharkiv, Ukraine.
“There, she is working with pregnant mothers to help them give birth safely.
“Thanks to your donations, the oxygen generators they have received are helping newborns survive in appalling conditions.”
He then encouraged his followers to donate to the charity, which is working in Ukraine to provide access to clean water and food, and provide child protection services, saying: “Head over to my Stories to learn more about the amazing work that Iryna and health workers like her are doing to save lives.
“Please continue to support these incredible people and charities like UNICEF in any way that you can.
“Together we can really make a difference.”
This came a week after David and his wife Victoria Beckham set up an emergency appeal to support refugees fleeing the war-torn country.
After launching the emergency appeal on International Women’s Day 2022 through his 7 Fund, in collaboration with UNICEF, the couple shared the announcement on their separate Instagram accounts, where David revealed that he and Victoria had already made a donation to kickstart the appeal.
He said: “With my family safe around me, I felt the helplessness we all share when faced with scenes of such despair.
“Victoria and I have made a donation on behalf of our family to kickstart the appeal. We would be so grateful if you would join us to help Unicef support these innocent children. Please give what you can today.”
Beckham’s help in raising urgent funds for families caught up in the conflict should be lauded.
His role in supporting the desperate needs of children in Ukraine and all around the world must be applauded and is a further example of a high profile sports star using their influence for good.
MISS – ATP TOUR
Men’s tennis is becoming increasingly associated with bad player behaviour, with frequent outbursts occurring on the ATP Tour.
The latest incident took place at the Miami Open, when world No.39 Jenson Brooksby carelessly skidded his racket into a ball boy's foot during his 3-6, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Federico Coria.
Already this year plenty of players have landed in hot water for aggressive outbursts, most notably with Alexander Zverev effing and blinding while smashing his racket into the umpire's chair at the Mexican Open last month.
At Indian Wells earlier this month, Nick Kyrgios – the perennial bad boy of professional tennis – chucked his racket on to the court so violently following defeat by Rafael Nadal, that it rebounded the length of the court, leading a ball boy to jump out of the way to avoid being struck in the head.
Immediately after the match, Krygios was keen to underplay the incident, saying: "What would you like me to say about it?
"Obviously, was that my intention? No. Because I threw the racket. Did I throw the racket anywhere near him originally? It landed a metre from my foot and skidded and nearly hit him.
"I'm human. Things happen like that. Obviously it was a very misfortunate bounce. I think if I did that a million times over it wouldn't have gone that way."
It took the 26-year-old Aussie a while to apologise and come to his senses, whereas to his credit, Brooksby immediately took to Instagram after the match to say sorry for his actions.
The American wrote: “I am truly sorry for my actions out there today. I will learn from this and continue to grow on and off court.
“Thanks to the fans for the support out there today! See you on Saturday! Round 1 @miamiopen.”
Historically temper tantrums have not been infrequent in men's tennis.
John McEnroe, for one, was known for his volatile on-court behaviour, however his typical frenzies never used to hurt anyone.
When at the 2020 US Open, world no.1 Novak Djokovic, unintentionally struck a line judge with a ball in a moment of madness, he was immediately defaulted from the tournament.
The same punishment was handed out to David Nalbandian during the 2012 Queen’s Club Championships final, after the Argentine kicked out at an advertising board in a fit of fury which injured a line judge.
Similarly, Tim Henman and his doubles partner Jeremy Bates were disqualified from Wimbledon in 1995 after the Brit hit a ball girl on the ear after slapping the ball in frustration.
For all four, the disciplinary action was immediate and unwavering.
The disparity with the official responses to Zverev, Kyrgios and Brooksby is clear.
Zverev – whose tirade was considerably more hostile than any of the offenses listed above – was defaulted in Acapulco, handed a suspended fine of £20,000 and docked a further £30,000 in prize money.
However, the ATP only handed him a suspended ban of eight weeks, meaning he was back on tour the next week while Brooksby was docked a meagre point and Kyrgios was spared any punishment at all.
Throwing rackets, beating the umpire's chair, whacking balls into the crowd all endanger people and damages the reputation of tennis for millions watching around the world.
There is lack of firm action from the ATP to combat this worrying trend in recent months and they need to assert their authority and set an example when these incidents occur in future.
A reminder of players’ responsibilities would also be welcomed, the absence of which makes it more likely that somebody will soon get seriously hurt.