Roger has pulled out of Dubai due to injury. It looks like he is trying to avoid just such a statement given that he lives in the place. I don't think we will be hearing from Roger on this topic. If he asked he will probably defer to an ATP response.

Well, Feddy just pulled out of Dubai citing back problems. I'll bet goat wasn't the desert animal you were thinking of.

Thanks Steve for this follow-up piece. Federer's ties to Dubai have always made me uncomfortable. He could live/train anywhere in the world and I sincerely hope he not only reconsiders his choices but takes a stand on this issue (along with all the other players). Nobody need to go down a rabbit hole but this is a no brainer in terms of what's fair and what's right, period.

Steve,

"I’d never ask any of the top men or women to go down the rabbit hole of Israel-Gaza, or Israel and its relationship with its Arab neighbors. "

But you are Steve, you are.

Well, Rog is out of Dubai.

I totally believe he's injured, he'll get asked about it, no doubt, even if it has to wait till IW.

He can not say nothing, even if he's not playing. He just can't.

Michele,

oh, and why is that? Why should Federer's training base in Dubai make you uncomfortable?

YEAH Steve very topical

Rodge's association is a complex thing - with Dubai

but money rules the world mate - wudnt you show up there half the way across the world, if they pay you a million quid a day

even Andre with a dodgy back did

Syd -

In your opinion, should American athletes be banned for tournaments due to the war in Iraq?

How about chinesee players?

If so, can you explain to me what is the difference between Shahar Peer and Andy Roddick? Innocent people died in Gaza, innocent people died in Afganistan and Iraq.

There are many athletes in the world coming from countries who have been accused, more or less rightfully, of committing HR violations.

None of them are being refused at tournaments, except Israeli players. US is the US, China is China. Huge powers in the world. Unlike Israel.

What is the difference?

This is a tough call for players who are all slaves to the (once) almighty dollar.

I cannot blame any players for choosing to sit this one out. It should be entirely up to both player unions to come to a concrete, unified stance on removing offenders from the official playing list. Nothing less will suffice. Dubai should be dumped. And fined if at all possible.

Steve, the funny thing is that Andy Ram moved to Israel as a child ("did Aliya") as a kid, and has a passport from Uruguai. But he chose not to hide behind that and requested the visa under his Israeli nationality.
I wouldn't expect much from the tours. Much as St-Etienne managed to hush Korolev in that whole round-robin fiasco when Blake was supposed to go home, I'm thinking there'll be some hush-money involved.
Shahar (whose name should be spelled Pe'er, rendering many a joke moot) didn't want the tournament dropped, as her colleagues had traveled half-way around the world for it.
I'd give you my opinion about the policy, but from me it would sound like sour grapes.
I would like to mention that we have never denied an athlete entry to compete. However, we have denied a Palestinian swimmer a visa to train in Israeli facilities inside Israel (but not to open competitions).

What I find most upsetting about this blatant form of bigotry and the lame WTA response is that the WTA is continuing to promote the event full hog on its website. Let the tournament go on if it must, but then why give it coverage? Impose a blackout. And if the ATP had any guts, it would be demanding a visa for Andy Ram or cancelling the tournament. It can't use the WTA excuse that they only found out about this decision a day before the tournament. At least the Tennis Channel has taken a principled stand and is refusing to broadcast it.

I have heard this argument over and over about players getting involved in politics.

I can remember Monica Seles being asked to comment on the politics in her country and how uncomfortable she felt discussing it, because as she said, I'm just a tennis player. She was young at the time and maybe didn't have much to offer on the subject, but a few notable exceptions have come out and spoken on political issues in tennis.

Goran Ivanisevic was outspoken about the politics in his country and the South African players spoken out against apartheid...but the difference is they were FROM those countries.

Federer is more or less a visitor in Dubai. He may have an opinion on the issues there but I can see why he doesn't speak out.

Must say, I'm disappointed in Roger not making Davis Cup. I volunteered to work during DC in Birmingham, since that's my home city and I was looking forward to seeing him in action.

Oh, well...

Great post Steve.
Well for me politics and sport should be separated, players should not be penalized for there nationality and the actions of there government. I really believe that the tournaments at Dubai are going to continue just because of the money that they offer. Tennis is a business after all and for the ATP and the WTA executives money seems the most important thing.

Or, I'd like to add that South-African tennis players were never denied entry because of the (official!) ban on the country during Apartheid. Also, Iraqi athletes weren't penalized by the Arab world after their country invaded Kuwait. Apparently, Israelis are official representatives of their countries, while the rest of the world's populace is made up of individuals.
hmm, I wonder whether this means we can ask the government for expense-reimbursement for our overseas vacations...

SteveO, this is just the tip of the hypocrisy iceberg. Women playing in an Islamic country to begin with? Makes little sense.

Leave Fed alone. He's a tennis player. He's got stuff to work on.

Thanks.

The WTA & ATP can boycott and complain all they want. Even if they decide no longer to conduct tournaments there, it won't matter a whit to Dubai, Doha or anyplace else in the Middle East. Those places will just find other sporting events to host, and that'll be that. They have way too much money to care about any decisions by these organizations.

Besides, the bottom line is nothing the WTA or ATP does will reverse centuries of conflict like this.

I think it's not incumbent on Federer to take a position here--not unless he's involved in the Dubai government or the policy that that government enfored in this case. I wouldn't expect an athlete who moved to the United States to defend that choice when the U.S.A. does stupid or immoral things, and I just think athletes should be given courtesy in this regard: unless they are involved in voting and policy making in that country, they do not and indeed *should* not, speak for an entire country just because they choose to live there.

Ok, this is a stinky mix -- sports & politics. But...

Besides all the historic antagonism between the arab countries and Israel that everyone knows about, there's a related issue that has got to be raised in this case -- the security issue, and things are not so simple... in fact, the risk should be really big and I wouldn't like a tennis girl ending up as a martyr because it wouldn't change things a lot in the muslim world... not in this case, the only change in a tragedy scenario being the tour not coming back to that area of wealthy income to both the ATP and the WTA, hence the players themselves.

OK, what if someone lets Shahar Peer and Andy Ram play just like they should play? Who will be responsible for the players security? Normally, in a country with an Israeli embassy, it's the embassy that provides the bodyguards (it happened here in Portugal in a Fed Cup zonal tie); there is not an Israeli embassy in the UAE... should the UAE provide visas to armed israeli bodyguards coming from an 'enemy' country?

Should really Shahar Peer and Andy Ram risk the trip so soon aftar the Gaza tragedy to an arab country open to any sort of fundamentalists coming from the muslim world? What if there's a bomb threat that could end up harming other players? What if there are injuries or deaths, who will pay for the lost lives or professional damage?

I think those issues should be raised and explained before any decision was made concerning the visas...

Then again, the situation sucks and I'm waiting to see what the ATP and the WTA will do in the aftermath of this fortnight at the UAE.

"Even if they decide no longer to conduct tournaments there, it won't matter a whit to Dubai, Doha or anyplace else in the Middle East....the bottom line is nothing the WTA or ATP does will reverse centuries of conflict like this."

Nick,

Not the point. A player was refused entry to a country where a top echelon tournament is being played, when the most basic rule of the WTA is that no player is to be denied entry. The WTA hold the larger responsibility in this case for not only sanctioning but upgrading a tournament where they knew this basic problem existed. The WTA should walk away for the good of the WTA not to hurt Dubai or any other such country. It for the basic credibility of the WTA organization.

We all know money was the reason for having such a tournament in the first place and Dubai will not be hurt financially, but it does make them look bad. This issue should superseed any financial considerations. It's about basic fairness. If Dubai cannot guarantee such then they have no business having a WTA sanctioned tournament regardless of how much money is thrown at the WTA or players.

Because I believe the financial ties to the WTA are deep, it will probably take some time for the WTA to extricate themselves from such a feeding trough. However, this should be done with all due speed. If it makes no difference to Dubai or any other such country then it shouldn't to the WTA. A clear message needs to be sent or the WTA has no credibility.

I'm also sure there are many other cities/country wanting a top line WTA tournament where this problem will not come up.

the security issue, and things are not so simple... in fact, the risk should be really big and I wouldn't like a tennis girl ending up as a martyr because it wouldn't change things a lot in the muslim world..Who will be responsible for the players security?

According to WTA rules the tournaments are responsible for security. If the tournament cannot guarantee security of all players, then that tournament has no business existing in that climate. And the ATP cancel a tournament in India last year for just this reason as player safety could not be guaranteed.

However, I do believe the lion's share of the fault rests with the WTA. Anyone with any brains could have forseen this problem yet the WTA went ahead and upgraded the tournament to a top tournament knowning this was an issue.

We had a similar situation -- the Lisbon-Dakar rally raid, the most famous competition of it's kind (it used to start in Paris), was cancelled on the eve of the 2008 departure because no one could guarantee security in the desert of Mauritania. It was a major disaster, the drivers and co-pilots were crying in frustration...

You're right, the tournaments are responsible for the security -- but this is not a normal case, I assume Shahar Peer would need more protection than a head of state... I'm eager to see the response of the ATP and WTA, the ball is clearly in their court... and the world is watching.

The security argument is a pretext. Dubai is a repressive security/authoritarian state. This decision is one of bigotry, pure and simple. My Israeli husband went to Qatar a few years ago for a speaking event with his boss who is an orthodox rabbi and looks the part. Most of the people they came across in Doha had never met an Israeli, much less a Jewish person. The Qataris were wonderful and treated them with the utmost respect, if not a lot of curiosity. Many walls were broken down during that visit -- even if only at the individual level. It is only through these types of interactions (including exposing UAE residents to Shahar Pe'er) that the pernicious demonization of Israel and Jews promoted by the UAE and other Arab countries will come to an end. If the UAE wants to become a place of the future (as it so desperately tries to portray itself), then it needs to start acting like one.

Why is Roger supposed to comment on the situation with Dubai-Peer? This is not the case of apartheit, it's completely different.

If tennis is supposed to be a-political, then Federer certainly is not required to comment on it, as a tennis player.

As a part of ATP council, that's a different matter. In his official capacity in that role, yes he could be asked to comment. As a tennis player -- no. If it's a-political for all, then it's a-political for all!

Also, he's out of Dubai :(

Great post, Steve. A topic that must be dealt with, bravo for having the chutzpah to take it on. But maybe it should have been titled, "Making Pacts with the Devil"....

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned (other than in the journalistic reportage) is that Shahar Peer was a conscript in the Israeli military. Of course, all Israeli men and women of age must enlist and serve, so that in itself says nothing unique about Miss Peer, but it might in part explain Dubai's overarching concern for her safety.

Does any of this make it right? No. But I feel that the WTA and ATP are more to blame in this than the UAE. While we do not like that sports mixes with politics, and in a perfect world they would not, this isn't a perfect world and they are mixing up quite a sludge.

I only wish Arthur Ashe were alive to provide perspective and wisdom to the governing bodies in professional tennis.

Beth: "I think it's not incumbent on Federer to take a position here--not unless he's involved in the Dubai government or the policy that that government enfored in this case."

I general I'd agree. However, Federer has been vocal in the past abouts his views on playing in places like Dubai (in general, he would like to see more tournaments in the middle east). He's also VERY involved in the politics of the ATP (as President of the Players Council). His players council position alone requires him to support the players, including Andy Ram.

Aside from that, I find silence by anyone in a position of power (including Nadal and Federer, as the two most powerful players both in ranking and in 'drawcard' terms) to be utterly reprehensible. Federer had a good opportunity to make a statement when he withdrew from Dubai and the Davis Cup, and chose no to. As Edmund Burke said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

I agree that the WTA is to blame. The UAE is a bigoted police state -- Dubai Duty Free and its luxury towers are simply a facade. The gov't has never hidden its political viewpoint. The WTA knew this issue would be a problem when it negotiated the deal, relying on the UAE's "assurances" that in the future, it would let any player play at the tournament regardless of nationality. In the end, the almighty dollar won out -- rules or principles be dammned.

With all due respect to all the players on the tour, a country should serve its citizens in the best way possible. If these citizens, having recently witnessed the brutal Israeli massacres against the Paelstinian people in Gaza strip only 5 weeks ago (!) (and in lebanon in 2006) are sensitive, to say the least, to any Israeli presence, within their borders, this is totally understandable.

If I were a citizen of UAE, I would be extremely outraged at anyone raising an Israeli flag during Shahr Pe'er's game! Suppose she won, should they play the national Israeli Anthem? In Dubai??

AND
It's not only that! Shaher Pe'er and Andy Ram, as jewish citizens in Israel, are not "ordinary citizens", in that they were both SOLDIERS in the ISRAELI ARMY (since there is a draft in Israel)! So, please, spare us the "just a tennis player" mantra.

It's very easy to say "sports and politics do not mix". But actually, that's not true at all - they are very much intertwined, and, in my opinion, they should be. Sports do not exist in a world totally disassociated from Politics' - they feed each other.

In fact, I can't see how, ever since the ATP and WTA were founded, neither has called out to boycott Israel and its players! Sports can have a very deep impact on politics, not only the other way around!

Count me among those who believe Roger should speak up. The guy lives there. Bet it's not so glamorous now though.

Living on STOLEN LAND with BORROWED TIME surely this is the lamest punishment meted out to the shitty little country masqerading as the only so called "democracy" in mid-east. But hey better late than later. As for the frail war-mongering psychotic wh**e Israhell GOOD RIDDANCE

Oh boy, flamewar...

Congratulations to the Tennis Channel for being the first to show real protest over this discrimination.

The WTA has wimped out, probably because of money. “Looking for a hero?” Don’t bother looking to the WTA, they don’t believe in heroism. They believe in discrimination and keeping quiet for dirham.

I am saddened that the rest of the WTA players didn’t drop out. I am particularly disappointed in the Williams sisters, who should be first to stand up and pull out of a tournament against discrimination. How would they react if a black player was denied entry because of their ethnicity? Wouldn’t Venus and Serena expect others to stand up if they were discriminated against? To me, this is no different for Peer.

I think the WTA and the ATP should both take a stand and refuse to have tournaments in Dubai unless the UAE ensures an OPEN draw, not one subject to discrimination.

Finally the spineless gormless Arab patsies showed an ounce of commonsense & courage in kicking the zionist scum out. One down 13 million more to go.

Congratulations to the Tennis Channel for being the first to show real protest over this discrimination.
The WTA has wimped out, probably because of money. “Looking for a hero?” Don’t bother looking to the WTA, they don’t believe in heroism. They believe in discrimination and keeping quiet for dirham.

I am saddened that the rest of the WTA players didn’t drop out. I am particularly disappointed in the Williams sisters, who should be first to stand up and pull out of a tournament against discrimination. How would they react if a black player was denied entry because of their ethnicity? Wouldn’t Venus and Serena expect others to stand up if they were discriminated against? To me, this is no different for Peer.

I think the WTA and the ATP should both take a stand and refuse to have tournaments in Dubai unless the UAE ensures an OPEN draw, not one subject to discrimination.

We certainly live in a hate-filled world, don't we? And we never, ever seem to run out of things to hate. What a pity. If I commanded a race of aliens, and we'd traveled to this Solar System, and visited this planet, I probably clear the entire gnarly infestation, then aerate the land for an entirely new crop.

What a waste of humanity.

Keep Smiling

Ooops! Sorry about the double post...

looks like we need a moderator...

South African Apartheid was severely condemned by one & all unanimously but zionist bile spewing sociopath Israhell's Apartheid & Genocide against true owners & inhabitants of Palestine is not just condoned but cheered on by clueless zombies in London & DC.

I totally agree with with Mr. Martins comments over his dissapoint with Scott and the top WTA players. I'm really ashamed that they couldn't step up to the plate. Of course, it is very obvious regardless of what anyone says that Federer is only pulling out of Davis cup just so that it does not appear as though he is boycotting Dubai. But then, kudos to him for at least trying something, regardless of his intentions. I was really sorry for Peer and utterly dissapointed in the WTA and their players...After all the talk of equal prize money and equality for women, and they just pretend like nothing happened? Shame on them all.

This is a different issue than the politics of a country. No individual player can reasonably be held to answer for their (or any other) country's political stance.

This is a labor relations issue for the tours. Therefore, being president of the players' counsel and the most recognized face of the sport, I think Federer is obligated to take a public stand in support of his fellow players (even if it jeopardizes his personal relationship with the emirate he chooses as his training base).

Federer gets emotional during trophy presentations at majors, so we know he has deep feelings. I guess the interesting question here is whether those deep feelings extend to securing equal access to the rank and file he purports to represent.

At least to my knowledge, he has stayed mum in the past on this issue. Such silence strikes me as selfish and I therefore expect disappointing silence (or a fall back on the official tour response) from him here as well. It's too bad, because this problem represents an opportunity for him to transcend his accomplishments on the court and leave a lasting impression as an agent for social change. Consequently, if he continues to dodge the issue, it leaves the impression that the only real change he cares about is that found in the bottom of his pockets.

Relevant sections of WTA Rule Book.

Dubai clearly knew of No Discrimination policy.
WTA had to know of problems Dubai posed.
If security was an issue, the tournament should have been cancelled.

Regarding Flag waving
No one from Isreal would have been in the country to raise a flag. I'm sure Peer would have been smart enough to keep patroitic excess out of the equation for her own personal safety.

Regarding Peer and her military experience
It was required - she is currently nor active, nor would she have been in the country in that capacity - this should be irrelevant.

Don't swiss citizen's have some form of compulsary military service or am I wrong?

Open Competition/No Discrimination

Entry into Tournaments shall be open to all female tennis players based on merit and without discrimination, subject only to the conditions herein set forth and to those provisions of the Age Eligibility Rule.

With the reorganization, I think all tournaments were required to reapply for Membership

Applicants for new Tournaments are advised that the WTA will grant a new membership only if, in the WTA’s sole discretion, the new Tournament is geographically and temporally appropriate, within the requirements of the WTA By-Laws and otherwise serves the best interests of the WTA Tour.

Security Risk Assessment
A new Tournament applicant must pay the cost of a security risk
assessment(s) prepared by the WTA’s professional security consulting firm, if one is deemed necessary by the WTA.

C. CONDITIONS OF TOURNAMENT MEMBERSHIP
A Tournament Class Membership is contingent upon the following conditions:

1. Governing Agreements
The Tournament agrees to abide by and be bound by all of the following: the Rules; Code of Conduct; WTA By-Laws; WTA Contracts; and any other relevant agreements.

2. Prize Money
The Tournament agrees to the minimum prize money levels as indicated in Section V. C.

3. Equal Opportunity
The Tournament is open to all categories of female players without discrimination.

4. Minimum Draw Size
The Tournament agrees to a minimum draw for singles and doubles as set forth in these Rules and as determined in the sole discretion of the WTA.

5. WTA Tour Application Terms & Provisions
The Tournament signs and agrees to abide by the terms and provisions of the WTA Tour application.

6. Product Exclusivities
The Tournament abides by any Product Exclusivities as set forth in Section VIII.A on page 147.

D. ANNUAL PROCEDURES FOR AN EXISTING WTA TOUR
TOURNAMENT

2. Prize Money
Each Tournament must comply with the following provisions (subject to change) regarding prize money. Revised provisions, if any, will be distributed by the WTA.

a. Payment Currency
i. US Dollars

3. Additional Tournament Requirements
In addition to the above requirements, each Tournament must:

a. Comply with Product Category Exclusivities (as set forth on page 147).

b. Pay the cost of a security risk assessment(s) prepared by the
WTA’s professional security consulting firm, if the WTA, in its sole discretion, deems that a security risk assessment is appropriate.

Tournament Membership Request

Any one (1) of the following shall be a valid and adequate reason for not granting a Tournament Class Membership to an applicant: (a) failure to meet the conditions of Tournament membership as set forth on page 127; (b) failure to accept or abide by these Rules and the Tournament Commitment herein set forth; (c) previous failure to meet its financial commitments or comply with these Rules; (d) lack of space on the WTA Tour Calendar; (e) direct or indirect ownership by a person or entity which would exceed the Limitations on Ownership (see page 143); or (f) other good causes clearly and demonstrably contrary to the integrity of tennis or the WTA Tour.

Forfeiture of Membership
a. Causes

A Tournament Class Membership shall be forfeited immediately in
the event a member:
i. Fails to conduct its Tournament for any reason, and

ii. Fails to comply with the release requirements set out above.

b. Tournament Implications
Upon forfeiture, a member shall have no future rights or privileges with the WTA and shall lose the right to conduct a Tournament on the Tour.

Security

The WTA has considered Tournament security issues and has determined that the Tournaments and players are the appropriate parties to bear the responsibility for Tournament security. Each Tournament shall be responsible for providing on-site security for players, Tournament staff, officials and spectators and shall, if requested, promptly provide the WTA with detailed information about security plans. As part of each Tournament’s security plan, a photo credentialing system must be established. Players shall cooperate with Tournament security measures.

The WTA and the ATP should not have put individual players into a position to have to speak out or take action on their own. If someone doesn't participate, they can lose points and ranking, not just money, if the tournament goes on without them. Shahar Peer herself said she did not want this to happen to her fellow players. Why pick on Federer to take a stand? Don't blame the athletes. The WTA and ATP should have immediately pulled out of the tournament, period. It's not about Israel or any other country -- it's about blatant discrimination. It should not be tolerated, and they could have set a fine and courageous precedent by pulling out. It's not to late for the ATP. I'm disgusted with the WTA.

In contrast, look at the China Olympics. There are a lot of things that happen in China that we in the US don't agree with, and they don't always agree with us. But that didn't stand in the way of letting the athletes be athletes and keeping politics out. Anyone who can't do that should not have sporting events happening in their countries.

The WTA and the ATP should not have put individual players into a position to have to speak out or take action on their own. If someone doesn't participate, they can lose points and ranking, not just money, if the tournament goes on without them. Shahar Peer herself said she did not want this to happen to her fellow players. Why pick on Federer to take a stand? Don't blame the athletes. The WTA and ATP should have immediately pulled out of the tournament, period. It's not about Israel or any other country -- it's about blatant discrimination. It should not be tolerated, and they could have set a fine and courageous precedent by pulling out. It's not to late for the ATP. I'm disgusted with the WTA.

In contrast, look at the China Olympics. There are a lot of things that happen in China that we in the US don't agree with, and they don't always agree with us. But that didn't stand in the way of letting the athletes be athletes and keeping politics out. Anyone who can't do that should not have sporting events happening in their countries.

James Martin blasts Mauresmo for speaking out and going to Dubai anyway, which she didn't do. Probably pulled out because she went all the way in Paris, but an editor should have his facts straight all the same.

This is how it is done by athletes in possession of spines:

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/eticket/print?page=buffalo58

The women have ALWAYS been terrible as a group at showing anything more than completely token "support" for each other. Remember the Hamburg tournament went on after Seles had been stabbed.

re : sam i am about ram and peer being soldiers

All Israelis have to do military service for several years, don't they ? I read an article recently about young people refusing to do it and it's extremly hard and rare. So personaly I don't think it really matters for Dubai. All that mattered for them was the nationality on the passport.

re : Federer shouldn't have to give an opinion cause he's only a "visitor" there...

I disagree. He did choose to live there, didn't he ? He ought to have a opinion, and I consider he endorses things there, much like people moving to Monaco endorse tax "escape". He's not clueless.

For those who have expressed disappointment in the Williams sisters, they have not attended IW not that the tour canceled its partnership with IW. As a result of THEIR STANCE and PERSONAL decision and NOT the WTA they will be having zero points for IW even when fellow players play there and gain points. Surprisingly Venus seems to be the only one to have even made a statement of the all the players (unless of course others have but their statements were not published).

I'm confused. You want the players to make political statements yet you don't think the tournaments should make political decisions. What??? Leave the women on the WTA Players Council alone and leave Fed alone. If the spotlight should be on anyone, it's Larry Scott who signed all the contracts for the UAE to host the tournament. This is his mess.

Amen to the story about the 1958 Buffalo Bulls. It is apropos here, as this is also an access issue. Those young men had ONE CHANCE to play in a bowl game of consequence and said: "No thank you. Not without my teammate." Yes, the story got a little overplayed during the college football bowl season when Buffalo finally made another bowl game (50 years later, mind you). Nonetheless, the fact that so many of these wealthy professionals cannot take a stand in support of their fellow players for one week reminds me why that story deserves to be told.

"James Martin blasts Mauresmo for speaking out and going to Dubai anyway, which she didn't do. Probably pulled out because she went all the way in Paris, but an editor should have his facts straight all the same."

nanama: Much as I disgree with James Martin on a number of issues regarding the WTA, I totally agree with his stance in this matter. Further, he does not single out Mauresmo he just quotes her statement. Nor does he say she said it and then proceeded to the tournament to cash in. So I think your critism of Mr. Martin in this case is unfounded.

Mauresmo is one of the elder statesment of the tour and should be very sensitive herself to issues of discrimination as the WS, the serbs, the Russians and all female tennis players.

James Martin is totally right on this issue.

Roger just called Dubai one of his favorite tournaments in the withdrawal statement on his website. He's not going to speak out against the UAE's decision or sell his condo in Dubai (not that he could, anyway, in this economy!) Many of us would love Roger to turn political activist, but it ain't gonna happen. At the most, he'll agree with the ATP's decision and move on.

I do think this article places too much emphasis on Roger Federer's potential role. ATP politics aside, he's a pretty apolitical guy and choosing to train in a hot place like Dubai (that was centrally located for his one-time coach, Tony Roche) does not suddenly make him a spokesperson for Mid East relations. The ATP execs have to take the blame for this one.

Re: other players I just saw from Steve Martins write up that players have spoken up.

But the Onus still lies with the tours WTA and ATP who signed the agreements with Dubai to cancel the event.

Mikey, how's it going?
I agree about the security thing, but this isn't the first time Israeli players have been denied access, it's just the first time it hasn't been swept under the rug (see Mansdorf,Amos, during the mid-nineties peace-a-thon). And in a totalitarian country like the UAE I think they know how to make sure everything's secure. Especially since there's a lot less open, unmanageable areas at a tennis tourney than in the Dakar.
This is also not the first time Shahar's been a victim of the anti-Israeli sentiment. She played dubs with Sania Mirza until the latter was threatened by extremists.
Remember when Amir Hadad partnered Pakistan's Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi and it was such a big deal that they received the sportsmanship award together? The head of the pakistani tennis federation threatened to sanction Aisam, but he wouldn't back down and called his bluff.

THe WTA and ATP have been going after the money in the middle east and asia. As far as human rights, they have kept politics out of the China tournaments, but they need to address the middle east problem. If Isralis are kept out so should Americans. And yes, Federer should comment on it. THe more people stay silent, the more the Dubai government will think that here is no problem. Politics have come into the situation, so the top players should say that politics should stay out of it. There are a lot of political problems all over the world. I was not keen on the Beijing Olympics but I watched them to support the athletes. But Beijing did not exclude anyone. Dubai is doing that. There is also the possibility that Dubai is bowing to the pressure of the other extreme Arab states. As a Federer fan since 2000, I am deeply disappointed in him.

Tennis Fan:

Not wholeheartedly defending Mauresmo, she could and should have tied her withdrawal directly to the Peer scandal. But Mr. Martin does say this:

"It’s not as if Mauresmo, Venus, or Ivanovic, among all the others, are going to find themselves in line for government cheese if they skip this one tournament."

Which implies that she did not withdraw.

Perhaps the best the best players can do (under the circumstances) is to quietly strike, that is play half-heartedly, lose quickly, tank, (call it whatever you want), and leave the tourney with the b-listers. This kind of "non-violent" protest has been done before...

Keep Smiling

Some things I need to clarify -

Shahar's militery service - nothing more than a lip service.

She went through basic training for none-combat girls. You learn how to shoot, basic medical aid and how to put a gas mask quickly. That's roughly it. That's barely a month. I dare say there are 12 years old in Texas that know more about shooting an M-16 than Shahar.

After that, she 'served' in the army when she was in Israel for two years. You guys know how much a top tennis player spend in their home land, she spent maybe 5 hours per month, tops, in the army.

To Miguel re: security.

I don't believe Shahar is any less safe in Dubai than she is anywhere in the world. There is a *huge* Muslim community in France, which is currently very hostile to Israel. So, can the FO tournament organizer ban her from there, too, citing security?
I recall hearing about violant protests against Israe in France, in London - never in Dubai.

If this was Syria, Lebanon, hell - even Egypt with whom we have peace agreements with, I'd agree with you that she should probably stay home, but Dubai hadn't have any kind of specific protests against Israel, because the population there is rich, or made of forgieners - and they don't get involved in this. This isn't your normal Muslim country.

In other words, she would have very little exposure to general population, less than in most tournament around the world.

The security claim must be based on something. And it does not, otherwise don't you think the UAE would have voiced that concern two weeks ago?

And lets not forget, that problem was last year, too. Before the recent situation in Gaza.

By hiding behind the security excuse, every tournament would be able to reject Shahar Peer. From France to Wimbledon.

And BTW, the security is arranged by the tournaments even in countries in which Israel has an embassy - you think the LTA would ever let armed Israeli bodyguards into the tournament?

On Peter Bodo's blog, I wrote the following:

In an earlier comment, I suggested that it would be a good thing if one or more players withdrew from the Dubai women's and men's tournaments in response to the Shahar Peer situation.

Upon further review, I should have left the topic alone or approached it with more sophistication.

Unfortunately, as events in recent years have demonstrated, fanatics espousing various beliefs have taken extreme actions actions against "civilians" for publicly expressing their political or religious beliefs. (I put "civilians in parentheses because some of their assassins/barbarians apparently consider the public expression of sentiments questioning their religion or culture as the initiation of warlike actions justifying the killing of opposing "soldiers" in some sort of cultural or religious war.

Although I believe that it would be admirable for one or more players to have withdrawn or to withdraw as a result of the Shahar Peer situation, doing so MIGHT (if only slightly) expose him/her/them to physical danger (including death). Consequently, I don't believe that any of these players should necessarily be criticized for looking to their player associations to determine what these associations perceive to be the proper course of action in this matter.

Tennis Fan:

Not wholeheartedly defending Mauresmo, she could and should have tied her withdrawal directly to the Peer scandal. But Mr. Martin does say this:

"It’s not as if Mauresmo, Venus, or Ivanovic, among all the others, are going to find themselves in line for government cheese if they skip this one tournament."

Which implies that she did not withdraw.

What does it matter what she did in the army? She was part of it. The same army that only weeks ago threw White Phosphorous bombs on innocent Gazans. You can't expect an Arab country with no ties with Israel to just welcome a former Israeli soldier.

nanama: Yes, I see your point. He could have qualified this statement. However, I don't think this was intentional to imply that Mauresmo was there and this is a minor point in the overall message that players should have banned together. Further, we know that Mauresmo's withdrawal was prior to this story breaking and because she won in Paris and not because of this issue. But I don't conceed you point he was a little bit unfair to Mauresmo.

And, Mikey, one more thing:
If the situation is that a tourney can't guarantee the safety of a player to a reasonable extent, then it shouldn't be sanctioned but merely stripped of its status for technical reasons. I wouldn't consider this punishing the tournament. The motive doesn't matter. If the area was hit with Cholera you wouldn't have the tournament, and nobody'd be blaming anybody. That's what I suggest here. No blaming the tournament or the country, and just take their admission that they can't provide security for the players at face value.

Correction to last sentence in prior post 'don't' should have been 'do'.

Three cheers for James Martin, Steve Tignor, The Tennis Channel, alq and most of all Tennis Fan, for their outspoken support of Human Rights. Both tours have laid a huge egg looking for a share of middle east oil money.
To the best of my knowlegde there has still been no statement from Billie Jean King who has long been acclaimed for her stance on Women's rights. What about Shahar Peer's rights to compete? As founder of the WTA and a normally outspoken voice on many topics...why the silence?

Human rights?

Sad..

TF: For the record, Mauresmo made her comments on Peer in her post-match press conference on Sunday and withdrew from Dubai later in the day. So let's hope it did play a role in her decision. (Maybe she'll be asked about it at the next opportunity.)

I wonder if you ladies, and gents would react the same way if Younes Al Aynaoui was denied an entry to an event in Palestine ( AKA israel to some of u)

nanama: Can you post a transcript of the press conference with Mauresmo?

Confirmed, as it seems: Andy Ram won't get a visa for the ATP Dubai event...

"I wonder if you ladies, and gents would react the same way if Younes Al Aynaoui was denied an entry to an event in Palestine ( AKA israel to some of u)"

Absolutely, it about fundamental fairness, equal opportunity, living by the rules that you publish and claim to espouse and commit to and not having fundamental integrity compromised by big bucks and your personal inconvience. The particulars of the political issue are irrelevant in this context.

Betcha ten bucks Nadal pulls out of Dubai now due to injury.

sam i am states: "Human rights?

Sad.."

sam i am states: "If I were a citizen of UAE, I would be extremely outraged at anyone raising an Israeli flag during Shahr Pe'er's game! Suppose she won, should they play the national Israeli Anthem? In Dubai??"

sam i am states: "In fact, I can't see how, ever since the ATP and WTA were founded, neither has called out to boycott Israel and its players! Sports can have a very deep impact on politics, not only the other way around!"

Yes, sam i am, the lack of human rights on this planet is sad.

Tennis Fan,

You have to understand that there is Government rules here that can't be bent just for a sporting event, specially after the massacre in GAZA. Even if you held a european passport which had an entry stamp into israel, you might find yourself denied entry into UAE. These are the rules here

As several tennis players are now beginning to pull out of Dubai, I begin to wonder if this is not a silent protest. If most of the players, particularly those at the top, pull out, the draw and prestige of the tournament will go away. Are you sure that Roger and Amelie are not doing just that without getting embroiled in a political statement? I agree that Rafa will pull out, likely followed by others. And now there is time to chuck this tournament next year and upgrade one that is hosted by a country that is friendlier to all atheletes.

All of you who are spewing out your hate on this blog (from either side), YOU and others like you are why the world is in this mess to begin with. And keep sports out of it. Most of these athletes are just youngsters, and if they went into international sport with some biases they probably left them behind as they got to know their fellow players as people. SPORTS IS NOT ABOUT POLITICS. Every athelete probably has some political point of view. So what? Keep it out of sports! That's what is so beautiful about sports at its best and so sad when people drag their hate into it (like those Serbs, Croats and Bosnians at the AO). Go away and spew your bile somewhere else!

Steve,

I trust Tennisworld will go beyond words and do the right thing by boycotting Dubai - both men's and women's events - i.e. no stories, match previews and reports, video links etc, or anything else which might be perceived as promoting UAE as a destination for tennis.

If my favourite players disappoint me by participating, I for one will be quite happy to learn nothing about ther progress there.

Shahar Peer made a calculated political move. The idea that she would be totally ignorant to the sensitivity of what is going on in the region is laughable. Just as it's laughable that somehow players, but in particular the WS should stick up for her. Who in the WTA has stuck up in solidarity with the WS with what they've faced and currently face with Indian Wells. Shahar? Nope.

Here's a link to the Mauresmo transcript, TF.

http://www.asapsports.com/show_interview.php?id=54380

Will look for more in French.

Roger is withdrawing from Davis and Dubai because he is ashamed. Ashamed of his big mouth, ashamed of his meltdown. He thinks people will forget in time.

absent a formal decision by the atp or wta to boycott an event, or any "brave" action by the player's unions, the players should be permitted to boycott the tournament without penalty (financial or points), even at the 11th hour. that would at least give players a choice to take a stand or show support, if they are inclined.

Backhand blaster:

True, it's sad. But while Shahar Pe'er is still pretty much alive (perhaps minus a few dollars, which is a big "perhaps", seeing as she could very well have lost to Chekvetadze in the first Round), Thousands of palestinians have lost theirs, or their family members', and continue to do so to this very day. With all due respect to Shahar, I think it's a huge disrespect to talk about "human rights" in her case, when the severity of her situation pales in comparison to 1.5 million Palestinians in Gaza, besieged by Shahar's country, by the army she used to be a part of (or an army her siblings might be a part of right now, maybe even in the reserve army, which people generally remain a part of for many years after their mandatory service ends).

I don't know what utopic world the people who say "politics should not be mixed with sports" live in, but it's just not plausible nor feasible, nor, I think, desirable.

I am sorry if I'm repeating anything here - I could not go through the entire "Nexts".

Does anybody remember "9/11" in New York? These people are fanatics of a form that the western world can never comprehend? Their religious/border/etc. wars are a way of life - this sustains them - they are the people of suicide missions who believe they go to a higher power if they give their lives for the "cause" whatever it is - they have no individuality when it comes to their "cause".

I personally feel that the better act was done - I KNOW IT WAS NOT JUST ... THIS WORLD IS UNFAIR TO THE NTH DEGREE - they blatantly said and acted how they truly believe. If they had gone according to protocol and allow Shahar and Ram into the tournament - WHAT THE HAIL DO YOU GUYS THINK WOULD HAVE HAPPENED????? The whole tournament might have been bombed (exaggeration, I think) or in some fanatic's attempt to get his revenge - a whole lot of innocent people could have been harmed, including Shahar and Ram and possibly their families.

I DO NOT CONDONE THIS BEHAVIOR - but in order to co-exist with other people, nations, whatever - we have to understand their way of life and their beliefs - I think that is simple. We cannot force them to act the way WE want them to - that is how wars start in the first place and one of the reasons Americans are criticized - out shove it in your face attitude.

I agree there has to be some stance by the WTA and ATP - but be careful that the actions might create a bigger issue than the present one. No matter what sanctions, etc. are taken, the actions and wars of the people of the Middle East will continue - it's been going on from the days of the Bible (sorry, if I offend anyone, I do believe in Christianity and the Bible). I do think, however, that the powers that be should tread lightly on this one - it might just backfire on the WTA and ATP in other areas of the world - these people have shown that they will go to great lengths to prove a point. REMEMBER 9/11 ...... I REST MY CASE!

"You have to understand that there is Government rules here that can't be bent just for a sporting event, specially after the massacre in GAZA. Even if you held a european passport which had an entry stamp into israel, you might find yourself denied entry into UAE. These are the rules here"

Dubai_national: Exactly the point I am trying to make.

Go back and read my post from the WTA official rules.

No discrimination, period. If tournaments cannot fulfill this basic and fundamental requirement because of draconian laws of the state, that are unchangable, where the tournament is held, then they have no business seeking or being granted a tournment by the WTA. This was known to the WTA prior to granting a tournament to Dubai, therefore I place most of the blame on the WTA. If Dubai Duty Free is an arm of the state, as has been reported in other posts, then they have no business seeking or being able to sponsor an organazition the espouses a no discrimination requirement such as the WTA or the ATP. No matter how much money is thrown at these organizations or players.

I don't really care what the politics of the situation is or who the player is in this context.

This is not to condone the actions of any state with regard to actions taken, when the lowest people on the totem pole suffer the consequences. This is the the only statement I will make with regard to the issue. If Dubai or the UAE were truely concerned for the plight of the Palestines and there answer is to exclude an Isreali tennis player from a tennis tournament, How does that help the people who have suffered? Why not cancel the tournament and take the money you would have given to in many cases overpaid persons (relative to those who have have suffered in Palestine) and give the money to the families of those who suffered so decent burials can take place, parentless children have a roof over their head and get an education, medical attention, housing and food. Dubai seems to cater to the rich so that excuse falls on deaf ears.

But really, this is about a tennis tournament, the WTA should draw a line in the sand on this issue. If the orgainization does not do it, the players should force the issue for their own long term good. That is the point here.

Also, for whoever said something about the U.S., for example, admitting players of countries the U.S. might not agree with (China was brought as an example, I think?). Anyway, it was something of the sort.

But this is not the case. It is not just a disagreement. This is an Arab country protesting the ongoing slaughter and the siege forced upon FELLOW Arabs in Gaza by a hostile country with a very bloody history (human rights, anyone?).
The funny (sad) thing is, that while the organizers have cited the latest full-scale war on Gaza as the main reason behind the visa denial, none of the players, nor any of the associations, channels, personnel, (not even whilst the bloody war was taking place) as much as offered a prefix of something along - "Although the events happening in Palestine are upsetting..." (complete, even with "Shahar Pe'er still should be admitted") which is not even a biased sentence toward either party in the war!

Don't preach to people about the "rights" of tennis players when you disregard the rights of regular, normal people.

Why doesn't the WTA and ATP boycott Israel for destroying all the UNRWA schools? Do you think there are any tennis courts in Gaza strip? What would have become of them? Israel has blown to rubble the soccer 'stadium' they had there! Why didn't anyone in the world of Tennis shout out when that happened? Or is it ok when Israel is the agresssor?

TF: Watched the clips of the French portion of Mauresmo's press conference on the L'Équipe Web site. Said she was not interested in chasing points anymore and had no intention of finishing one tournament on Sunday in Paris and starting another on Monday in Dubai. Assume the question about Peer came later in English. Get the impression it came as news to her.

Kaygee: First your comments seem out of line. If they are truely the cases, which I highly doubt, then there should not be any tennis tournaments in such a region of the world which brings in players and visitor from all over the world.

Kaygee:

From what I understand, you support co-existence and understanding of other nations. That is all well. But the way you present your points, is, I think, very patronizing.

It's not like all Arabs are terrorists, nor are all terrorists Arabs (yea!). Same with Muslims. So the whole idea of "us" and "they" is very wrong and Bush-like, and your jumping to the conclusion that they will bomb the event if an Israeli shows up (despite the parenthesized 'exaggeration') is out of place and proportion.

sam i am: Tennis has nothing to do with these issues nor is it tennis organizations job to redress these issues.

Tennis Fan: Didn't mean to offend you - I thought my thoughts were on "temperance" and "understanding" - not acceptance of what is wrong about the whole situation - just to try to understand what this is really about.

CeCe:

"Shahar Peer made a calculated political move. The idea that she would be totally ignorant to the sensitivity of what is going on in the region is laughable."

That's a very interesting and important point and I couldn't agree more.

Moreover, I wouldn't be surprised if she was egged by her government to sign up for the tournament to spark things up.

sam i am: I am sorry that you got my thoughts wrong - I didn't mean to specifically state for any one side - I was just giving an example - I really meant it to be a round trip - it could go for either side and it was not a condemnation of either.

Tennis Fan:

So the fact that a whole generation of Gazans has never even been allowed outside Gaza strip (which is unbelievably small) is of no concern to tennis?
What if there are potential tennis players there in Gaza? Isn't it wrong not to prohibit them from getting out to where there ARE tennis courts? To practice? To be allowed to have a chance to succeed, unlike Pe'er? You don't protest against that?

correction: Isn't it wrong to prohibit...
(not "not to prohibit", obviously)

sam i am: yes, there maybe potential tennis players in Gaza, there also may be potential tennis players in Rawanda, Iraq, Northern Ireland, Vietnam, North Korea, Congo, Haiti, have you ever been to Compton, CA where Venus and Serena grew up? Have you ever been to Detroit - there are probably many tennis player not reaching their potential in all of these reasons, due to discrimination, prejudic, indifference and uncaring people. Like I said it is not the duty of tennis organization to redress these issues. Nor will it help them to do it in Tennis circles.

If you want to target a sport to make a political statement it should be baseball and football in the US and soccer everywhere else - then maybe people would care - but not by excluding one player - but by saying no more sports until the world is made right for everyone - then things would change pretty quick.

Again tennis organizations or tournaments are not the place to redress such issues.

nanama: Thanks for the info. I think we can assume that Mauresmo decision to withdraw was made before she knew if the situation in Dubai and her comments made on the fly with not much thought, so Mr. Martin may have been slightly unfair to her.

sam i am:

"Moreover, I wouldn't be surprised if she was egged by her government to sign up for the tournament to spark things up."

I tend to think the Israelis have bigger fish to fry than aggravating people who run tennis tournaments.

But even if this WERE true it's not relevant. The Dubai organizers made a promise that all eligible players would be permitted to participate. They knew this was a requirement for the tours to sanction tournametns there.

They broke that promise, and the terms of the agreement which allowed them to host a tournament.

i agree that the much publicized security issue is one reason on Shahar's rejection to participate in Dubai. but am not convinced. simly because, i believe, UAE officials do not want any Israeli player there. knowing this issue, WTA should have cancelled the event immediately. and for the players saying they supported Shahar? get real.after all money talks. as for UAE officials, they should not stage any major event when they cannot guarantee safety of "all" the players. common sense.

Roger has pulled out of Dubai due to injury. It looks like he is trying to avoid just such a statement given that he lives in the place. I don't think we will be hearing from Roger on this topic. If he asked he will probably defer to an ATP response."

He's pulled out of Davis Cup in the USA too, don't think he woudl pull out of Davis cup in the USA without a reason other than a visa issue for another player. People need to leave Roger alone, he is not responsible for everything,he's not even the number one player in men's tennis anymore, and Djokovic and Nadal are both on the player's council as well, wher are demands for THEM to hurry up and speak out? They are ALL connected with Dubai, they ALL go there and make a ton of money playing that tournament, there is no reason to act like just beacuse Federer uses Dubai to train,that somehow he is more responsible to have a certain viewpoint on this than other people. Get off his back. Give him a CHANCE to respond when somebody asks him, seems like nobody HAS asked him yet and when they do I'm sure he will say the appropriate things.

sam, of course it's wrong to conquer other people (and this says an israeli).
so Dubai is the instrument of justice and a 20-year-old tennis player is the offender?
give me a break

But he owes it to all of his fellow players to say something substantive about Dubai and its policies toward those players. If he likes it so much, he should want all of them, whether they’re paid a king’s ransom or not, to have a chance to play there.
---------------------------------

YAAAAAYYY somebody finall said it! It is Roger Federer who must say something otherwise his character will become further tarnished. This is no time to act 'swiss' and pretend to be neutral, or to pretend he has an injury and pull out of Dubai with no comment about the Pe'er situation.

As the players leader Federer must act and he must condemn this. Otherwise, like his so called GOAT status he will only prove himself to be a fraud.

Take a stand, Roger. Show us your true leadership and protect your fellow players from discrimination!

Steve,

You still haven't answered my question (4:27).

The Tennis Channel has withdrawn. Where does Tennisworld stand? Is it gonna be 'Bye bye, Dubai'?

You tell us! Like it or not, anyone in the media who promotes the event by publicising it is now part of the story too.