Enough

Heather Watson might be a Wimbledon mixed doubles champion, but sadly that doesn’t stop her from facing cruel comments about her looks.

The 25-year-old lost a three-set match against German player Annika Beck at Wimbledon last year and was swiftly subjected to online abuse focusing on her weight and appearance.

Now, almost one year on, she’s hit back at those who judged her.
“Sometimes I wish I could look cute on court but you can’t, you’re just hustling and fighting and that’s the job we have and it shows that we’re strong and that sport isn’t just for boys,” she told the Radio Times.

“And sport definitely isn’t about looking perfect.”

JULIAN FINNEY VIA GETTY IMAGES
Heather Watson
Watson is a first class athlete. Last year, she became Britain’s first female Wimbledon mixed doubles champion since Jo Durie in 1987 – the last time a British woman had won Wimbledon singles was a decade before that in 1977 with Virginia Wade.

Discussing the appearance-based expectations female tennis players (and women in general) face, she said: “We tennis girls are all fit and healthy but we’re on the court with no makeup, and sweaty – we aren’t celebrities who have people on hand to do makeup all the time.

“I actually love wearing sports clothes, having my hair tied up in a bun, not wearing makeup and I think more girls should feel comfortable in their own skin and not have to cover themselves in makeup all the time.