WTAF!
Really? Wow.
Somehow won one championship (OK, yeah, the US Open) and has superbly underachieved ever since.
Oh well!
I don't really get the sports people getting these if i'm honest.
I'd rather give them to the woman at the Salvation Army who's given up every Sat morning to them since 1984.
I kind of understand how they bring a country together, sort of.... maybe... but still.. There's got to be more worthy out there.
I’d rather give them to the woman at the Salvation Army who’s given up every Sat morning to them since 1984.
might get one if she was nominated
I’d rather give them to the woman at the Salvation Army who’s given up every Sat morning to them since 1984.
These people still get them, they just don't make the news
Somehow won one championship (OK, yeah, the US Open)
So one of the most prestigious tournaments in tennis. I'm not a fan of the honours system in general but I'm not seeing the problem here.
These people still get them, they just don’t make the news
Yeah, but they don't get nominated the first Sunday they turn up at the soup kitchen do they?
Traditionally it's a retrospective- you wait until a career is nearly over or at least at/past it's peak before handing out the gongs.
traditionally it’s a retrospective- you wait until a career is nearly over
I hope not! 😉
https://www.thegazette.co.uk/awards-and-accreditation/content/103437
"The Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) is awarded for an outstanding achievement or service to the community which has had a long-term, significant impact."
Winning the US Open as a qualifier was an outstanding achievement.
The young lass who made a big boost to encourage young women into the sport with "our" best result in decades? Good luck to her.
In the meantime, crack on with your own volunteering and good deeds and you might get one too. Before you criticise, have you volunteered?
I hope not! 😉
🤣🤣
And the lady at the soup kitchen doesn't get paid hundreds of thousands for doing so.
An mbe for winning 6 tennis matches.....
Traditionally it’s a retrospective- you wait until a career is nearly over or at least at/past it’s peak before handing out the gongs.
A quick google tells me this isn't true. Murray got an OBE in 2012 - at that point he had won the same number of majors as Raducanu...
Exception noted- I meant as a sportsperson!
I guess in comparison to the likes of Konta, Robson and Watson, all of whom had successful careers of length, and contributed hugely to the profile and development of womens tennis.
A quick google tells me this isn’t true. Murray got an OBE in 2012 – at that point he had won the same number of majors as Raducanu…
Didn't he also have a couple of Olympic medals by then? And at least 5 years finishing the season in the top 5 places?
I guess in comparison to the likes of Konta, Robson and Watson, all of whom had successful careers of length, and contributed hugely to the profile and development of womens tennis.
None of whom won a major title! Virginia Wade was awarded an MBE in 1973 - the early to middle part of career, and four years before she won Wimbledon. She'd won two majors at that point.
Didn’t he also have a couple of Olympic medals by then? And at least 5 years finishing the season in the top 5 places?
He won gold at 2012. But you were talking about awards usually being towards the end of careers - this is ten years ago and Murray is still playing!
My great aunt Freda was awarded an MBE and she’d never won a tennis tournament. Maybe not even a single tennis match!
(was for services to nursing ☺️)
That's a point: two of my work colleagues have MBEs. They're very much mid-career and I can't confirm their racquet sport abilities.
My former employer fibbed to get one, I was very surprised they didn't do more research before she got it.
I always find it a bit sad that people need to be mean about other peoples ups and downs
Apparently she was the first ever qualifier to win a grand slam.
Before you criticise, have you volunteered?
As it happens I was a volunteer vaccinator for St John Ambulance for 12 months during covid
Does that count?
(I didn't win vast amounts of money or get £m's of pounds of sponsorship either.... Unless you count a couple of T shirts and a fleece?)
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If she had backed up her win with anything since then I'd be more understanding but so far.... Nothing.
She’s doing her best to prove it was a miracle win. Hopefully she’ll get it together, stick with a coach for more than a few weeks, and win another tournament some time again.
At the end of the day, the honours system is basically a PR construct that is perfect for increasing the soft power of the monarchy... they get to be seen with all the cool kids bowing down to them, all the while totally removed from politics or religion.
Meanwhile, the monarch is head of the Church of England and has private and confidential weekly meetings with whoever might be PM this week (not to mention a long history of associating with characters all too similar to Jeffrey Epstein).
Does it really matter what she has or hasn't done? Somebody decided she is deserving of an award...if you weren't in the running then it isn't any skin of your nose, so not really a big deal...and if it is a big deal, then please explain why.
And the moral of the story is. F*** helping others, go for yourself.
And the moral of the story is. F*** helping others, go for yourself.
Is it? A work colleague got her MBE for helping others.
If she had backed up her win with anything since then I’d be more understanding but so far…. Nothing.
She’s put together some awesome sponsorship deals that will set her up for life!! 😀
On a different note - is it protocol to keep your hat on when being honoured by the King!?
Apparently she was the first ever qualifier to win a grand slam
Boris in 85?
Boris in 85?
No, he was unseeded but not a qualifier.
Nah, he was unseeded at Wimbledon, but ranked about 20 in the ATP rankings.
Pretty standard, Olympic gold medal winners generally got one in the past, the lionesses got them, the 2003 Rugby World Cup team got them etc etc. Multiple winners and captains often get an upgrade, Eoin Morgan got a CBE. Knighthoods used to be given after careers, but that seems to have changed.
Apparently she was the first ever qualifier to win a grand slam
if I recall correctly, she was the second. First was in the 1930s. Emma was the first in the open era. I’m not a tennis fan, but I did watch the game. History making. And that was a stat that I recall.
At the end of the day, the honours system is basically a PR construct that is perfect for increasing the soft power of the monarchy… they get to be seen with all the cool kids bowing down to them, all the while totally removed from politics or religion.
I'm with Groucho on this.
She’s (literally) the poster child in all this. Great for PR, Young, beautiful, talented, ‘ethnic’ & doesn’t speak out; the perfect ‘diversity’ Tory poster child then.
I’m not a tennis fan but even I can recognise her achievement. If she does nothing else she’s still managed more than most will ever do in a lifetime (tennis results wise).
It’s not like she’s receiving it because she’s bunged the tories a mill or two in cash, is it?
And I’d rather her than David Beckham (after Qatar)...
It’s not like she’s receiving it because she’s bunged the tories a mill or two in cash, is it?
Exactly. But it's got the easily distracted focused on her and not them.
Exactly. But it’s got the easily distracted focused on her and not them.
TBF without the OP's rage post, I'd have remained unaware and disinterested in Emma's MBE...
Now I'm aware and still pretty disinterested, good luck to her, she's a much better tennis player than anyone else I know. But it's not really distracting me from all the other nonsense going on currently.
Maybe this isn't such a burning injustice, just a bit of news fluff...
If it’s that easy, why not go and win the US Open yourself next year?
But it’s not really distracting me from all the other nonsense going on currently.
So you're not one of the easily dis.....SQUIRREL!
’d rather give them to the woman at the Salvation Army
I'd rather not give any recognition to a weird religious cult.
these awards/merits have no value these days as they are given to any tom dick or harry.
I’d rather not give any recognition to a weird religious cult.
these awards/merits have no value these days as they are given to any tom dick or harry.
That weird religious culture is still one of the most hands on organisations helping the needy and homeless, without indoctrinating them
The people who I know who have had awards really have done amazing work to earn the recognition. Including some on here.
It’s quite typical of this country that we can’t congratulate people for their achievements, but would rather find reason to pour scorn on them. It really is an unattractive trait in people.
It’s quite typical of this country that we can’t congratulate people for their achievements
Completely agree shows the state of the uk at the moment - on here and all social media scorning hate on her. I don't remember any of that when Lewis Hamilton got an MBE in 2009 after winning his first championship?
I also wonder if this is because she's female?
No I don’t think it is. Lewis has his haters. There’s a part of people who can’t help thinking “it isn’t fair”, like to play the victim, he’s got more than I have etc which leads them to demograte people who have or achieve more than they do.
Sure privilege exists but lot of people would have / achieve more if they used that energy to improve themselves rather than screaming at others.
It’s quite typical of this country that we can’t congratulate people for their achievements, but would rather find reason to pour scorn on them. It really is an unattractive trait in people.
Winning some tennis tournament is an achievement .. getting an MBE for playing a sport/acting or generally being a celeb isn't and somewhat distracts from those who've actually done worthwhile stuff
She won one of the worlds most notable tennis tournaments when she was 18yo. As others have said, that’s no small achievement. And the awards is based on achievement as well as TiRed says.
If you don’t believe that’s an achievement you’re welcome to your opinion.
Agreed.
I admit i was slightly surprised when I read about her tbh, but fair play to the lass, she’s doing well out of her win.
If my kids were as talented as emma clearly is, I’d encourage them to do the best they can, so I don’t see any problem.
