Gibbs in support of NFL kneeling protest during anthem

Sam Groth and Nicole Gibbs are giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional tennis all year long in My Tennis Life. To read more updates from Sam and Nicole, go to tennischannel.com.

This past week has been a bit of a whirlwind. From landing in Seoul last Saturday ahead of a Tuesday match to traveling to Wuhan and playing that same day, managing fatigue and tough circumstances has been the name of the game so far in Asia. I was thankful to finally get a couple days of rest after the completion of my match in Wuhan on Saturday, and I’m excited to go into a tournament with proper preparation next week in Beijing.

Minutiae of my Asian tennis experience aside, I’d like to take a moment this week to give a nod to something important that’s happening in the sporting community this week. The NFL has responded, in my opinion, brilliantly, to over-the-top, misdirected criticism from President Trump. The increase in protests and solidarity for teammates shown in this past weekend is a testament to the unifying nature of sports. I am incredibly proud of the sports that have taken the initiative to expand this protest—a list that now includes football, women’s soccer, baseball, and men’s and women’s basketball, to my knowledge. While tennis does not present an obvious opportunity to “show” support on the court, I hope to do my part by lending a voice of support.

Regardless of where you stand on the manner in which the protests are taking place, the issues beneath the surface require our attention. Minorities in the United States are incarcerated and killed by law enforcement at an exponentially higher rates than are whites. I believe that all Americans want their communities to feel safe, and want unnecessary violence reduced. To that end, I hope that the President’s objection to the form of protest does not distract from what’s truly at stake.