Why Can’t the English…..?

There are so many impressive Russian tennis players these days, particularly in the top 20 of the WTA rankings, that one might expect English speaking commentators to have taken the trouble to learn to pronounce their names correctly.

Yet in coverage of tournaments like the US Open, and subsequently the Federation Cup, we still hear of players like MyskEEna, DementiAva, SafEEna, BovEEna and SharapOva – rather than MYSkina, DemEntieva, SAfina, BOvina and SharApova.

Surely the courtesy of pronouncing someone’s name correctly should take precedence over the traditional reluctance of the English to learn anyone else’s language.