‘Tennys Sandgren, your amazing run at the Australian Open has sadly been overshadowed by all the revelations of your online social activity.
‘I’m not here to judge you, I don’t even know you, where you came from and what kind of education you’ve received.
‘But I heard you say: “I want to learn, I’m only 26”. [I] would like to teach you about some important events in the history of our sport.
‘You see, Tennys, in those days they couldn’t tweet their opinions, you actually had to do something in order to be heard.
‘Have you heard of Althea Gibson, Martina Navratilova, Venus and Serena Williams among others…?
‘All of these, relentless fighters and pioneers for these noble causes.
‘Have you heard about equal prize money, and how tennis was the first sport to make it a reality?
‘These heroes reshaped our sport and left us a common heritage we have to treasure. Yeah, we get to shine on the court, but it gives us a responsibility.
‘As world travelers, we have to carry a message: Let’s embrace our differences! I promise you, it’ll make you 10 times richer than any Grand Slam victory could.
‘It’s up to you, Tennys.’