Greg Garber, Senior Writer 8y

Andy Murray, Johanna Konta put Brexit on the back burner for now

Tennis

WIMBLEDON -- In the wake of Britain's vote to leave the European Union, Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation Friday and financial markets crashed to a low not seen in three decades.

The referendum passed, narrowly, by 51.9 percent to 48.1, a result that shocked pundits and pollsters alike. It was, by consensus, the most sensational day in British politics in recent history -- which takes in some vast territory.

How will the Brexit crisis impact the tennis to be played on 19 grass courts this coming fortnight at the 42-acre All England Club?

Read our lips: Not at all.

Brexit at Wimbledon should not cause any widespread indigestion.

Johanna Konta, Britain's highest-ranked woman, played two matches in nearby Eastbourne on the infamous day in question.

"The thing is, with the tour, you're very much in your own little bubble," Konta said during her Saturday news conference. "I haven't really watched much news.

"Obviously, I'm aware of what happened during the referendum. But, yeah, in terms of my own opinions, I think they're very much best discussed at the dinner table."

She was smiling when she shared that last thought with reporters.

Athletes are programmed to avoid controversy, particularly in politics; it is the path of least resistance and that neutral front doesn't alienate anyone. Elite tennis athletes have even more at stake, an empire of products and endorsements, a popular persona to protect.

No athlete in Great Britain is bigger than Andy Murray. As a native of Glasgow, Scotland, Murray was watching closely when his home country recently held a referendum on splitting from the United Kingdom. Now a resident of London -- which, as a city, voted to stay in the EU -- Murray is said to have an avid interest in political events. But Saturday, he declined to be drawn into the debate.

"I'm not discussing that today," Murray said quickly when the subject came up. "I have followed it very closely. Yeah, stayed up pretty late on whatever night it was, last night into the morning.

"But, yeah, I'm not discussing that today, unfortunately."

Unfortunately? He, too, smiled as he delivered that last line.

Great Britain's exit from the European Union has prompted Scotland's first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, to re-examine another independence referendum.

Hours before the polls opened for Scotland's original referendum in September 2014, Murray tweeted: "Huge day for Scotland today. No campaign negativity last few days totally swayed my view on it. Excited to see the outcome. Let's do this!"

For two days, Murray took a lot of abuse for his position. Independence ultimately lost 55 to 45 percent in a vote of Scottish citizens. 

Soccer in the United Kingdom could be dramatically affected by the move to leave the EU. Because of the EU's freedom of movement principle, athletes are allowed to play in the United Kingdom without a work permit that is required of the majority of non-EU citizens.

No one knows exactly what the new regulations will be, but with some 100 active Premier League players who would have failed to gain a work permit, the future will look different. Certainly, it could compromise competitiveness and, with the pound losing 20 percent of its value overnight, cost English clubs more for players. The same is true of cricket and rugby.

Tennis, a sport in which work permits are not required of players visiting tournaments, would be relatively unaffected.

Roger Federer, the seven-time Wimbledon champion, comes from Switzerland -- a nation famous for its independence and neutrality. He was asked Saturday about his thoughts on Brexit.

"Of course, I followed it," he said. "It's an historic day. I don't even want to think about the negotiations that go into it now. For you [British] guys, it's going to be years of negotiations.

"It's definitely interesting times ahead. It's nice to have democracy here, that you have an opportunity to vote. It's a beautiful thing. Many people went out and did that. They took a decision. Now you have to make necessary steps."

Federer, a cosmopolitan citizen of the globe, said he thought the folks in Brussels, the heart of the European Union, have a lot of work ahead of them.

"Us Swiss guys," he said, "we['re] going to follow it. We also have had our ups and downs, being in the EU or not, you know.

"Time will tell."

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