Harry Kane on football pitch in white Tottenham football kit

Eleanor Harvey

On Sunday 14th July, two of 2024’s biggest sporting events coincided as the UEFA Euros Final took place just hours after the Wimbledon Men’s Singles.

Neither went quite as many (non-Spanish) fans hoped. First, tennis legend Novak Djokovic lost to Carlos Alcaraz in straight sets, then the England men’s football team was defeated 2-1 by their Spanish counterparts.

Neither of these results were entirely unpredictable. Alcaraz beat Djokovic in the same contest last year, whilst the men’s England team have famously not won a tournament since 1966.

Yet much of the ensuing commentary from pundits implied they signified a pivot towards decline. Many even hinted at retirement for both Djokovic and England captain Harry Kane.

The Criticism

During Djokovic’s post-match press conference, he was asked: “Is it your intention to be here next year?”, clearly implying that retirement would – and should – be on the cards after his loss. In the articles which followed the match, the phrase “changing of the guard” kept recurring.

Even the official Wimbledon Championships’ website published a report on the match. It asked “Will this be the very last Wimbledon where any of the men’s Fab Four [Djokovic, Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer and Andy Murray] will play?”.

The criticism Kane faced is stranger, given he shares responsibility for losses with his teammates. But he was soon singled out for reproval, with speculation around his future echoing that surrounding Djokovic.

Gary Lineker recalled on his podcast that “when I got to 30, 31, my legs started to go”, prompting his retirement from international football, then accused Kane of “look[ing] a bit leggy.”

Others were more explicit about their doubts, with The Goal’s Richard Martin choosing the headline: “Harry Kane’s England career needs to end.”

Fair Game?

Such speculation might seem merely part of the job for such high-profile figures.

After all, people in any other profession who don’t perform at the level expected of them would be reprimanded and eventually dismissed. It is a pundit’s job to analyse players’ performances, which includes recognising their flaws. Moreover, in the short career of a sportsperson, measures of success depend almost wholly on performances at just a few significant tournaments.

Finals are inevitably most important. They shape rankings and command most attention from fans. If an athlete loses the ability to perform in these crucial moments, it matters. There’s also plenty of consolation for Djokovic and Kane to take.

Wimbledon’s runner-up wins £1.4 million, whilst Kane will surely get a healthy share of the minimum €14.25 million awarded to the Euros’ second-place team. Putting up with commentators’ harshness appears a small price to pay compared to such huge sums.

What’s more, neither athlete is obliged to retire just because some people think they should. To put it brusquely, they can cry their way to the bank, then start training.

The Issue

The problem arises when players do not get a fair trial before their careers are condemned to death.

“Pundits did not shame either opponent for losing to a man old enough to be their father”

Ironically, this is a particular risk for the most successful sportspeople. This comes as poorer performances which are considered acceptable for most players automatically seem sub-standard. En route to Wimbledon’s final, 37-year-old Djokovic defeated 22-year-old Lorenzo Musetti and 21-year-old Holger Rune in straight sets.

Yet pundits did not shame either opponent for losing to a man old enough to be their father who had undergone knee surgery just weeks before. Instead, easy victory was treated as the minimum requirement for Djokovic.

But what is most unfair about the criticism Kane and Djokovic have received is that it doesn’t fit with the bigger picture of either’s current situation.

Kane is actually going through a particularly good patch right now. He won the 2023/24 European Golden Boot for scoring 36 goals in one season at Bayern Munich. He even shared the Golden Boot at this Euros for scoring three goals during the tournament, reinforcing his position as England’s all-time top scorer.

Djokovic is experiencing longer-term problems, having not won a major championship since last August’s US Open. He did, however, win last November’s ATP Finals and reach the semi-finals of January’s Australian Open, before being forced to pull out of June’s French Open with the knee injury he later had surgery on.

Djokovic’s own assessment of his Wimbledon experience was therefore as “a great confidence boost” given how unlikely it was he would recover in time to play there at all, let alone reach the final. Most tellingly, he is currently ranked as men’s World Number Two, one position higher than Alcaraz.

The Verdict

Djokovic and Kane have been dismissed too soon, with one failure immediately equalled to career death. Yet whoever is being discussed, it is worth remembering that all sportspeople are real human beings. They give their all to a profession which brings automatic time limits, constant scrutiny and huge physical and mental tolls.

“Kane responded diplomatically but defiantly”

Even before the Euros’ final, Kane and his teammates were already facing disapproval from multiple pundits. Amongst them once again was Gary Lineker who, in another episode of his podcast, described the squad’s performance as “shit”.

When asked about this criticism, Kane responded diplomatically but defiantly, and highlighted that “it’s very hard not to listen to it”. Beneath the respectful indirectness in his answer, there was a clear message: negative comments get through – and hurt.

Players don’t need to be wrapped in cotton wool and idolised uncritically. They are professionals doing a job, and jobs require a certain standard to be met. But what is unjustifiable is taking one bad day – or even one bad tournament – as an excuse to write off someone’s entire career.

Maybe Kane and Djokovic will fall further until their careers end. Maybe they will come back stronger to win next time. Either way, one defeat is far too soon to call.

After all, if everyone had to retire after one off day, no one would keep their job – including Gary Lineker.

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Featured image courtesy of enviro warrior on Flickr. No changes were made to this image. Image license found here. 

Eleanor is in her second year of studying English at Royal Holloway, University of London. Her interests include British and French politics, tennis, and all things books.

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