Ryan Harrison responded to Donald Young’s unconfirmed racism allegations. The American was confronted by compatriot Young after his first-round duel at the New York Open with accusations of unobtrusive statements. Harrison vehemently disagrees with that now, demanding a freeze on Young.
“I am 100 percent certain that these accusations are fictitious,” Harrison said in the podcast Beyond the Baseline,”I have never said anything that could be interpreted in this way (racist, note) and so immediately after the incident he asked for a review of the match.
“I didn’t have nice conversations with him,”admitted Harrison,”but it wasn’t racist at all.” The ATP started investigations, but last Friday confirmed that no racist comments were recorded.
“He (Young, Note) tried to discredit my name in the social media because of some tough matches against me,”Harrison said. Thereupon he received a lot of criticism on Twitter, among other things, and he even reported death threats directed against him and his family. Now he fears a pale aftertaste that would accompany him for the rest of his career. Harrison’s tarnished image could also result in financial losses.
Young hasn’t contacted Harrison since the incident. In my opinion, someone accusing others of unfounded racist remarks should have the same consequences as a potential culprit:”It is a terrible precedent”, if Young is allowed to accuse him without being punished.
The 25-year-old reigning double French Open Champion referred to several past duels with Young, in which he is also said to have made a pejorative statement. He also asked all listeners to come up to him to get a better idea of the man Ryan Harrison away from the tennis court.
Both players could meet again this week. At the ATP-250 tournament of Delray Beach (from Wednesday live on DAZN) they would have to reach the semi-finals.