NEW YORK — Leading civil rights attorney Ben Crump advertises on the players’ outfits at the US Open Grand Slam tennis tournament This week he put his company’s name on sponsor patches he wore during matches.
“Ben Crump Law” appeared on the left sleeve of the blue shirt worn by Czech Tomas Machac on Thursday when he knocked out 16th-seeded American Sebastian Korda in the second round. Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic wore a similar patch featuring Crump’s law practice during a loss to 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev on Tuesday.
Crump is a Florida attorney who is the voice of the families of George Floyd, Trayvon Martin, Breonna Taylor and Michael Brown — Black people whose deaths at the hands of police and vigilantes sparked the Black Lives Matter movement.
His role in some of the most serious cases of police violence Over the past fifteen years, Reverend Al Sharpton has been quick to call Crump “the attorney general of black America.”
When asked if he knows who Crump is, Machac replied, “A little. Not much.”
“I’m just focused on tennis,” Machac said, “and (my) agent is responsible for that.”
Machac is a 23-year-old player who is currently ranked 39th in the world in singles. He won a gold medal in mixed doubles at the Paris Olympics earlier this month.
Representatives of lesser-known players at major tennis tournaments often make last-minute deals for sponsorship patches.
In a telephone interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Crump said Arthur Ashe’s legacy, both on and off the court, aligns with his work on issues involving police misconduct and the exploitation of historically marginalized people.
“Part of the reason we decided to put together a sponsorship package like this is because I continue to be inspired by (Ashe’s) legacy,” said Crump, who plans to attend the U.S. Open this weekend.
“We sponsor the underdog in up to 10 games, which also appeals to me because I always fight for the underdog,” he said. “The sponsorship helps the underdog players who obviously don’t have big name sponsors, but who still deserve a chance to show their talents and compete against the best in the world, to have a chance to become champions.”
Crump said the primary goal of the patches was not to generate more revenue for his company.
“It’s about supporting diversity and inclusion, where everyone, regardless of their economic status, can showcase their talents and compete on as level a playing field as possible,” he said. “Hopefully when (fans) see the ‘Ben Crump’ patch on the players’ shirts, they’ll think about how important social justice is in all aspects of society, in courtrooms and sporting arenas.”
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AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis