In 1901, the most acclaimed tennis player in the world was a man named William Larned. An irrelevant example. Why didn't the author choose an example from a s

In 1901, the most acclaimed tennis player in the world was a man named William Larned. An irrelevant example. Why didn't the author choose an example from a sport where the poor and middle class had reasonable access to facilities and training? Perhaps the transition was another result of the gradual democratization of our culture. With more and more people able to participate in games that had previously been available only to the leisure class, the one percent just couldn’t compete. This is a good guess, but here's another one: Perhaps William Larned was able to devote his life to tennis because he took his place in the upper class for granted and didn't feel like he needed to prove his worthiness. Perhaps the democratization of culture means that the rich now feel more pressure to prove or earn their right to be so privileged, so they put their energy into education and professional achievement. Devoting oneself wholeheartedly to a sport means neglecting all the more reliable ways of maintaining one's status. In days past, most people who inherited a place in the upper class didn't feel particularly pressed to maintain it or prove they deserved it. They just assumed it was a fact of life. Enterprise and noblesse oblige were only for those who felt inclined to them. There was nothing to lose by devoting one's life to whatever one wanted, whether that was sport, adventure, or partying.