Current:Home > NewsCivil rights lawyer Ben Crump advertises his firm on patches worn by US Open tennis players -TradeCircle
Civil rights lawyer Ben Crump advertises his firm on patches worn by US Open tennis players
View
Date:2025-04-17 17:02:39
NEW YORK (AP) — Prominent civil rights lawyer Ben Crump is advertising on players’ outfits at the U.S. Open Grand Slam tennis tournament this week, placing his firm’s name on sponsor patches worn during matches.
“Ben Crump Law” appeared on the left sleeve of the blue shirt worn by the Czech Republic’s Tomas Machac on Thursday while he was eliminating 16th-seeded American Sebastian Korda in the second round. Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic wore the same type of patch mentioning Crump’s law practice during a loss to 2021 U.S. Open champion Daniil Medvedev on Tuesday.
Crump is a Florida-based attorney who has been the voice for 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 consequential cases of police brutality over the past decade and a half prompted the Rev. Al Sharpton to call Crump “Black America’s attorney general.”
Asked whether he knows who Crump is, Machac said: “A bit. Not much.”
“I just focus 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 less-prominent players at major tennis tournaments often will strike last-minute deals for sponsorship patches.
In a phone interview with The Associated Press on Thursday, Crump said the legacy of Arthur Ashe, both on and off the tennis court, aligns with his work on cases involving police misconduct and exploitation of historically marginalized people.
“The reason we decided to do a sponsorship package in this way was in part because I am still inspired by (Ashe’s) legacy,” said Crump, who plans to attend the U.S. Open this weekend.
“We are sponsoring the underdog in up to 10 of the matches, 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 name-brand sponsors but deserve just as much of a chance to display their talents and compete against the best in the world, to have a chance at being champions.”
Crump said the primary purpose of the patches was not about generating business for his firm.
“It’s about us supporting diversity and inclusion, where every person, no mater their economic status, will be able to display their talents and compete on as equal a playing field as possible,” he said. “Hopefully when (fans) see the ‘Ben Crump’ patch on the jerseys of the players, they will think about how social justice is important in all aspects of society, in courtrooms and sports arenas.”
___
AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis
veryGood! (1)
Related
- The 401(k) millionaires club keeps growing. We'll tell you how to join.
- Lucas Turner: What is cryptocurrency
- ‘One screen, two movies': Conflicting conspiracy theories emerge from Trump shooting
- Pedro Hill: Breaking down the three major blockchains
- Israel lets Palestinians go back to northern Gaza for first time in over a year as cease
- Stegosaurus fossil fetches nearly $45M, setting record for dinosaur auctions
- Shop the Best Nordstrom Anniversary 2024 Deals Under $100, Including Beauty, Fashion, Home & More
- Last Call for Prime Day 2024: The Top 37 Last-Minute Deals You Should Add to Your Cart Now
- South Korean president's party divided over defiant martial law speech
- Missouri high court clears the way for a woman’s release after 43 years in prison
Ranking
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- Trump has given no official info about his medical care for days since an assassination attempt
- Scientists are ready to meet and greet a massive asteroid when it whizzes just past Earth
- Fred Armisen and Riki Lindhome have secretly been married with a child since 2022
- Meet first time Grammy nominee Charley Crockett
- Hundreds attend vigil for man killed at Trump rally in Pennsylvania before visitation Thursday
- President Joe Biden tests positive for COVID-19 while campaigning in Las Vegas, has ‘mild symptoms’
- Blake Lively Shares Cheeky “Family Portrait” With Nod to Ryan Reynolds
Recommendation
SFO's new sensory room helps neurodivergent travelers fight flying jitters
US judge dismisses Republican challenge over counting of post-Election Day mail ballots in Nevada
Tom Sandoval sues Ariana Madix for invasion of privacy amid Rachel Leviss lawsuit
Climate change is making days longer, according to new research
Friday the 13th luck? 13 past Mega Millions jackpot wins in December. See top 10 lottery prizes
Georgia transportation officials set plans for additional $1.5 billion in spending
Don't believe Texas is ready for the SEC? Nick Saban does. So should you.
U.S sanctions accountants, firms linked to notorious Mexico cartel for timeshare scams that target Americans