Tunisia may have been disappointing if you look only at the results.
But what they went through — and the tearful appeal from defender Ali Abdi — must have reached people both inside and outside the country.
And they never gave in.
Even in such difficult circumstances, they pushed a strong Netherlands side to the very end, coming within one goal and showing us some wonderful football.
To all our brothers from every nation: thank you for your hard work.
I look forward to seeing Tunisia’s future success.
And to the three teams that advanced after facing Tunisia — keep fighting against the powerful opponents waiting for you: Morocco, Brazil, and France.
The real issue is that children are being placed as ball kids in an inherently dangerous environment where balls can travel at around 200 km/h.
They are made to stand in scorching heat, exposed and unprotected in front of powerful serves, and at times even become the target of frustrated players lashing out.
Tradition or not, if tennis is to call itself a gentleman’s sport, then practices that need reform should be reconsidered.