Clodagh Finn: Making elite athletes our role models serves none of us well

'We accord professional athletes role-model status, but perhaps we should take a step back and ask if their lifestyle is to be admired rather than emulated.'

Poland's Iga Swiatek celebrates after winning the final match against Turkey's Ons Jabeur at the Italian Open tennis tournament, in Rome.

Every year, it’s the same. I lose all sense of perspective and think that (insert name of tennis player of the tournament here) should run for high office based on her of his exceptional performance at the French Open. That might be a slight exaggeration, but surely anybody who can end a rally with a drop shot like that should be embraced as some kind of universal role model.

It is the most understandable urge. Witness, say, Rafael Nadal at his best or Iga Swiatek winning her 32nd game in a row, as she did on Monday, and you can’t help but think that skill of such calibre could be useful elsewhere.