Hooray! No fears for tears

Well, it's not quite Boudicca. And it's not Xena, Warrior Princess. This is not in any way an Amazonian image of female strength and power. A rake-thin, sobbing girl crawls damply off the tennis court, wiping the snot onto her spindly racket arm. "Probably off to cheer herself up," mutters an unimpressed man in the crowd, "with nine Wagon Wheels and a pint of saltwater."

Nevertheless, I was delighted to see Daniela Hantuchova burst into tears as she crashed out of Wimbledon on Wednesday. Not delighted at her misery, of course, simply at the final proof that public crying is back in fashion.

Howling with grief is absolutely de la mode. What with Serena Williams snivelling out of the French Open, Tania wailing all over Big Brother after being called "piggish" and Cherie Blair choking back the sobs as she spoke out on the Peter Foster debacle, crying women are hotter than a Louis Vuitton Murakami handbag. What should you be seen in this season? Tears.

Personally, I never really stopped crying in public. I have cried in the street from unrequited love. I have cried on a bus after seeing a fat woman fall off a bicycle. Once, as the only female player in a French poker tournament (flying the flag for my gender's ability to compete in this macho game at international level), I burst into tears after a disagreement with the dealer.

The gamblers tutted, the baize got wet, and I had to snatch a napkin from underneath somebody's croissant. You can't imagine my relief at seeing tough chicks like Serena and Cherie doing the same thing.

Perhaps you were annoyed to see Hantuchova dissolve into floods. What do you prefer - Greg Rusedski bristling with rage and swearing at the umpire? Given the choice, I would take the womanly option every time.

Aggression, robotic emotional control and the denial of feelings went out with the 1980s. Let them stay in the bin with the rhinestone shoulder-pads and old episodes of Dynasty.

Hurray for today's women confident enough to show their vulnerability in the workplace. Why should we pretend not to care when we do?

Tears make the world a softer, less scary place to be. And if you don't agree, say so to my face. Say it as horribly as you want. My mascara might run all over you, but that's not my problem.