I know there aren't many fans here. I don't even remember a tennis thread appearing in theses halls.
But if you are, we're witnessing a changing of the guard right now. Right. now... and the Gods took the artistic liberty of putting it on the same stage that features the GOAT, Serena Williams, making her farewell.
On the men's side we have a young African-American, with a very unorthodox forehand, trying to bring the trophy back home after nearly twenty years. Frances Tiafoe is a bit rough around the edges, but his quick-twitch and accuracy shine in his very unlikely victory over the great Rafael Nadal...
On the other side of the bracket, last night showcased one of the greatest matches I've ever seen. Sinner (Italy) vs Alcaraz (Spain). Second longest match in Open history with these young pups (Alcaraz is nineteen) chasing down every point through the fifth set. Now that I've spoiled part of it, I still say, watch the entire match if you can. With that said, the vid below contains a little action from the second set and the score is in the lower left. Really, if you're not into 5+ hours of tennis, I would just pick up the action right there, because most of the theatrics and jaw-dropping athleticism takes place after that...
This is sick... most mere mortals would have never even returned the serve.
After years of the Big Three (Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic) trading punches, and knowing it was coming to a close, I wondered if it would become like the Middleweight boxers from the 80's. Basically, setting the bar so high that popularity waned after they were gone. Absolutely not. There are three or four young stars that are all finding their game at the same time... it bodes well for a decade of very exciting action. And make no mistake, each has the tools to elevate the game and competition even higher.
I liked playing tennis a lot more than watching it. It takes far more athleticism to play well than people think.
I rarely watch anymore, but Bjorn Borg was my favorite male player. Quiet, stoic, steady, and played w/a deep resolve and guts.
Martina Navralatova was my favorite women's player in part because she took so much grief for being a lesbian and people used to call her a man and suggested she should not be allowed to play. But mostly, I loved her serve and volley game.
Gabriela Sabatini was another of my favorites. She was a great player, but man, she was stunningly attractive and classy.
Ilie Nastase was my least favorite. He was the villain of the time period. They used to call him "Nasty." He was extremely talented, but often gagged in big moments, which was fine by me.
I loved playing tennis when I was younger. Always had the athleticism, but never the actual tennis skills. My wife and I still go out and hit a few from time to time.
As I've become older, I fell back in love with badminton. I was unbeatable as a kid, still pretty good today. We have matches just about every weekend at my house, not unusual to see 10-15 people in the yard. We play doubles and sometimes have two courts going. They get rotated throughout the summer as the grass wears thin over a full acre lol.
Gabriela Sabatini? Stunning is accurate. I was a huge fan of Martina Hingis and her short skirts. She wasn't too shabby with the racket either.
And yes, Nastase was the ultimate tennis villain; but if I had to put a player's mug on a dartboard I'd have to flip a coin to decide Sampras or Hewitt.
Milk and anyone that loves tennis, or just sports psychology for that matter, definitely check this out if you have Netflix. Mardy Fish is at the center of the story and he and Roddick were very close friends (he actually lived with the Roddick family for awhile). A lot of old footage and screen time with Andy. A bird's eye view of how Fish worked his ass off to try to keep up with Roger, Rafa and the Joker... and the consequences on the back end. Good stuff!
