to bizarre loss, unable to explain his lack of success and sudden loss of form. He is now in the biggest crisis of his career since 2010. Since becoming world number one for the first time, Djokovic has had an unbroken run of tremendous success. Only for a short period at the end of 2012, when Roger Federer briefly reclaimed the top spot, and again in 2014 when Nadal also occupied the number one ranking, did he experience any
Djokovic In Crisis? by Marco di Nardo
The signs have been there for a few months, but we can no longer hide from the obvious question: is Djokovic in crisis? Indeed, after losing to Roberto Bautista-Agut in the semi-finals of the Masters 1000 event in Shanghai, it seems obvious that something is very wrong with the Serb’s game. Just a few months ago it would have sounded utterly absurd for Djokovic to be in any sort of trouble in 2016. After his success at Roland Garros, people were taking for granted that he would win the calendar Grand Slam, and openly speculating that he would win more than 20 Slams. Instead, he has lurched from bizarre loss
sort of real adversity. But even when he did lose the top ranking for a while, he still won several Slams and the ATP World Tour finals, not to mention Masters 1000 events along with smaller tournaments. So even when he has not been technically ranked the best player in the world, there has been little doubt in anyone’s mind that he has been the player to beat for the past five years. Now, however, despite still being in first place, Djokovic’s grip on the throne is slipping. Andy Murray has been playing better and better each week, and even though Federer and Nadal are no longer major forces in the sport, the Serb has been unable to capitalize on their absence. Djokovic has admitted that he has been struggling both on and off the court, and it seems some issues in his personal life are affecting his tennis. But what is most worrying is the fact that the Serbian does not appear able to respond positively to these challenges, at least not at the moment. It is hard to believe that he has
not experienced similar issues in recent years, but in those moments he was able to overcome them and still keep his tennis at a high level. As can be seen from his recent results – third round at Wimbledon, first round at the Olympics, runner-up at the UP Open, semi-finals in Shanghai – he is not able to overcome his current struggles as he has in the past. Even more alarming has been the rankings of the players he has lost to recently. Apart from Wawrinka, who is a Top 10 player, the others were ranked 19, 41 and 141 in the world when they beat him. Confirmation that one does not even have to be playing at a particularly high level to beat Djokovic these days. In addition to Djokovic's problems, his main rival of the moment, Andy Murray, has made consistent strides to improve every aspect of his game over the past year. So much so, in fact, that Murray is now breathing down Djokovic’s neck in the rankings. Every time the Serb has fallen, Murray has been there to close the gap a little further. In the second half of the season Murray has won five tournaments: Queen's, Wimbledon, Olympics, Beijing and Shanghai. He has also reached the final in Cincinnati. In the same period, Djokovic has won just one tournament, at the Masters 1000 event in Canada. Add to this the fact that Djokovic is defending a lot of points Paris, the ATP World Tour Finals, Doha, the Australian Open, Indian Wells and Miami, and it is easy
to see how Murray might overtake him to become world number one in the near future. Djokovic is therefore facing a very difficult situation, as he needs to play his best tennis in the coming months while not being in the best form on or off the court. Whether he manages to do this might have a major impact on his legacy.
The Beginning Of The End by Federico Mariani
For the first time since June of 2003, neither Roger Federer nor Rafael Nadal
only in 2003 when he became the fullyfledged Swiss Maestro we’ve come to
are in the Top 4 of the ATP rankings. Federer has not played since Wimbledon,
know and love. That year, he followed up a good clay-court season with his first career
and won’t again until 2017, whereas Nadal is seriously considering calling an end to
Slam victory at Wimbledon, and a few months later he would grab hold of the
his year in order to practice more effectively for next season. It seems that
number one ranking and not let go for a very long time indeed.
the sun is finally starting to set on two of the greatest tennis careers the world has
As Federer was reaching the top of the
ever seen.
mountain, a young Spaniard named Rafael Nadal was setting his sights on the peak.
This is certainly a blow to tennis fans who have shaped their view of the sport around these two players for the past decade. The farewell will be particularly difficult, not just because two of the best players ever will soon disappear from the court, but because their like may never be seen again. This is not just a case of a next generation replacing the current one. Federer and Nadal have done such incredible things in their careers that their feats may never be matched by anyone.
Just about the only thing he had in common with the Swiss was that they were both champions. Everything else – their playing styles, their demeanor, their attitudes – were worlds apart. Theirs was perhaps the most perfect tennis rivalry of all time, the unstoppable force meeting the immovable object almost every other tournament week. The world loved it, and could hardly get enough.
Federer’s talent and career trajectory were already clear as early as 2001, but it was
In the 13 years since Federer won his first Wimbledon, more than half of the total Slams player (31) have been won by either
the Swiss or the Spaniard. The US Open in
possibility of ending the year without two of
2017 represented the first time this millennium that a Major was contested
the Tour’s great heroes. It will be a surreal and unnerving thing to watch, especially
without Federer present. Until that point, he had played in 65 consecutive Slams. Nadal,
when the year-end championships roll around. Each man has habitually qualified
on the other hand, has missed many a Slam over the past ten years. He has been forced
for the ATP World Tour Finals year in and year out, and to see neither of them there will
to sit out long periods of time due to various injuries – to his knees, wrists and shoulder to
be as jarring as any Slam absence. Federer will likely fall out of the Top 10 by the end of
name but a few. He has always managed to come back stronger than before, at least until
the year, and Nadal’s fate in that regard is also uncertain.
now. Since his last major layoff due to injury – after this year’s French Open – Nadal has not played particularly well. He has lost early and often in every tournament he has
Both men will start 2017 under a cloud, and will become of them in the next 12 months remains to be seen. It might be that by this
entered, and after another defeat in Asia implied that he might shut down his season in order to get back into to shape.
time next year they have both scaled back their schedules significantly or retired altogether – a frightening but very real possibility. The fact of the matter is that we will have to get used to the idea of a Tour without Federer and Nadal. The question is not, if but when, they finally hang up their rackets, and whether anyone can even
“I need to talk to my uncle and the rest of the team,” he said of the possibility. “Sometimes the solution is to exercise, play a training process. This could be an opportunity to do so.” We are therefore facing the very real
possibly hope to fill their shoes once they are gone.
A Shared Destiny by Beatrice Gollini
If you go onto the official ATP website, you can easily find a list of every match Juan Martin Del Potro and Marin Cilic have ever played. There are ten in total, starting in 2009. However, these ten matches have a much more interesting history than just their results would ever hint at. Elsewhere on the site is a biography of each man, where we can start to appreciate the interesting relationship between these two dynamics players, both on and off the court. Del Potro was born in Tandil, Argentina, on 23 September, 1988. Just five days later, about 12 thousand miles away, Marin Cilic was born in Medjugorje, Croatia. Both men, of course, went on to become professional tennis players. Cilic enjoyed his first success slightly earlier than Del Potro, winning the ITF event in Bosnia in 2001. Delpo won his first Futures tournament in August of 2003 in Buenos Aires. During those years, Delpo and Cilic faced off several times on the junior Circuit, their most significant clash coming at the Orange Bowl semi-final in 2002. Del Potro beat Cilic 6-1, 6-3 before going on to beat Pavel Tchekov 6-2, 7-6 in the final. Del Potro and Cilic both made their ATP debuts in 2005. Cilic played in Umag, where he lost to Belgian Kristof Vliegen in the first round. Del Potro, however, won a match in Vina del Mar before being eliminated by Fernando Gonzรกlez. Even today two players have many things in common. Del Potro has won 18 ATP titles and
his biggest win was the 2009 US Open. Cilic has 15 titles, and his biggest win was also the US Open in 2014. Their highest ranking is also nearly identical, with Del Potro rising to number four and Cilic to number eight. They are both about two meters tall, play with twohanded backhands and have similar career earnings ($16 million for Del Potro versus $15 million for Cilic). As for their head-to-head encounters on the ATP Tour, their first match came in 2009 in Melbourne, where Del Potro won in four sets. Their last match was in 2013 in Paris, where Delpo also won. Overall, the Argentine has won eight of their ten matches.
Their most likely next meeting will be at the Davis Cup final at the end of the year. Cilic has already lifted the trophy, while Del Potro has never managed to win the sport’s most prestigious team tournament. The Argentines have lost their last four finals. Perhaps the biggest difference between the two players is health and popularity. Cilic has remained relatively healthy throughout his career but has never been a big fan favorite. Del Potro, on the other hand, has had chronic injury issues, but has been massively popular throughout his tenure on the Tour.
"Lasciate che i ginnasti, i corridori, i nuotatori abbiano il loro momento di gloria" Leave it to the gymnasts, runners and swimmers Many tennis players were ecstatic at the thought of playing at the Olympics in Rio this year. Sam Querrey was not one of them. Querrey does not think Olympic tennis is the ultimate expression of the sport, and as such does not carry as much weight as other events. “You kind of see it with golf a little bit, too,” he said of his decision not to compete in Rio.
No Olympic Glory by Adriano S.
“I think for tennis and golf, the Olympics isn’t a top priority. We have four other Grand Slams. I think those kind of take the precedent. Those are the main focus for us.” It’s hard to disagree with him. Few people will remember that Nicolas Massu won in Athens in 2004, and there is no doubt that he would trade in that gold medal for a Slam trophy in a heartbeat. Nor would Marin Cilic or Thomas Johansson trade in their Slam trophies for Olympic medals. Equating the Olympics to a Masters 1000
event makes sense from many perspectives. It’s important, sure, but it’s not the most important event in tennis. Therefore it is unfortunate that the ATP decided to award no points to participants at the Olympics, which certainly had a hand in increasing the number of withdrawals from the event. An interesting point of view was recently expressed by Todd Martin, who said tennis at the Olympics should follow a team-based format like the Davis Cup. It would be more in fitting with the spirit of the Olympics, and separate it more clearly from the rest of the tennis calendar. In becoming a special event in itself, it would regain relevance while eliminating the need to position itself in the tennis world. It is a good suggestion and we can only hope it is seriously considered by the powers that be.
A Tantrum Too Far by Giorgio Giannaccini
Nick Kyrgios has finally gone a step too far. The talented but volatile Australian recently caused controversy in Shanghai where he basically stop trying in his match against Mischa Zverev. He hit several serves with basically no pace, and at one point walked off the court before the point had finished. Kyrgios was fined a total of $16 500 for “lack of effort,” verbal abuse of a spectator and unsportsmanlike conduct. This in itself is not news for the youngster, who has been fined several times by the ATP already, but the big surprise came a few days after the initial fines were handed down. Following further investigation, the ATP decided to fine him a further $25 000 and ban him from the Tour for 8 weeks. The ATP cited “Conduct Contrary to the Integrity of the Game” as the basis for his suspension, saying that it had thoroughly investigated his behavior on the court as well as his comments afterwards. The severity of the punishment reflects Kyrgios’ continued poor conduct on the court, but it was probably his post-match comments that finally pushed the ATP to its breaking point. “I don't owe them anything,” he ranted after the match. “It's my choice. If you don't like it, I didn't ask you to come watch. Just leave. I don't owe you anything. Doesn't affect how I sleep at night.”
Reaction to his behavior was swift and brutal from fans around the world, with many current and former players also lining up to criticize the brash Aussie. Eventually, following the ATP’s announcement of his suspension, Kyrgios did something he has always resisted in the past: apologize. “I want to apologize again for what has happened in Shanghai,” he said in a statement. “The season has been long and complicated since I had to deal with several injuries and other difficult situations in the summer. The Asian swing was particularly difficult, and after a long week of Tokyo and traveling around the continent, in Shanghai I succumbed mentally and physically. This is not an excuse, and I know very well that I have to apologize to my fans all over the world and with the Shanghai organizers. I'm sorry to finish the year that way without being able to play the chance to go to the ATP Finals, I understand the decision of the ATP and I will use this time to improve on and off. I'm really sorry and I look forward to
returning next year.” One lifeline that the ATP extended to Kyrgios is the possibility that his suspension might be shortened to three weeks if he agreed to a treatment program with a sports psychologist. According to reports, he was in discussions to do just that shortly after the suspension was announced. “Nick's behavior was unacceptable, showed no respect for the tennis and its supporters,” Chris Kermode, the ATP president, said of the situation. “We take these issues very seriously, and Nick apologized. He's a phenomenal talent, we hope that this time out of competition can be constructive and that with support he can come back with a better mentality.” Now that the storm is calming, one is left to wonder if Kyrgios will take this situation seriously and strive to improve himself. It’s clear that the ATP has lost its patience with the youngster, and if he continues on this path he
might eventually be permanently barred from competition. Apart from the embarrassment this has caused the Tour itself, Kyrgios also hurt himself immensely. Not only can’t he compete for the rest of the year, but he also cannot qualify for the ATP World Tour Finals, something he had a chance of doing before his outburst. John McEnroe famously managed to keep his temper under just enough control to not get himself kicked off the Tour. Can Kyrgios do the same? It’s worth wondering whether he actually has any desire to. Up to this point, he has lurched from controversy to controversy without changing his behavior in the slightest, even after being warned by the ATP that he could be suspended if he continued acting poorly. The next year will be telling. Kyrgios will either rise to fulfil his potential or become a footnote in tennis history. The choice is his.
The Other Tennis Brothers by Giorgio Giannaccini
A pair of siblings are making waves on the ATP Tour, and for once we are not talking about the Bryan brothers. Indeed, they are not twins but several years apart in age, and while one seems to be heading straight for the top of the rankings, the other is once again reaching his best level after several years of injury and struggles.
We are talking, of course, about the brothers Zverev. Mischa, the oldest, and Alexander, the youngest, were born ten years apart to Alexander Zverev Senior, a former Soviet tennis pro. He eventually moved to Germany and reached a high of 175 in the world rankings. He also played in the Australian Open in 1985 and Wimbledon the following year.
Mischa was born in 1987 and achieved his best result at the ATP Masters 1000 event in Rome in 2009, where he reached the quarter-finals before losing to Roger Federer 7-6, 6-2. He started the event from qualifying and beat Juan Carlos Ferrero, Thomas Berdych and Gilles Simon en route to the last eight. That year he reached his best ranking of 45 in the world and reached the final of the event in Metz, where he lost to Gilles Simon. As a lefthander who likes to serve and volley quite frequently, his style of play is vanishingly rare on today’s Tour. Alexander, on the other hand, is not even 20
years old (he was born in 1997), but has forged a path to the upper echelons of the game in nearly no time at all. As a player, he is almost the complete opposite of his brother: righthanded and a lover of the baseline. He is, however, very aggressive, just like his sibling. Earlier this season Alexander was chosen to play in the Hopman Cup alongside Sabine
Lisicki. That event did not go very well for him, but the rest of his season has been nothing short of spectacular. He has beaten the likes of Marin Cilic, Gilles Simon and David Goffin in 2016, not to mention Roger Federer and Stanislas Wawrinka, two massive scalps that few players can boast of beating in the same season. In Beijing he added another Top 10 conquest to his list when he beat fellow rising star Dominic Thiem. Many pundits are already predicting that these two young men will have the next great rivalry in tennis.
But while Alexander was laying waste to the ATP Tour, Mischa’s season has been much less flashy. He won the Challenger in Sarasota, and also won a match at the US Open, where he started from qualifying. He then reached the quarter-finals in Shenzen, where he ousted Fabio Fognini before yielding to Richard Gasquet 7-6, 7-6.
Most recently he defeated Nick Kyrgios in Shanghai in a match that was filled with controversy from start to finish. Zverev won the match 6-3, 6-1, and though he didn’t know it at the time, he effectively ended the Australian’s season (Kyrgios was suspended for the rest of the year following the clash). After that, Zverev gave Novak Djokovic the fright of his life. For a while it looked as if the Serb might lose to the resurgent German, and it took every ounce of greatness in him to eventually win in three tight sets. Though Mischa’s season hasn’t been as noticeable as his younger brother’s, he’s
definitely made significant strides. The question now is whether he can carry that form on into 2017. If he can recapture the promise he showed just a few years ago, he might be in for a very exciting season indeed. And as far as his brother is concerned, we will have to see if he can continue his meteoric rise, or whether he eventually hits a wall.
His rise to prominence is quite similar to that of Grigor Dimitrov, and while the Bulgarian seemed like a surefire world number one a few seasons ago, he found the going very hard indeed once he entered the Top 10. Tennis certainly needs all the talented youngsters it can find now that Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal are well into the twilight of their careers. If Alexander Zverev can become a superstar sooner rather than later, it would be a good thing for all concerned.
The Story Borg – McEnroe, 1980
Awakening by Remo Borgatti The first image I saw made me realise that I was dreaming. It was totally incomprehensible how I could fall asleep in the middle of the most important match I ever saw, but it was so. To make things worse, there was no way to wake up. Life is quite strange at times. Indeed, often. Imprisoned as I was in that weird dream, all I could do was give up and wait patiently to get back to reality. Dreams, you'll know as well as I, are often a confusing and disordered jumble of images that follow one another without any apparent logic. Yet, what I was seeing was too much even for a dream! Bjorn Borg was arguing with the chair umpire. Crazy! As I said, I had fallen asleep suddenly after the thirty-fourth and last point of that endless tiebreak. It was just too exciting. Borg had seven chances to win the tournament for the fifth consecutive time, but McEnroe saved them all. Some of the match points were simply incredible. The first, for example, was saved with a crazy backhand passing shot. The Swede, who was so good at anticipating every ball at the net, had no idea where the shot was going. In essence, the world was turned upside down. On this occasion, defense carried the day. But just a point later, the American hit a winning volley from the sevice line. Incredible! Even more exciting was that it had happened
before, at 5-4 and 40-15 for Borg. Then came the decisive game, which pushed the set to a tie-break. At 5-6 in the tie-break, Borg moved to his right on McEnroe’s serve, and hit a great return. It looked like the ball would be unreturnable, but Johnny Mac’s Wilson somehow managed to put it back into play for the winner. Ahead 7-6, Borg rushed the net on a good approach, only to be turned back by the lefthanded magic of his opponent. At that moment, I thought that Borg’s spirit was broken, and that the American would end it. But I was wrong. The tie-break’s drama was only beginning to unfold. Bjorn earned his fifth Championship Point at 10-9, but hit a wayward forehand. His sixth oppotunity, at 11 -10, also failed to end the match. Borg attacked the net, but McEnroe drove him back to the baseline. In doing so, the Swede left the entire court open for Johnny Mac. He let rip with a backhand, which kissed the net and fell limply to the other side. Unfazed, Borg earned a seventh chance to make history, only to have his dreams dashed
by an impeccable McEnroe volley: 12 -12. The crowd sensed that something had changed. McEnroe seemed bolder on the following points, and finally managed to convert one of his many set points. It was 16-18, and the crowd was beside itself. All this, as I explained at the start, happened at Wimbledon. But my dream was getting stranger...Soon I found myself at Madison Square Garden. I recognized the man on the chair by his moustache as Mike Lugg, one of the most famous chair umpires on the Tour. I just heard him repeat the same phrase a few times: “The ball was out.” It was one of Borg’s shots that the linesman believed was good, but the chair umpire saw as out. You might be thinking, "Is that all?" But, my friend, it was special, unique...impossible! Bjorn Borg, the man of ice, had melted. The Swede approached the chair and started arguing a line call! Borg asked for an explanation and received one, but he was not at all convinced. "I saw it clearly and it was clearly out," said
Lugg . Borg looked at him blankly. But his protests were to no avail. An umpire cannot go back and change an overrule, as the Scandinavian should know, but he would not listen to reason. "You ask the line judge," he kept saying. Mike Lugg suggested that he return to his post and reiterated that the score was 4-3. So, it was another tie-break. I saw the shot again in slow-motion, a forehand pass that flirted with the baseline. It seemed to me that the ball landed inside the baseline. Lugg, I thought, was wrong. But it was not a match point and there was no apparent reason for Borg to get so angry. Borg would not let up. He stated his case over and over again, with the crowd’s whistles and boos almost drowning out his words. McEnroe, as surprised as anyone, simply stood there adjusting the strings on his racket.
Then Lugg’s voice, amplified by the microphone above the cacophony of background noises, said: "Warning mister Borg, time delay! Delay of game penalty!" It was the first warning of a delay of game. It increased the whistles, but Borg remained motionless. Lugg then invited him to return to the court, to no avail. Then came the penalty point. 5-3 McEnroe! For a dream, I admit that it was extraordinarily detailed. I saw the score: Borg had won the first set, and this was the tie-break in the second. That's why I think it was becoming a matter of principle. Suddenly, another man appeared. He was slightly balding, with glasses and a blue jacket. He looked like the director of the tournament. The two men conferred, and Borg was eventually convinced to return to the court. But not before yet another point penalty
was given against him. Now it was 6-3 in McEnroe’s favor. Borg slowly walked backed to the baseline and bounced the ball. He missed the first serve, and his second started a prolonged rally, which ended in an error from Borg. McEnroe won the second set. I thought the drama was over, but it was just beginning. The third set started with Borg serving, and on the second point the situation again became tense. The Swede served an ace, and McEnroe started walking to the other side of the court. However, Lugg suddenly overruled the call. Borg started to argue again, but realized that the umpire would not listen to him. He returned to the baseline for his second serve, which McEnroe launched into the stands on purpose, in defiance of the umpire’s overrule. The crowd gave the American a standing ovation. Suffice to say, that this was really an incredible dream. McEnroe still pushed Borg in that game, getting to 30-30 and then 40-40, but Borg eventually held. The match was played on carpet, but the dynamics were similar to those of Wimbledon. Rallies were incredible seeing these two was always a treat. At the start of the fifth game, at 2-2, McEnroe produced a surgical lob, and on the next point Borg repaid the favor with an incredible forehand pass on the run. Between the two men, there were never any trivial points. Behind every exchange there was a plan, a philosophy. Things calmed down for a while until, at 4-4 and deuce, the Swede hit a deep backhand near the baseline, which forced McEnroe to hit a short shot in reply. Borg pounced, hitting an easy winner into the open court. Lugg remained silent for a moment, and then announced that the point needed to be replayed because the ball had been out earlier.
Again, Borg headed for the chair and argued his case. But his attitude was different this time, more relaxed. He seemed almost resigned to his fate. Lugg explained his decision, but Borg was unconvinced yet again. It seemed like there was some conspiracy against him. The man in the blue jacket returned, and a few words convinced Borg to return to play. The score was 40-40, but in less than a minute it became 5-4 in favor of Borg. The next few games were, remarkably, uneventful, with both men holding serving relatively easily. But then, another tie-break! It seemed as if they could not do anything else. I thought that they should start each set with a tie-break, since they always seemed to play them in the end! On the third point, McEnroe tried to hit a drop volley, but Borg anticipated his actions and quickly jumped on it. 2-1 for the Swede. McEnroe drew Borg into attacking the net on the following points. Borg won the first one, but on the second the American hit a blinding pass to take back the mini break. The crowd went wild, as it seemed they might be in for another thrilling tie-break. Borg had other ideas, however, and was seemingly not interested in repeatin the theatrics of the Wimbledon final. The next point was a tough rally, which ended with Supermac at the net. But Borg hit a spectacular cross-court backhand which put McEnroe on his knees literally. McEnroe then got dragged into a baseline exchange, but one of his balls clipped the net, costing him momentum in the rally and, ultimately, the point. With luck now clearly on Borg’s side, McEnroe’s next two backands cannot find the court, and Borg took the tie-break and the match. I closed my eyes, and when I opened them the dream had changed. There was a young lady dressed in white.
Behind her was a TV, with McEnroe and Borg playing a match on it. "Mr. Olsen, can you hear me?" The woman asked . "Are you awake?" I nodded my head. The woman smiled. "Thank God ! I will get Dr. Erlander." Then she was gone. I was confused. I found myself in bed, lying down, with tubes coming out of my forearms and leading to some bottles. A drip? Forget my dream, I was in a nightmare! The woman then returned. She looked like a nurse. She was with a man, who spoke to me in soft tones. "Can you talk, Mr. Olsen?"
"January 15," the woman replied. "What year?" "1981." But...but then, what I saw on TV was true! Borg and McEnroe were at Madison Square Garden in New York! It was the year-end Masters, which was actually played at the beginning of each year. Reality? What is reality? "Mr. Olsen, on 5 July you had a heart attack and remained in coma for more than six months. It will take time, but you will recover." On July 5? The day of the Wimbledon final, of course! I had my heart attack right when McEnroe won the fourth set tie-break. So who won this match?
I opened my mouth but no sound came out. The doctor quickly said: "Do not push yourself, that's okay. Do not worry, the worst is over." I did not understand. The worst? What was happening? Then I focused on the electronic clock on the wall. It was not the time that shocked me, but the date. With superhuman effort, I whispered : "What day is today?"
As far as I know, I'm barely alive. Another attack would be fatal. Tomorrow . I'll ask him tomorrow . For now I prefer not to know.
Attack or defend‌ what’s the game plan? by Federico Coppini
Always have a game plan A tennis match is a long struggle with several important moments and challenges. If both players are at the same level, you will rarely dominate your opponent for long. Usually the match is decided by subtle differences in physical and mental strength. The game plan for each player will likely be very different from one another. Some players will try to take advantage of their big serves by coming to the net more often, while others will prefer to hang back and play defensively. When your opponent approaches the net often, it is usually not a good idea to attempt
winners every time you return the ball. Instead, it is a better strategy to just keep the ball in play, making sure it stays low. This makes it very difficult for your opponent to hit an aggressive volley. Playing against defensive players, especially if you lack a lot of power, can be very frustrating. They can generally keep rallies going for extremely long periods and will wear you out more often than not. Trying to hit through them or scoring an ace with every serve is not a good idea, unless you are extremely powerful and accurate. Defensive players thrive on your power and pace, and have trained themselves to endure long rallies and matches. The best approach against defensive players is to employ safe, deep shots to slowly get them out of position. It will then become harder for them to keep a good length on their shots and this will open the door for you to hit a safe, aggressive shot for a winner. The experienced player constantly observes his opponent and knows which shots he needs to
focus on and which he needs to avoid. If your opponent runs around his backhand and hits aggressively to your forehand, you must immediately become aware that you can potentially hit the ball down the line for a winner, or hit it back behind him to force him off balance. It is also important to keep in mind that power hitters tend to fade towards the end of the match, and that you can take advantage of this if the contest goes to a third set. Strategic tips: - Remember, every shot is important because it may be the last shot of the point. - You must always try to anticipate your opponent’s next move. - Always be on the lookout for an opportunity
to move forward and end the point. - Always be mentally prepared for each match. - Whenever you are given an opportunity to be aggressive without too much risk, take it. - Try to serve deep. This puts pressure on your opponent and creates many opportunities for you. - Hit the ball deep to the middle of the court to limit your opponent’s opportunities. - Always remain well balanced as far as is possible. - Visualize the shots you want to hit, as they produce physical results.
Fact or Fantasy by Nick Bollettieri
Ahhh, the life of the professional tennis player! You dream that you are earning a living playing a sport that you love. Now, imagine being so good that your rewards are seaside estates, Lamborghini’s, multi-million dollar endorsements and adoring fans all over the world! Who could ask for a more perfect situation? The facts, however, speak loud and clear. In all of the individual and team sports in the United States, there are less than 5,000 professional athletes; people that actually earn a living competing in competitive sports. That said, only a small percentage of those 5,000 individuals reach super-star status and are able to enjoy the lifestyle mentioned above. As an amateur you graduate from local, to state to national to international tournaments. Failure at any level will hinder your quest for world recognition. But, success at each level offers no more than the opportunity to test your skills against the best players in the higher categories. You’ve trained locally, probably visited a training academy and maybe spent time at a full-time sleepover academy. You’ve traveled to local tournaments, and if successful, you’ve even been invited to play in national junior events. At times you’re on the road for holidays and maybe even for your birthday. Your family life has been changed and, although it might seem like fun in the beginning, there will be times when you simply hate the game. It is certainly not the “Leave it to Beaver” family paradigm. If your parents aren’t rich, they might have to take out a mortgage (or a second mortgage) on the family home to provide this
opportunity for you. Being in the business of teaching tennis for nearly 60 years, I have experienced the endless travel, the seemingly endless training, the laughter and the tears of the aspiring tennis player. I know just how lonely transitioning from one level of the Private coaching, travel and hotels required to become a nationally ranked player can cost between $80,000 and 150,000 per year. The average American family earns $53,000 annually, so you can imagine the immense sacrifice that your parents are making. If you are a young lady, one of your parents often accompanies you to these tournaments. Another expense! And, by the way, the unfortunate and unexpected consequence of this family support is that other siblings are often neglected in the process. Along the way, if you have succeeded in the various levels of the amateur ranks, you are faced with two options: 1. Colleg
1. 2. ge or 3. The Pro Tour So, you decide to try the tour. You make a breakthrough and earn an ATP ranking of between 750 and 900. Sponsors have no interest in a player with a ranking that low, but, you’ve put college on the back burner so you keep pushing forward. Let’s stop at this point and look at the significance of your decision. The average cost of a four-year scholarship to a Division One school is between $25,000 and 60,000 per year. The value of these scholarships translates to a four-year gift of $100,000 to $240,000. But, if you include the cost of coaching, travel and equipment, the value of that 4-year college degree could be up to $500,000. The fact is that most tennis players on a tennis scholarship graduate in 4 years. So, after 4 years you have a college degree and are able to choose a career and begin to live the American Dream.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average professional athlete earns just over $43,000 per year. Of course, superstars like Kobe Bryant, sinking just two baskets, earn more than the average American worker earns in a year. So, let’s take a look at the second of your two options. You decide to take a shot at the tour. The numbers below are averages, but will give you an idea of the annual requirements for playing on the satellite circuit: a. Coaching (travel) $ 70,000 b. Physical training $ 12,000 c. Mental Training $ 1,000 d. Your Travel $ 60,000 Total: $143,000 Assumptions: a. # of tournaments per year: 20 b. Players cost per tournament: $ 3,000 c. Coaches Salary: $50,000 + Bonuses d. Coaches’ travel to tournaments: $20,000 e. Top level physical trainer at $1,000 per month so total $12,000 per year Both the approximate value of the scholarships and the cost of playing on the circuit were calculated in 2009, so both numbers are surely higher today. Take for example ATP player Nicholas Mahut. Recognized more recently as having played the longest match in tennis history against John Isner, Nicholas was ranked #164 in 2009. He earned $144,290 that year, but expenses were $143,000. His net earnings that year would be $710., less any endorsements that he might have. Today, Nicholas is ranked #69 and has career earnings of nearly $5.5 million. Irina Falconi attended Georgia Tech for two years but did not complete her degree. She turned pro in 2010 and achieved a WTA ranking of #385. Her career earnings were
more than $1 million. Her highest ranking was #67 in the world and her career earnings are just over $1 million, excluding endorsements. Irina has proved to be the exception to the rule. The chances of making a comfortable living as a tennis professional, considering the number of players competing, is less than 1%. Also consider that the average span of a tennis career is seven (7) years. Serena Williams, on the other hand, did not attend college. She turned pro in 1995 and achieved a WTA ranking of #1. Her career earnings, calculated in 2009 were just a bit over $32 million. Serena, one of those “rare phenomenon’s” spoken about, is still #1 at the time of this writing. Her career earning’s in 2015 is now at an unimaginable $74,000,000 and she’s still the best player in the world. These earnings do not include more than $50 million in endorsements. So, how difficult is it to have a positive earning experience on the pro tour? And is the American approach of direction our players towards a college career the right path. The tennis world today is dominated by Europeans: Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Wawrinka, Berdych and Nishikori. There is only one American man in the top 20 - John Isner at #13. On the women’s side, after Serena the names are Halep, Sharapova, Muguruza, Kvitova, Radwanska, Kerber and Pannetta. Andy Murray attended Schiller University and, of the players mentioned, none attended college either in America or elsewhere. So, the question is: “Is foregoing college a meaningful path to becoming a world-class tennis player? Or, is hedging your bets and getting a college degree, first and foremost, the wisest path?” I am reminded by a comment once made by my
good friend Arthur Ashe. He asked a young man what he’d like to do as an adult. The youngster said, “I want to play in the NBA and be just like Michael Jordan.” Arthur smiled at him and said, “You’ve got a better chance to own the team that Michael Jordan plays for. You can definitely become a doctor or a lawyer, but Michael Jordan is a one-in-a-million phenomenon.” But, there is another consideration. Unlike basketball or football, tennis is a one-on-one sport. You don’t get paid a steady salary as you go through a slump. You don’t have a team worth billions to offer you a multi-million $ signing bonus based upon your perceived future contributions to the team. However, the country, as a whole, is facing a childhood obesity epidemic that shows no signs of diminishing. A recent study, published in TennisPro magazine, shows a disturbing trend. 35 men and 50 American women were in the top 100 in 1978. At that time 13% of American children 10-18 years old were
Martin Blackman, the new Director of Player Development, is a capable and intelligent leader. I’ve known Martin since he was a teenager and I have utmost confidence that he will make a big difference. Furthermore, under the direction of the USTA’s new CEO, Katrina Adams, a new cradle to grave strategy is developing. From introducing the sport to 5-6 year-olds to top-level training opportunities for Challenger-level players, a new energy has been injected into the administration. We now have a promising group of young players on the rise. Madison Keys, Coco Vandeweghe, Christina McHale, Michael Mmoh, Taylor Fritz, Tommy Paul, Jared Donaldson, Reilly Opelka, Noah Ruben, and Frances Tiafoe are among the soon-to- be American stars. Clearly, the future of American tennis looks bright. deemed to be obese. In 2014, however, 7 men and 10 women were in the top 100 and 33% of the children were deemed obese. Few can argue that fitness, stamina and durability play a significant role in 21st century tennis. I tried to deal with this very issue a few years ago by opening “Camp Kaizen” in Vermont. It was designed to help obese girls and it was productive, however, I couldn’t raise sufficient funds to keep the camp financially sustainable. The future of American tennis is under a microscope right now. The USTA is making every effort to grow the sport in the United States. The new 100-court complex slated to open outside of Orlando, Florida later this year offers great promise. Along with the most complete tennis-training complex anywhere in the world, the general landscape has also changed. Talented students and their coaches are welcomed (even encouraged) to avail themselves of the USTA’s significant resources.
But, let’s get back to Fact or Fantasy. The reality is that your chance of earning a living by breaking into the top 100 is a one-in-a-million proposition. I recommend college for almost everyone. As Arthur Ashe inferred in his response to the young man, a college degree can be the key to a lifetime of success. As for me, I recommend that you swing the odds in your favor by hanging that sheepskin on the wall. Then, if you want to try your luck on the tour, just go for it! But, if you’re convinced that you are that 1 in a million, proceed with my best wishes!
In the 80’s and 90’s I use to encourage my top players to turn pro while they were still in diapers. Today, I’d like to see them wearing suits before they turn pro.
Life On The Edge – Making A Living As A Pro Coach by B. Gilbert
Can you imagine Phil Jackson billing Kobe Bryant for his services as manager? Or how about Bill Belichick asking Tom Brady why his paycheck is late? Unlike the world of team sports, professional tennis players are directly responsible for hiring, firing and paying their coaches. So if you are a coach on the pro circuit, you might not
want to shout too loudly at your player, since that player is also your employer. Over the past few decades, pro coaches have seen the sport, and their jobs, grow from strength to strength. Everything has become larger, from stadiums to prize money and media coverage. The stakes for the players are high: as an individual sport, it is important for a
player to build a support team around him, and build it well. The first investment is the coach. For the professional trainer, there is no safety net. They are contractors who report directly to players, without owners or general managers coming between them. Long-term contracts are almost non-existent, and collaborations are usually arranged on a monthly or, at best, annual basis. There are also no standards for coach-player arrangements. It is not unusual for a player and coach to simply come to a handshake agreement, or on the other end of the spectrum to both sign a 30-page document. For coaches it can be a gamble. One can only imagine the future, but the more information
you have, the better you can imagine. If you find a good player who has a lot of potential, you can try and stick with him at a lower price in the hopes that you make more in the future. I'm a bit of a gambler. I like to invest in players, and also like the players to invest in me. I look for talent, hard work and a desire to win  if these things are present, I’m all in. There is a
huge risk factor, of course. If the player loses, I lose; if he wins, everybody does. It's very rewarding to collect paychecks, knowing that your player did well. I love being part of the game and having something at stake. It's just the way I prefer to do business. Players do not generally pay their coach just a salary. They also pay for travel expenses and other extras. Traveling between 30-35 weeks a year is enormously expensive, and players can often struggle to find funds for all these costs. Most coaches rely on a contract that covers just a week at a time, but there are a few other things that make the journey more interesting. My favorite, with respect to prize money, is that coaches usually take a percentage of a
player’s winnings. The size of this percentage will depend on the size, if any, of the coach’s fixed salary. Other bonuses are often paid out if a player reaches a certain stage of a tournament. Reaching certain ranking goals often also come with bonuses for the coach. But while coaches will make a portion of the money a player does, it’s nowhere near what
the player makes. So coaches look to other sources for additional income. For example, one often sees coaches on television when the camera cuts to them during changeovers. These coaches will often be wearing caps sporting certain logos, which they get paid to wear. This could be a brand associated with the player, or simply a deal that the coach struck privately with a company. Former players who become coaches often maintain the professional relationships with sponsors from their playing days. These can be lucrative for coaches who are often seen on TV. However, it’s unusual for these kinds of sponsors to strike initial deals with coaches who have never been players.
It is important to remember that a coach is at the mercy of the skill level and health of the player he is coaching. Injuries will result in a player not playing, and then in a coach not getting paid. It's all about prevention and preparation. Having a good coach can make a huge difference on and off the court, so it's a solid advantage to have the right person on your side.
The different kinds of coaches varies rather wildly on the pro Tour, but there are many different types that may help a player achieve their full potential. Grinders: These coaches have players ranked between 150 and 450. Players at this level barely earn anything, but they have heart and potential. They usually hire a coach with less experience on a limited budget in the hopes of finding their way to success. These deals usually come with various bonus incentives. The coach might get a salary of $500 a week plus expenses. But these earnings might grow exponentially if the player hits the big time. Mid-tier: These are coaches of players ranked between 25 and 75. This is where coaches and
players both start earning good money. A coach might earn between $1000 and $2000 in cash a week, with all expenses paid. These coaches generally have a lot of experience, and bonuses related to results and ranking are common. If a player ranked around 25 wins a tournament his prize can be between $100 000 and $250 000, with the coach usually taking 10%, plus his normal fee. If that same
player goes from 25 to 10 in the rankings, a bonus of about $100 000 for the coach is not uncommon. Elite coaches: These are Top 20 coaches. At this level of play, more substantial contracts usually come into play. It is the dream of every coach to train a player with the potential of winning a Slam or becoming world number one. There are four major tournaments each year in professional tennis. These are the focus for the players in the Top 20, and to do well in one of these tournaments translates into money in the bank. They are the Australian Open, French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. These are the main events of our profession and the
platforms where players become legends. Players at this level are looking for a high caliber coach to follow them on Tour and take them to the top. The most prestigious coaches take the best jobs. If you're lucky enough to be hired by a Top 5 or Top 10 player, it can be quite lucrative. At this level, a coach can pull up to 15% of the prize
pool, plus bonuses. With a player who earns up to $10 million a year, this can be an extremely lucrative business. The contracts are negotiated very carefully. The various agreements are dependent on results and the experience of the coach. Everything increases: the pay, emotion, concentration, commitment and stress. Winning is everything. As a coach, I take this very seriously. Money can cloud the vision of anyone, but in the end I've never met a successful player who really cared more about money than winning. No amount of money can take the place of a winning a big tournament. You need not be an athlete to understand this feeling. That's where I go into the game as a coach. If you want to win, I will do all I can to
make sure you are prepared for the moment of triumph. Though most players hire their own coaches, some tennis federations also help. The United States Tennis Association, Lawn Tennis Association and the French Federation offer players starting out a cheap way to travel with a designated coach. Hired and appointed by
the government, the coaches can oversee the progress of an individual or a group of promising players. In the past, these jobs were reserved for coaches willing to take a lower salary in exchange for greater job security. But things are changing as the national federations are understanding that it is a good investment to hire the best coaches to speed up the progress of young players. When Rafael Nadal won Wimbledon, he had the King and Queen of Spain in the boxes along with 13.1 million viewers on TV. I like this trend, and I think that organizations that are preparing the stars of tomorrow will have a positive effect on the sport. Bringing
financial support will open the courts to new groups of athletes who otherwise would rather turn to other sports. Tennis is not cheap, so the financial support of the players and the coaches will make a profound difference to the future of the game. Tennis is a sport for real athletes. It is a challenge both mental and physical, as the
season is very long and there are no teammates to have your back on a bad day. There is only a 10-15 year window in which to succeed as a player, and every minute counts. I love coaching
professionally, it's my great passion. It is a life on the edge, and I would not trade it for anything in the world.
Adapting To Playing Conditions by Federico Coppini
"I never play with new balls, so when I do, inevitably I suck!" "I always play in the afternoon, so last night I went on court at 10, how could I be expected to play well?" I could go on, but I will stop here. We are always quick to assume that the courts should give us ideal playing conditions. The surface, playing time, balls, weather conditions (temperature, humidity, light)‌we want them all to be perfect. Sometimes we even expect our opponents to play a style of game we feel we are good against. Well, here is the reality: tennis is played on a variety of surfaces in conditions that have dozens of factors which change all the time. You better get over it. Of course, everyone wants to play in ideal conditions, but we can’t always do that. In fact, you can just about never do that. There are two important aspects you should focus on when it comes to these factors. The first is that many of the playing conditions that make you uncomfortable are actually very predictable. For example, you know the brand of the balls used in tournaments before you even get to the first round. Similarly, in most cases you know which club you will be playing at, and therefore the type of surface that will be used. Even weather can be deduced quite far in advance of a match. You can easily get a can of tournament balls and practice on an outside court instead of indoors, if that particular tournament is to be played outdoors. If you do so, you will probably feel more confident when you actually play an official match. This is a valid concept for training in general. It is very important to change your training conditions on a regular basis. For example, switch up the type of balls that you
use during training, as this can be a great way of preparing you for different tournament situations. Overall, it is good practice to try and make conditions as tough as possible for yourself during training. This will raise your confidence for every possible situation, making it easy to play in tough conditions, and even easier to play in good ones. It is important to maintain a positive attitude whenever anything is bothering you on the training or match court. If you can overcome these, your game can only improve.
conditions that make you uncomfortable. It is extremely important to accept these conditions and try and move forward regardless of how they make you feel. Try to find effective solutions for the situation you are currently in instead of lamenting that you are not in a different situation. If you can master doing this, you will experience not only improvement in your overall game, but definite mental growth. This can be facilitated in particular by the use of effective self-talk. But that is for another time.
The second aspect we mentioned earlier is that you will often find yourself playing in
Until then.
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Unlimited Power of Beliefs by Federico Coppini
A man found an eagle’s egg and put it in a nest of a barnyard hen. The eagle hatched with the brood of chicks and grew up with them. All his life, the eagle did what the barnyard chicks did, thinking he was a barnyard chicken. He scratched the earth for worms and insects. He clucked and cackled. And he would thrash his wings and fly a few feet into the air. Years passed and the eagle grew very old. One day he saw a magnificent bird above him in the cloudless sky. It glided in graceful majesty among powerful wind currents, with scarcely a beat of its strong golden wings. The old eagle looked up in awe. “Who’s that?” he asked. “That’s the eagle, the king of the birds,” said his neighbour. “He belongs to the sky. We belong to the earth we’re chickens.” So the eagle lived and died a chicken, for that’s what he thought he was.
The power of beliefs is by far the most powerful and creative force in the universe. Our beliefs dictate our actions, which in turn dictate our results. Life is created moment by moment based on our beliefs. Beliefs that can empower beyond our wildest dreams. Choosing your beliefs consciously and intentionally can and will dramatically enhance the quality of your life physically, financially, relationally, emotionally, and spiritually. If you want to be a powerful creator of your reality, you must consciously choose to believe in that which empowers you. Do you know that if you move a goldfish to a lake he will continue to swim in the same circle? Why? Because he has accepted the belief that if he swims farther, he's going to bump his nose. He's always done it this way. Any other way is "impossible." Here’s another fun example of the power of belief in action. Get an aquarium and divide it in half with a clear glass panel. Get a barracuda (we’ll call him Barry), and a mullet (who we’ll call Molly). Put one fish on each side of the glass divide, and watch. In a flash, Barry will race at full speed to eat Molly, but ‘thump,’ he just can’t seem to reach him, even though he can see him quite clearly. Undeterred, Barry will try time and time again. Over the next few days Barry will get a very sore nose, without getting close enough to eat Molly. Eventually Barry will equate Molly with pain and not as a potential delicacy. Then remove the glass panel and guess what? Barry will starve to death while Molly swims just a few inches away! He knows his limits, and won’t swim outside them. These are the same types of limits we construct in our own mind. Our truth becomes our reality. Let's look at this idea more closely. Most
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people would agree that our potential is essentially unlimited, would you agree? Then why do we not see this in our lives. The problem and the reason most people are not demonstrating their limitless potential is that their actions are tempered by their limiting beliefs. Because of a limiting belief, we only tap a small portion of our potential which, in turn, causes us to take limited action resulting in limited results. On the other hand, if you develop empowering beliefs about yourself, you will tap more of your potential, use more of your inherent creativity and take more action. This belief coupled with action will produce great results which in turn reinforces your new empowering belief. Successful people assume success to be the natural outcome of their efforts. Wayne Dyer wrote a book entitled Transformation, You'll See It When You Believe It. When you begin to believe in your success, you'll see the result in your life. When you begin to believe in your ability to reach your goals, you'll see your beliefs manifest on a physical plane. What you believe is what you get. And what you have right now in your life, good or bad, was created by your current belief system. The good news to all this is that you can change your belief system yes you can change what you believe about yourself, the world, everything and create the life you want. Remember the old phrase? Whatever you can conceive and believe, you can achieve. BELIEFS HAVE THE POWER TO CREATE AND TO DESTROY. Recently 500 people belonging to a doomsday cult called Movement for the Restoration of the Ten Commandments of God, committed suicide in Uganda. Before that there were the disciples of Jim Jones in
Guyana, David Koresh’s Branch Davidians, and the followers of the Heaven’s Gate cult. Let’s not be judgemental. Perhaps they’re right, perhaps their souls have been transported to a spacecraft travelling in the tail of a flaming comet. I don’t know! But, we can see these people are prepared to go to any lengths because of their implicit and unquestioned command of their beliefs. Having a good idea is the first step toward creating a successful life. Believing is something different though. Here's an example: you may have an idea that there are plenty of ways to make money. But if you don't believe in your guts that you will make money, you’ll never make the amount that you say you want. In other words, believing something is KNOWING absolutely that what you want can and will happen. There is not a single doubt that it will happen - you completely, single-mindedly trust and know that it will happen. “Unless you believe, you will not understand”
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Saint Augustine Many people I speak to are missing this element in their daily lives. They'll do all of the other work that is necessary to achieve their goals - but they can't get this element of believing into their system. The irony is that we were born believing and we've been raised to not believe. If you can't see it, then it's not real - that's what we're taught. When you start believing without a shadow of a doubt that whatever you want can and will happen, your life will change in ways you never thought possible. “If you don’t change your beliefs, your life will be like this forever. Is that good news?" Dr. Robert Anthony The subconscious responds to your habitual thinking. Being totally neutral in a moral sense, it is happy to adopt any habit as ‘normal' - good or bad. We casually let negative thoughts drop into the subconscious every minute of our lives, then we are surprised when they find expression in day-to- day experiences and relationships. While there may be some things that will happen to us that we had no role in creating, the vast majority are in us already waiting for the light of day. In other words, if you plant and tend your garden, it will produce flowers, fruits, the things you cultivate. If you don't plant specific seeds, then animals, wind and other elements will cause random things to fall into it, producing an abundance of weeds and wild vegetation, likely to choke out useful plants. One thing is certain: something will grow in your garden. Just as a gardener must tend his or her plot, keeping out the weeds, you must tend the garden of your mind, weeding out the thoughts of lack, limitation and negativity. You must nurture and tend the thoughts of
happiness, success and purpose. If you practice gardening of this kind, you will soon discover that you are the master gardener of your soul. You will come to the profound revelation that you are not the victim of your circumstances, but the architect of them. For it is the thoughts you pay attention to that shape your character, create your circumstances, and determine your ultimate destiny.
Those of us that have followed Novak for years know that he has at times struggled with his forehand. This is now history as he has turned his perceived weakness into a Real Lethal Weapon. What makes this weapon that much more dangerous is that his backhand draws blood first and his forehand puts the dagger in the heart. Learn this play from Novak and you too can enjoy some well deserved spoils.
How to hit a forehand like Djokovic by Federico Coppini
Tennis: A Sport For Life by Marco Mencaglia
I am proud and honored to be able to write for this magazine, and I would like to start by telling a story about my time as a tennis player and coach. You might be wondering why I am boring you with a personal story, but I hope after you are finished reading it you will understand why I have told it! It was 1978 and I, like many other kids my age, had recently started playing in my first tennis tournaments in the under-12 category. In those days, there were no special tournaments for children under 10 (I was 8 at the time), so this was my first exposure to this kind of competition. I was not without talent or ability, but I had started tennis quite late compared to my peers. In two years of playing I had many setbacks, including a few double bagel matches. After a couple of tough years, I was competing in the under-14 category and I started to become known, at least in my own region. At national tournaments many players were too good for me, but I loved the sport so much I continued playing despite a lot of losses. At age 16 I even did well at the Italian championships, and qualified for some very important tournaments. I started realizing that many of the best players who had beaten me in the preceding years weren’t at these events, because they had stopped playing tennis altogether. At the under-18 championships I was the 10th seed, but lost in the first round. I did, however,
manage to win the mixed doubles title. I never played at the very highest levels, but I did compete in the league and played at the Foro Italico for two years, which was a real treat. When I was in charge of the under-12 group at the Parioli tennic club, I had the good fortune to work with two very talented young men. One won the Lambertenghi Cup (a very prestigious prize), and the other reached the final. Unfortunately, both stopped playing before they turned 16. As a parent, last December I took my children to the Lemon Bowl in Rome. The youngest reached the fourth round of qualifying in the under-10 category, and my daughter reached the main draw for the under-10 group. Sadly, she lost 6-0, 6-0 to the top seed. What could I say to my daughter, who devotes much time to the sport, after she lost in 35 minutes? It is hard to accept as a youngster, but at that age results are not all that important. There are many things that go into making a professional tennis player, and character is a very important part of that. Losing a lot of junior matches, even though it is tremendously discouraging, can serve to make you stronger. At the same tournament, I had a look at the honor roll of past winners. Do you know Diego De Vecchis? Well, he always beat Paolo Lorenzi 6-0 at this event. Now Lorenzi is number 60 in the world, and De Vecchis is not even playing professionally. Most of the names of past winners will be unknown to even the most clued up tennis fans. Yet Fabio Fognini, who never did well here, went on to become the best player in Italy. The point I am trying to make with this story is that tennis is about more than winning or losing. You never know where your tennis will
take you, whether it is to a career as a professional or just an enthusiastic club player. Tennis is a beautiful sport, and one which must, above all, be enjoyed before all else. Always believe in yourself and what you are doing on court. It might not make you the world number one, but each win and loss has a spiritual value that cannot be easily replaced or emulated by anyone or anything. Just keep playing and have fun!
Knee cap pain in tennis players by Danie Morkel
Pain in the knee cap (or patellofemoral joint) is caused by overuse of the chondral cartilage in the joint between the patella and femur. The chondral cartilage behind the patella is the thickest in the body, and this bears testimony to the forces experienced by the joint. The forces exerted by the quadriceps on the knee cap in extending the knee  or more importantly slowing it down in flexion  are transmitted through the patella chondral cartilage. In some wonderful way these extensor mechanisms of the quadriceps, patella and patellar tendon are interconnected. This means that even though the chondral cartilage
has no nerve supply, the knee will start to hurt when insufficiency softening of the chondral cartilage occurs. The kneecap only makes contact with the femur from 45-60 degrees of knee flexion. PF joint pain will affect many people who play impact sports, especially tennis. Although chondral insufficiency softening usually affects older people, PF pain also affects younger players. In female players it can start as early as age 14. Often both knees are affected, but in tennis it might be the dominant or even the nondominant knee that will start hurting after matches and training. In PF pain the knee will also hurt when negotiating stairs, jumping or running. A telltale sign of PF pain is when a knee starts to ache when the joint is in flexion for extended periods of time, like in a cinema or airplane. The knee might swell up in severe cases.
Although many anatomical factors have been blamed for this condition, in the end it is chronic chondral cartilage overload that leads to insufficiency cracks. The challenge for young players is to make sure that the load on the knee is physiologically correct. Knee alignment certainly plays a role in PF chondral cartilage overload. Unfortunately, corrective surgical procedures aren’t always effective and generally have very long recovery periods.
deep flexion, especially if the knees hurt when doing so. Female players need never do squats or lunges with weights.
Prevention is therefore very important, especially in young players. The force on the PF joint during heel strike is certainly much greater on hard courts than on clay or grass courts. There are enough studies to prove that eccentric training of quadriceps and hamstrings will lead a decrease in peak forces on the quadriceps, and therefore also the PF joint. It is important not to do squat or lunge exercises in
So when it comes to PF joint pain, there are a few key things to remember: listen to your knees, do squats and lunges, wear good shoes and always train judiciously.
Wearing good shoes is important, but rigid orthotics can be damaging in certain cases. Glucosamine supplements may decrease joint inflammation and help maintain joint homeostasis and dynamics, but cannot cure or prevent chondral damage.