The Art of Tennis The 1978, the U.S. Open marked a seminal moment in tennis history. Not only did the tournament transport itself from the green confines of the West Side Tennis Club to its current home in frenetic Flushing Meadows park in Queens, it transformed to a surface that fit the aura of American tennis; the hard court. Sitting in the top row of the sold-out stadium with 20,000 rabid fans watching the men’s final between Jimmy Connors and Bjorn Borg, a nine-year-old Ted Dimond knew what he had to do. He knew what he was born to be. Eight years later, he was on a plane to France to train and play the summer club circuit and satellite tour in Europe. During the off months he lived in Lyon, putting his off arm to work in art school, where he practiced painting the scenes he’d witnessed during his travels: landscapes, abstracts, stadiums and players. He painted every place he’d been. Everything he’d seen. On the court and off. Intertwining his two loves, art and tennis, Dimond played and painted his way through Europe for a decade before returning to New York to coach tennis and continue his career in the arts. Moving ahead 25 years, Dimond has worked with some of the top players in the country, most recently as a director at the John McEnroe Tennis Academy, and his art work 34
hangs on the walls in the homes of numerous Grand Slam champions and avid tennis fans alike. One of his most popular series of paintings, his player portraits, are now presented at ATP tour trophy ceremonies and have been commissioned by top athletes and art connoisseurs for their private collections. His latest series of paintings entitled, “New York Tough”, was inspired by the grit and the greatness of his hometown, and its extraordinary place in sports history. To see more of Dimond’s work and to see a list of upcoming shows and charity auctions where he’ll be featured you can
Long Island Tennis Magazine • July/August 2020 • LITennisMag.com
find him on Instagram, @teddimond_art, or check out his website at www.teddimondart.com. If you’re in the Hamptons this summer, feel free to contact him for a personal studio tour and see his bold and innovative style of painting, which bridges classical portraiture with a unique synthetic layering technique capturing the power and precision of athletes in motion. And while the U.S. Open will be played without fans this year, Dimond will host his annual “Art at the Open” show where you can meet the artist and see some of the top players in the game.
