The 800 pound gorilla in the room of professional tennis discussion is performance enhancement drug (PED) use. I Googled "Nadal" and "Steroids" and got over 1,100,000 results. I am clearly not alone in my suspicions. In fairness, many elite athletes are under suspicion of using steroids or other performance-enhancing drugs due to the extreme power demands of…
"So what …. who cares … it was a good promotion for the sport …" are some of the more prominent examples of feedback I have gotten from my blog "Mixed Signals," in which I suggested that the Chris Evert & Mike Greenberg match was fixed. No denials, just rationalizations for why it was permissible to…
What do "One-on-One Doubles" tournaments, "Beach Tennis" tournaments and "QuickStart Tennis" tournaments have in common? The answer is … these events, while greatly valuable, should not be understood as the heart and soul of tennis. They are tennis competitions, rather than traditional tournaments. One-on-One Doubles, Beach Tennis and QuickStart might be enjoyable, worthwhile, challenging and…
I have a special love for the French Open, which is starting in a few weeks. Roland Garros is truly unique in that it is a beautiful, intimate club much like The West Side Tennis Club, the former home of The U.S. Open. It is a civilized place with exhilarating, strategic tennis aided by the…
In a way, it’s refreshing to hear someone named "Donald" making the news other then Mr. Trump. Donald Young ranted against the USTA on Twitter after losing his French Open Wild Card qualifying match as reported by Long Island Tennis Magazine. I think Mr.Young needs to search inward to find the answers as to why he…
The etiquette and rules of tennis form a code of conduct for the sport. Adherence to "The Code" is the foundation of "sportsmanship," and responsible parents and coaches should teach and reinforce fair play. I cannot think of a time in which I have been more impressed by players’ sportsmanship then last December, when, by…
Spain’s David Ferrer fired a tennis ball in the direction of a distracting, crying baby in the stands while on his way to losing to Mardy Fish in the quarterfinals of the Miami Masters this past Wednesday. In his post-match interview, Ferrer said about the incident, "It was in one moment of the match, but…
The USPTA [United States Professional Tennis Association] and USPTR [United States Tennis Registry] are organizations that provide accreditation for tennis teaching professionals. In order to be called a "Tennis Professional" by these organizations, members must successfully complete a standardized competency test. The designation of "Master Professional" is the highest level of competency and it is…
"Cellibacy" – the act of refraining from looking at your cell phone at inappropriate times. While it’s not a real word, it should become part of the lexicon of tennis players. Cell phone compulsion on the tennis court is widespread and not a healthy trend. This practice is disruptive, distracting and ultimately destructive to the…
One of the most pervasive myths in junior tennis is that the USTA conducts most tournaments when in fact they function mainly as the sanctioning body. The tournaments themselves are conducted by the individual clubs. These clubs can impose rules which go beyond the USTA Code, yet are enforceable as code violations. Take, for example,…