The USTA announced the hiring of eight-time Grand Slam champion Ivan Lendl to work with top-ranked U.S. juniors, and I could not be happier. As a player, Lendl was a true student of the game, possessing great mechanics, supreme fitness and a relentless work ethic. Lendl might be the best ball striker I have ever…
The current group of young American men is impressive. You would have to go back to 1977 to find two Americans with junior Grand Slam titles. Today, U.S. tennis has three with Taylor Fritz the current U.S. Open Junior Champion; Tommy Paul, the reigning French Open Junior Champion; and Reilly Opelka, the Wimbledon Junior Champion….
Jon Wertheim talks with the great jazz pianist and composer Fred Herch on his podcast "Sports Illustrated Tennis Beyond the Baseline" and it's fascinating to hear Mr. Herch parallel tennis and jazz. His first bit of advice is that young pianists, like young tennis players, should learn to "slow down take their time and don't try to…
10. The Grounds We bid adieu to the Grandstand, perhaps the best place to watch on the grounds and hello to the completed roof on Arthur Ashe Stadium with no more rain outs. 9. The Heat It was hot and humid with a record 12 first round retirements (16 in total). Many matches were affected…
Men's tennis popularity would benefit from the excitement of a new bad boy, but Nick Kyrgios is not yet the man for the job. Kyrgios is too crude, over the top and just not good enough yet to be forgiven by the fans for being a tortured genius. Kyrgios trash-talked Stan Wawrinka during an ATP…
The last American man to win the U.S. Open, Andy Roddick, is making a brief and thrilling comeback teaming with another comeback kid, Mardy Fish. Last week, this duo reunited for an exciting quarterfinal fun in the ATP doubles event in Atlanta. Roddick wants to team with Fish in this year's U.S. Open for one…
Roger Federer brought his "A" game to Wimbledon this year. The "Best Player of All-Time" was brilliant at times, but it was not good enough because Novak Djokovic could be "The Toughest Player of All-Time." While Djokovic played solidly most of the match, he served remarkably well at big moments while teetering on the brink,…
While savvy local tennis fans know that a visit to the qualifying rounds of the U.S. Open can be more rewarding (and accessible) than the main draw, perhaps the best kept secret in tennis are the qualifying rounds for Wimbledon held at The Bank of England Sports Centre in Roehampton, just a few miles from…
The Cary Leeds Center for Tennis & Learning had its grand opening in Crotona Park last Monday in an economically impoverished area of the South Bronx. It is a testament to the potential of using tennis to encourage education and improve the community. This facility, a labor of love honoring former tennis professional and Yale star,…
I watched Serena Williams nearly meltdown against the world's number 104 Anna-Lena Friedsam in a 5-7, 6-3, 6-4 win at the French Open. It’s the hallmark of a true champion to play poorly and still survive, and Serena is an all-time great player who will get stronger as the tournament goes on. I wouldn't bet…