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…
“Eric, you seem like a really smart guy. What do you think will be the next big weapon in tennis?” I hear this question a lot, especially about the part of me being really smart. Now first off, before I go into all of my rambling, I want to make it clear that I cannot…
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…
Maybe I should follow pro tennis more. I was sitting in the doctor’s office today when I picked up Newsday. (What has happened to Newsday anyway? That used to be a good paper.) Anyways, I’m going through the sports section and see the results of the U.S/Germany relegation match. I vaguely remember us losing in…
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…
In case you don’t know, the term "treeing" means playing over ones head. It essence it means he/she is getting lucky. To me this is the ultimate sign of disrespect towards a player and seriously puts the accuser in a negative light. And I hate when people say this aloud. People aren’t idiots. When you say that someone…
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…
Most coaches have expressions, sayings or opinions. Some are unique, some are taken from other coaches and some are read. Here are some of my more common refrains. 1. "Tennis is a movement game" – I guess it’s also a mental game too…but everyone knows that. So many under-the-radar things that happen on the tennis…
"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…