The Next Generation of American Champions?

By Steven Kaplan
Patrick McEnroe resigned a week before The New York Times reported he was to be fired by the USTA as director of player development. Pat is a very nice and decent person, but he leaves behind a dismal record of developing top players given the system's resources. The "churn and burn" of the...Read more

CC Bellis

By Steven Kaplan
Evert, Austin, Capriati, Davenport, Williams, Williams, Bellis? Not quite yet, but 15-year-old CC Bellis, TR Blue Chip and rising sophomore, Class of 2017 has the best chance to ascend to become the next great American since Serena. She is also the total package for marketers: Young, talented,...Read more

Wozniacki Hopes for a Great Run

By Steven Kaplan
Caroline Wozniacki is going to run the 2014 New York City Marathon for the "Team for Kids" charity. "When I cross the finish line in Central Park it will be one of the most proud days of my life, not only because of the personal accomplishment, but also because it will help thousand of kids to get...Read more

Noah Rubin

By Steven Kaplan
The FIFA World Cup, Tour de France, Lebron, Melo ... forget about it! The biggest local sports news for Long Island tennis fans is Noah Rubin. He's the 2014 Wimbledon Boy's Champion, which is a truly remarkable achievement, but not his biggest accomplishment of the week. He also announced that he's...Read more

World Cup is Hot, Wimbledon is Not

By Steven Kaplan
That's what the television ratings say and it's troubling. The Group stages of this year's World Cup have drawn 62.3 million U.S. viewers to Univision Deportes, while Wimbledon ratings on ESPN are about 1/10 of that number. I love Wimbledon, it's a magical place and a great event, but let's face it...Read more

Too Much Grass at Wimbledon: John McEnroe and the Honor System

By Steven Kaplan
John McEnroe wants to get rid of umpires in professional tennis. "It would be 30 percent more interesting," McEnroe claimed in a pre-Wimbledon press conference. He can't be serious and it would be sad if McEnroe, who is lauded for speaking his mind, has lost his filter with this high-minded but...Read more

The Numbers Game

By Steven Kaplan
Mark Twain once wrote, "There are liars, damn liars and statistics." If Mr. Twain had attended this year's Second Annual New York Tennis Expo, I think he would have some choice words for those who tout declining tennis participation numbers. Four-thousand people showed up for this grassroots event...Read more

Paris to New York

By Steven Kaplan
It's about 3,600 miles from Roland Garros to Flushing Meadows and on June 1, 2014, these two places were a little closer because they shared the distinction as being the center of the tennis universe. That's a bold statement, but I'll stand by it. With the French Open entering its second week,...Read more

French Open Dance Off

By Steven Kaplan
A rain delay in Paris prompted Gael Monfils and Laurent Lokoli to entertain the crowd by getting down and dirty on the red dirt at Roland Garros. When Monfils' tennis days are over, I'm sure "Dancing With the Stars" will be calling. Maybe The ITA should take notice since they are trying to make...Read more

The Novak Djokovic Diet

By Steven Kaplan
Do you even know what "gluten" is? I'm not totally sure myself, but I think it's some kind of protein. I've heard that if I eat too much of it, I could spontaneously combust, and like Novak Djokovic and Marty Fish, cutting it out of my diet will help me play better tennis … or not. It's big...Read more

Special Olympics at the Second Annual New York Tennis Expo

By Steven Kaplan
Let me preface this by saying that while I try to avoid shameless promotion in my blogs, I am sorry about this installnment. The New York Tennis Expo will be hosting the Unified Games at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center on June 1. The Unified Games are a program I run at my club, in...Read more

Tennis Hacks: Choking

By Steven Kaplan
There has to be something wrong with you mentally if you choke, right? Wrong! While "choking," or that feeling of paralyzing performance nervousness, is often an overreaction, it could be based on something very real. Maybe your fears are rooted in the reality that you are unready? It's healthy to...Read more
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