An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
The USTA Adult and Family Tournaments, Ranking, and Sanctioning Regulations document specifies use of a player’s “best” 6 tournament performances for rankings calculations. I recently observed that competing in 6 tournaments to maximize ranking point opportunities requires players to dedicate approximately 12% of their yearly available weekend time to tournament play. As it turns out, that is actually only the tip of the iceberg.
On the first Friday of each month this year, this site is publishing a deep dive on one of the 12 “Gifts” you can treat yourself with to improve your tennis life. The focus this month enumerates the reasons why tennis players and fans should engage with the organizations that promote our great sport. Advocacy is essential for the future health of the tennis ecosystem. We are stronger together than we are individually.
René Lacoste is one of the most iconic tennis players in the history of the sport. His tenacity on the court earned him the nickname “The Crocodile” and that image became logo of the brand that still bears his name. He was one of the French “Four Musketeers” players that dominated international tennis in the late 1920s and early 1930s. Lacoste was also a prolific inventor of tennis related technology.
The final Case Decision in the “Role of Court Officials” section of the ITF Rules of Tennis is mysterious in a couple of ways. First, imagining how the scenario could even happen requires significant mental gymnastics and I am unable to find any evidence that it has ever actually occurred. Additionally, the interpretation of tennis law seems straight forward which leaves me wondering why this Case is even included.
3 responses
Heat therapy for sports related injuries is suddenly back in vogue. As details of my ongoing battles with plantar fasciitis emerged, a handful of people in my social circles recommended infrared therapy for that specific injury. Another tennis buddy who struggled with tennis elbow for an extended period of time swears that he recovered only after he started using the heat treatment on a regular basis.
The drop shot is back in style and I am here for it. A thrown racquet at the French Open strikes a young fan, and a tribute to Pancho Gonzales.
There is a cap to the number of tournaments that count toward a player’s USTA ranking under the current cumulative tournament performance ranking system. The primary purpose of this post is to correct a misstatement I made about that on this site a couple of weeks ago. Additionally, it is a perfect opportunity to preview my emerging thinking on how to structure tennis tournaments to build the robust participation needed for a healthy competitive ecosystem.
The USTA has been busy filling my inbox with announcements heralding the imminent deployment of the World Tennis Number. The messages are infused with reassurances directing players to not “worry” that the NTRP system might go away. I have been trying to find someone who is actually concerned about that happening. If I could find such a person, I could try to pinpoint the root causes of the fear. So far I have failed in that endeavor.
My 55+ 9.0 NTRP USTA League Team qualified for the National Championships last weekend. In related news, I have a history of asserting that elimination of NTRP “National Championships” would eliminate the majority of unsportsmanlike behavior that plagues the USTA League system. Additionally, I have also railed at the absurdity of conducting NTRP competition with age based restrictions. Will I make the trip with my team? Absolutely.
2 responses
While Roland Garros played tennis… very poorly by all accounts… the stadium of the French Open bears his name for panache and heroics unrelated to tennis.
2 responses