Roland Garros
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 responsesTranscendance: Alize Cornet
I have been an under the radar fan of Alize Cornet for a very long time. Her passion for tennis competition is always discernible by the expression on her face. Cornet is also currently on an amazing streak of longevity that seems to have escaped widespread attention by most of the tennis world. When Cornet steps onto the court at Roland Garros at the French Open next week, it will mark her 61st consecutive appearance at a Grand Slam. To underscore the achievement, she has appeared in every single Grand Slam draw for over 15 years.
3 responsesThe Quest
In 2016, Novak Djokovic entered the clay court season with the three previous major championships under his belt. However, he had never hoisted the trophy at Roland Garros. French tennis journalist Carole Bouchard was there to chronicle his quest to achieve the “career slam.” At that time, Djokovic was on the outside looking in as the tennis world enthusiastically debated whether Roger Federer or Rafael Nadal would emerge as the greatest player of all time. Winning the French Open changed the narrative and inserted Djokovic into the conversation.
Reading the Fine Print
Sometimes a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing. Information gleaned from books on tennis can be used to make you a better player. Alternatively it can be used to highlight deficiencies in your game that will never be corrected. Sometimes you just have to be who you are.
3 responsesWhy (Tennis) Books
I suspect that many tennis players frequently use search engines to locate the answers to their tennis questions. I have to admit that it is always going to be faster to consult the internet for tennis information as opposed to reading a book. That statement is true even when there is an ebook available for instant download. However, I firmly believe that tennis players who never read books about the sport are stunting their own tennis development.
1 responseThe Gift of Tennis Books
Heading into New Year’s Eve last year, I shared 12 “Gifts” that people can give themselves to improve the quality of their tennis life. Each of these items is a tennis related life hack shamelessly adapted from a career development webinar gave a while back for cybersecurity professionals. In 2022, I am taking an in-depth look at each one of those items on first Friday of each month. The “Gift” for May is to read a new tennis book.
Essential Tennis
I am guessing that most recreational tennis players are already familiar with Ian Westerman through his online site, Essential Tennis. He is a prolific producer of instructional videos, blog posts, and podcasts. Soon there will be another offering to add to the list. I recently received an advance copy of Essential Tennis: Improve Faster, Play Smarter, and Win More Matches. Based on that first look it may be the best packaging of Westerman’s message yet.
2 responsesThe Fein Points of Tennis
Paul Fein is a USPTA teaching professional with an Elite rating. He is also an accomplished tennis writer with a litany of award winning tennis articles and best-selling books. In addition, Fein is an excellent Senior tennis player with a history of high national rankings. Fein recently published hit latest book filled with his copious wisdom on how to elevate a player’s competitive level. The book is also packed with first person perspectives from other renowned tennis coaches and pros.
2 responsesAgeless Painless Tennis
The book I am reviewing this week came up as an Amazon suggestion when I started reviewing books about Senior tennis over the past couple of weeks. The 4.5 average star rating across 40 reviews was more than enough to convince me that I needed to take a look at it. My reactions are mixed.
Senior Tennis (George Wachtel)
George Wachtel was a Senior tennis player who also wrote a blog a blog about Senior tennis and fitness. In fact, Wachtel was still actively posting on his blog right up until his sudden death in 2021. The final two posts on his site were from his son, one announcing his death followed a short time later by his obituary. Sadly, I narrowly missed the opportunity to potentially meet this obviously kindred spirit.
2 responses