The Rafa Nadal Academy
My standing theme for the posts each Thursday is “Tennis Hits the Books (and sometimes media).” The selections are loosely informed by the calendar. ForRead More
Boom! Boom! The World vs. Boris Becker
Earlier this month, Apple TV+ released a new documentary on Boris Becker. It is structured into two episodes. “Triumph” runs one hour and 37 minutes,Read More
3 responsesThe $1 Million Pickleball Slam
This might be a sign of the coming apocalypse. The viewership of the inaugural “Pickleball Slam” featuring tennis legends John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi,Read More
2 responsesBreak Point
I finally completed my initial screening of the first five episodes of the much-anticipated Netflix show “Break Point.” It is hard for me to imagineRead More
Love Means Zero (Nick Bollettieri)
After the death of legendary tennis coach Nick Bollettieri last week, it seemed appropriate to select a book or media title that examined his life.Read More
1 responseGuillermo Vilas: Settling the Score
Guillermo Vilas was the second player to win more than 900 professional tennis matches during the Open Era. Overall, he won 62 ATP championships andRead More
2 responsesJohn McEnroe: Analyse de son jeu
I took two years of French in high school. In an indictment against the utility of that education, I had to use Google to checkRead More
McEnroe Showtime Documentary
For tennis players, personal life and on court performance are inextricably connected. Showtime recently released a new documentary about John McEnroe that perfectly illustrates thatRead More
Gold Balls: The World of Ultra Senior Tennis
If you ever need evidence that tennis is a sport for a lifetime, look no further than this documentary from 2017 that chronicles the pursuit of “Gold Balls” in the men’s 80 and over division at the USTA Cat 1 National Championships. Kate Keckler Daniel follows the competitors across the National Championships for all four surfaces and captures the essence and spirit of senior competitive tennis. You have to check this one out.
Wimbledon (Movie)
Another busy week prompted me to reach once again into the list of tennis movies recently recommended by tennis.com. “Wimbledon” is a romantic comedy featuring a budding relationship between two players at very different points in their career. A chance encounter over a mix up in hotel rooms starts a roller-coaster relationship that plays out across the fortnight.