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Never Stop Questioning: What Tennis Innovation Can Learn from Einstein What Tennis Can (and Cannot) Learn from Albert Einstein Ace, Marvel, Spy: A Novel of Alice Marble The Final Tiebreaker The Geau Axiom Duffel Bag Tennis Beyond the Headlines: April 21, 2025 A Tennis Resurrection Story for Easter

Early Childhood Participation in Tennis

On By Teresa Merklin

This weekend’s Fiend at Court Unplugged series has focused on the importance of building participation that feeds into the competitive Player Development pathways. To close out this topic, we are going to examine the initial consumer engagement model for two current Player Development programs. Over the previous two days, a case has been built that one of the keys to building elite level players is to attract and engage as many prospective players as possible. Not everyone will be a future Grand Slam Champion. However, increasing the numbers the number of players who pick up the sport and work through the competitive pathway increases the odds that someone from that program will emerge with a competitive chance to compete at the highest echelons of professional tennis.

Tennis Player Development: The Numbers Game

On By Teresa Merklin

“Every Russian Schoolboy Knows…” is a concept that was introduced yesterday. The Russians and Soviet Union dominated the international chess world championships for almost 50 years. As a community, they were simply better than everybody else. Soviet propaganda would assert that the dominance was a reflection of intellectual superiority. Others would point to the efficacy of the chess knowledge, training, and mentorship available in Russia. While that is certainly a part of it, it is also an undeniable fact that the sheer numbers of people that were formally and systematically taught to play chess was also a factor. The high levels of participation dramatically increased the odds that prodigies naturally skilled in chess would be identified. It was a numbers game.

Chess and Tennis: Every Russian Schoolboy Knows…

On By Teresa Merklin

There is a cliché in chess, “Every Russian schoolboy knows…” The phrase refers to the fundamental knowledge of chess tactics and strategy that everybody is expected to understand. “Every Russian schoolboy knows…” is even used as the title of a popular chess training series. So…what does the game of chess have to do with tennis? Nothing. And Everything. I have been thinking about the cultural concept captured by “Every Russian Schoolboy knows…” in the context of the USTA Player Development program.

The Rivals: Chris Evert vs Martina Navratilova

On By Teresa Merklin

Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova is the greatest tennis rivalry ever. In the post Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal era (or perhaps the waning moments), placing Evert vs Navratilova on top of the list is a semi-hot take. Anyone who wants challenge my assertion that Evert vs Navratilova is the greatest rivalry of all time must first read The Rivals: Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova Their Epic Duels and Extraordinary Friendship. (Sponsored Link) It is required reading to meaningfully engage in that debate.

Wheelchair Tennis Technical Wheel Regulations

On By Teresa Merklin

Today we are considering rules on the construction of the wheels used in Wheelchair Tennis. Coverage of this particular section marks the approximate mid-point of our foray into this Rules of Wheelchair Tennis. In addition to learning a lot about this adaptive version of tennis, it is a pleasant surprise to note that examination the Wheelchair Tennis rules sheds light on the spirit and intent behind many of the conventional Rules of Tennis.

Tennis Drill: T and Biscuits

On By Teresa Merklin

One of my favorite tennis practice games is a drill I call T and Biscuits. It is an effective way to practice points that wind up in a wild scramble. The player on the receiving side of the net trains opportunities to stabilize a point from a defensive position. The person that feeds the first ball in this drill practices the art of maintaining a competitive edge once it is gained in a point. T and Biscuits is a drill that can be done with two players, which is how I normally play it. However, it is also great for group settings.

USPTA 2020 Financial Data Insights

On By Teresa Merklin

The USPTA released preliminary financial data for 2020 in the April edition of ADDVantage magazine. In a summary introduction of the information, USPTA CEO John R Embree indicated that it was shared in an effort to be fully transparent about the financial performance of the organization. This same data will eventually be publicly available once the USPTA’s IRS Form 990 goes on record. It is commendable that the USPTA is has delivered a summary of the organization’s finances in a reader friendly format directly to its membership. Most people are not aware that IRS 990s are public data and even fewer ever bother to take a look at them.

Tennis Vernacular: Having a Hit

On By Teresa Merklin

Following an early morning training session this week, the FACSU thanked me for “the hit.” As soon as that innocuous phrase was uttered, it was clear that the tennis phrase “having a hit” had jumped to the start of the queue for the installment of “Tennis Vernacular” themed posts this weekend. That phrase was introduced and repeated as a recurring concept throughout Grace Lichtenstein’s “A Long Way Baby” book. I regarded it as an interesting turn of phrase, but not one that was in contemporary usage. As it turns out, apparently the FACSU uses it from time to time, albeit in a shortened format.

Tennis Vernacular: Walkabout

On By Teresa Merklin

Evonne Goolagong’s profile in Grace Lichtenstein’s “A Long Way Baby: Behind the Scenes in Women’s Pro Tennis” highlights her easy going demeanor. She never scowled or argued and rarely exhibited irritation over a missed shot. She played the game with child-like abandon and enjoyment. Goolagong personifies how people should experience playing tennis. It is supposed to be fun.

Tennis Vernacular: Treeing

On By Teresa Merklin

To the best of my recollection, I never encountered the term “treeing” back in the 70’s and 80’s when I was playing junior tennis. I was first exposed to the word and its meaning through the junior playing career of the Umpire I Gave Birth To. Consequently, I regarded the word as a distinctly modern term. “Treeing” in tennis occurs when a player rises above their normal skill level on a temporary basis. The most common usage of the term when I encounter it in the wild refers to a single shot. Treeing can also be exhibited for an extended duration spanning a few games or possibly even a set.

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