An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
Daniel Nestor is a retired Canadian tennis player who was known mostly for doubles. He ended his 18 year professional tennis career in 2018. In 2010, Nestor was the subject of a Tennis Channel “Bag Check” segment. The contents of his tennis racquet bag were eclipsed by an appearance of his (then) infant daughter and a tour of her diaper bag. Still, there was one subtly useful item for recreational tennis players.
A women’s tennis icon generates controversy over French Open scheduling. The professional tours enter into the grass court season. Tennis Canada and the US Open launch summer hardcourt advertising campaigns.
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Back in 2018, the USTA decided that it would be a good idea to create a new age-based NTRP division for tournament play. That new division was for 50+ players. Bifurcating by age did not increase participation in NTRP leveled tournaments, at least not in Texas per my analysis. Perhaps the USTA has more complete data at the national level that tells a different story. In any case, it was later decided that what tournament tennis really needed was three age based divisions. Now tournaments can offer 18+, 40+, and 55+ NTRP divisions.
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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.
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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.