An engineer overthinks tennis in a daily journal.
This weekend I have been pitching ideas for tennis themed reality shows into the ether. To round out weekend, I have one more proposal. The idea is pretty simple. Bring back the Reality TV quiz show “Cash Cab” picking up passengers from tennis tournaments and asking questions relating exclusively about tennis. It might not inspire anyone to pick up a racquet, but it would certainly be entertaining.
This weekend the Fiend at Court is even more unplugged that usual for the weekend series. Stick with me. I have been brainstorming potential solutions to the most pressing problems in tennis. First, there is an urgent need to expand public spectator interest in the sport. Second, Nick Kyrgios needs a coach. For me, it is a short trip from the juxtaposition of those two problems and a genuinely inspired (and, well… crazy) idea.
Bill Tilden was arguably the first superstar of tennis. He was a dominant force in the early 1920s and his list of tennis accomplishments is littered with records and all-time firsts. Tilden was also an accomplished writer with editorials and columns on tennis popular in the print media. Until I came across a reference to Match Play and the Spin of the Ball in Ted Tinling’s book last week, I had no idea that he also authored a book on how to play tennis. I was delighted to discover that Tilden’s book has recently been digitized. Naturally I purchased a copy.
Renee Richards was an American tennis player who participated on the women’s professional tour from 1997 until 1981. She is most commonly remembered as the only transgender person to compete successfully in professional tennis. Shortly after her gender reassignment surgery, and subsequent relocation to California to start a new life, Richards crossed paths with Bobby Riggs. Naturally Riggs roped her into his escapades. It is one of my favorite stories about the character that was Bobby Riggs.
Where a wheelchair tennis player is playing with or against an able-bodied person in singles or doubles, the Rules of Wheelchair Tennis shall apply for the wheelchair player while the Rules of Tennis for able-bodied tennis shall apply for the able-bodied player. In this instance, the wheelchair player is allowed two bounces while the able-bodied player is allowed only one bounce.
According to the media, the anticipated COVID “Baby Boom” didn’t materialize. Apparently the people in my orbit didn’t get the memo, because I have been celebrating the arrival of quite a few little ones lately. In the process I have discovered a new “go-to” gift for such occasions.
Arguably no player has benefitted more from the Coco Gauff effect than Caty McNally. Though she is currently ranked 110, she gets more tennis broadcast screen time than many other American women currently in the WTA top 100. The reason for that attention is quite simple. She is Coco Gauff’s doubles partner. One very positive side effect of Coco mania is that the tennis broadcasting industry has suddenly rediscovered that doubles is a thing.
Melanie Oudin reached the quarterfinals of the US Open in 2009 when she was only 17. She defeated Maria Sharapova in Arthur Ashe Stadium along the way. If you freeze Oudin’s career at that precise moment in time there are some striking similarities to CoCo Gauff’s magical run at Wimbledon in 2019. Both captured the hearts and minds of American tennis fans. As she won the match that propelled her into the US Open Quarterfinals the announcer confidently exclaimed that it would be her “her first US Open Quarterfinal appearance.” In fact, she never made it past the second round in a grand slam singles draw ever again. Her promising start turned out to be the pinnacle of her career.
There is a predictable reaction every time I publicly lament the fact that the tennis promotional machine needs to stop leaning on the aging stars of the game and start building up public interest in the future. It goes something along the lines of “Umm, haven’t you ever heard of Coco Gauff?” She is an interesting case study. The massive public interest and awareness of Gauff is lightning in a bottle. A happy accident.
Bobby Riggs published two autobiographies over the course of his life. His first effort, Tennis is My Racket, presents the story of Riggs as an irascible – but quite serious – tennis player. His second autobiography is Court Hustler. Before I go on, I should note that this post is chock full of obvious spoilers. For example, with a title like Court Hustler, it will probably not surprise anyone that the promotional antics of Riggs are still on full display.