Tennis at the Olympics Must Become a Major

I was watching a stunning 2012 London Olympic match this morning between Andy Murray and Novak Djokovic, with commentary by the great grand slam champion John McEnroe. McEnroe, in his usual inimitable style remarked that he thought it incredible that the upcoming Rogers Cup competition in Toronto, Canada, carried more points in the world tour for both men and women than playing at the Olympics did. McEnroe went further, suggesting that every four years, the Olympic tennis competition should be treated as a fifth grand slam and that the winners should receive points similar to any other of the regular four majors. 

Tom Chivers, the assistant comments editor of the U.K. Telegraph newspaper, believes that tennis should be dropped from the Olympics altogether. Why? Because, Chivers says, "No one wants to see bored superstars competing in the Olympics as an afterthought. Being an Olympic gold medal winner should, really, be the crowning glory of a sportsperson's career." He is totally right in his assessment but equally wrong in his solution. Having the professional associations, the ATP and WTA, wake up and give the Olympic Games the respect they deserve is the answer.  Give the Olympics Grand Slam status each year held and you will get the appropriate reaction from the players and the fans. Time for the latte drinking jet-setters in charge of world tennis to pull their fingers out and get real, and listen to SuperBrat.

The Wonder That Tennis Forgot

He is the unfrozen phenom. Brian Baker was going to be a tennis star. That's where this was headed. A decade ago, Baker was one of the best junior tennis players in the world, the wiry kid from Nashville, Tenn., with the punishing game, so good he would later reach the boys' final of the French Open in 2003. His early résumé contained wins over characters you may know. Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. Tomas Berdych. Novak Djokovic. That's right. The Djoker, the relentless No. 1 in the world, winner of four of the last five Grand Slams. That guy. Baker passed on college scholarships and pushed right into the pros. He had a clothing deal and a racket deal and a future. Life was good.

Ten years ago, Brian Baker was one of the best junior tennis players in the world. But then Baker's body disobeyed him. Maybe "abandoned" is a better word. First Baker hurt his wrist, and missed 10 weeks. Then, in a qualifying match at Wimbledon versus Djokovic, Baker tore his MCL. This actually wasn't so bad. Baker rehabbed his knee and resumed playing, but began feeling pain in his left hip. Hip surgery followed. Then, surgery for a sports hernia. All the while Baker's elbow was nagging at him, especially on his serve. That led to Tommy John surgery on his elbow. Then more hip surgery—another procedure for the left hip, and the right hip as well. It was a spectacular run of medical intervention. Baker won a Grand Slam in the OR.

At this point Baker was 23. Recovery from these latest surgeries was going to take a while. He enrolled in college, back home in Nashville, at Belmont University, the geezer freshman in class. He worked as an assistant coach with the school's tennis team, keeping a foot dangled in the game. He wasn't totally out of tennis, but he wasn't totally in it, either. Meanwhile, players he once handled were ascending to the top of the sport. Baker said he doesn't "like to play the guessing game too much," but he couldn't help but notice.
"You do think about it, especially for the first couple of years," Baker said. He is 27 years old now. He was sitting at a table not far from the tennis courts at Saddlebrook Resort outside Tampa. He looked tan and fit. "You see all these guys having success. Could that have been me?"

For the complete article by Jason Gay in the Wall Street Journal, please click here.

The Dynamically Unlikely Duo

I had the privilege today to witness a sight that I never thought I would see. A player from India paired with another from Pakistan; two countries who have been bitter enemies for years. But none of that enmity means anything to Rohan Bopanna and Aisam-Ul-Haq Qureshi who won their semi-final match and will now meet the Bryan brothers in the final of the U.S. Open.

It warms the heart when individuals decide to put decades of cultural and religious prejudice behind them and atke a stand. A stand that tells the world that hatred is a learned behaviour and completely unnecessary in intelligent and thoughtful people. While they are playing one to the great doubles teams ever in Bob and Mike Bryan, I am going for the underdogs in Bopanna and Qureshi; maybe because their teaming is an idea whose time has truly come.

Transformers: Spain becomes a Tennis Powerhouse

The emergence and dominance of the Spanish men in world tennis recently has been nothing short of breathtaking and exhilarating. Sure they have had No. 1's before; Juan Carlos Ferrero and Carlos Moya come to mind, but up until now the best from Spain came singly. However, not only do the Spanish boast the World No. 1 in Rafael Nadal, no fewer than six Spaniards are in the quarterfinals of the U.S. Open. Previously they had only two champions in the United States, Manuel Orantes in 1975 and Manuel Santana in 1965. How things have changed!

My memory watching Spanish tennis players over the years confined to clay-court supremos happily sliding (and winning) at Roland Garros, white shoes covered in red mud. Besides the number of good Spanish players, the greatest change is that Spaniards now win on all surfaces. No better example of this is Nadal who, if he wins at the U.S. Open, will have all four majors under his belt. However the Open pans out, Spain has not only established itself as the great world power in tennis, but the quality and style of their play is just fantastic to watch.