Preface – I do not hate pickleball. I don’t like seeing tennis courts at public parks being replaced by pickleball courts. It seems like a park can host plenty of both courts. A recent debate involving retired pro tennis players caused me to dig a bit deeper into pickleball’s rules and relationship to tennis. One…
Author: Dan Martin
I am a proud husband and father. I have my PhD from the University of Dayton and love theology, philosophy, ecology, and tennis among other things.
2022 Midyear Report
Tennis Abides is back, and that will require a longer post at some point, but I will just say life happens for the time being. 2022 Midyear Report Male Player of the Year to this Point: Rafael Nadal – Rafa won a tune-up in Australia, then improbably won his 2nd Australian Open with the first…
The Business of Pro Tennis is a Tour Model. Eastern and Central Europe Produce a Lot of Its Stars.
Tennis is a sport. But its business model if more like that of several different concert tours crisscrossing the globe. Many sports involve hometown and regional pride at a far greater rate than tennis. World Team Tennis and competitions such as Davis Cup are exceptions to this model. Indianapolis ceased to operate an ATP Tournament…
DDP Yoga for Tennis – Week 1 Review
Given Novak Djokovic’s focus on flexibility, I can see tennis moving toward a greater emphasis on something like DDP Yoga in training. Dominant champions always leave some sort of mark on how the sport is taught. I think this makes today’s review noteworthy. I completed 7 straight days of doing at least one DDP Yoga…
Emma Raducanu: The Promi$€ and Peri£s of Her Future
Emma Raducanu became a media sensation during her unexpected Wimbledon run to the round of 16. Winning the US Open as a qualifier is the biggest unexpected Grand Slam feat I can remember since Boris Becker won Wimbledon as an unseeded player in 1985. It was probably a bigger shock than that even with her…
Amoeba Tennis Arrives in 2021
My first sporting love was basketball and more specifically NCAA basketball during the 1980s. Tennis came on the scene as a love after Boris Becker won Wimbledon in 1985, but the 1983 NCAA elite 8 game between the University of Kentucky and the University of Louisville cemented my obsession/love of college basketball. The University of…
Grand Slam Achievements in Tennis since Graf’s Calendar Slam in 1988
I will try to just recall major moments involving all 4 majors in tennis since Steffi Graf completed the Calendar Slam in 1988. This win represented a Career Grand Slam for Steffi Graf as well. 1. Steffi Graf follows the Calendar Slam with a Gold Medal in Singles (Bronze in Doubles as well) at the…
US Open 2021: Women’s Singles Semifinal Predictions
I picked 4 of the top 5 seeds to reach the men’s singles semifinal. That was not terribly risky, but I think chalk will fill at least 3 of the men’s semifinal slots. On the women’s side, I am far from sure how things will unfold. I think Kerber and Pliskova’s play at Wimbledon mean…
Predicting the 2021 US Open Men’s Semifinalists
BONUS – First Round Matches of Note Andy Murray vs. Stefanos Tsitsipas – If this were later in the event, even the 2nd round, I would lean heavily toward Tsitsipas. I think Stefanos advances, but playing the 2012 champion and 2008 runner-up in the first round is a nightmare first round draw. Murray has also…
Wimbledon 2021: King Novak VI and Queen Ashleigh I Reign
First, I am sorry that my Wimbledon coverage in 2021 was so sparse. Between a laptop dying, a vacation, and some personal life business, I was not able to give Wimbledon as much attention as it deserved. Second, I went into Wimbledon thinking on the men’s side that three tiers existed: Tier 1 – Novak…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 