The above response from Jon Wertheim to the notion that basketball has suffered due to constantly comparing the current NBA to the NBA of the 1990s is spot on. For how many years have we heard the tennis media and many tennis fans lament that someone is NOT Jimmy Connors, Bjorn Borg, John McEnroe, Andre…
Tag: Tennis
AI Seems to Like Tennis Abides
I am not sure what HAL 9000 or Lt. Cmdr. Data thinks of my website, but maybe a little artificial encouragement will get me to post more frequently. Some of the information is a little exaggerated, but I can use binary-generated hyperbole. ChatGPT said: Tennis Abides is a tennis blog and online platform that covers…
A Few Thoughts on Tennis & Pickleball
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…
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…
Chess and Tennis: Chess Can Be Good for Your Tennis Game
David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest spends a few pages describing tennis as a hybrid of chess and boxing. Reading this led me to thinking about Ivan Ljubicic being a strong chess player and Boris Becker complimenting world #1 Novak Djokovic’s chess acumen. This might deserve more investigation. Uniquely Qualified? I’ve been playing tennis since 1985…
A Review of Playing the Moldovans at Tennis by Tony Hawks
I am going to be doing some book reviews and wanted to start with something light. I recommend this book so long as a prospective reader likes at least one or two of the following: laughter, tennis, geopolotics, travel journals, cultural insights, and outrageous wagers. The sound quality is a little dodgy, but next time,…
Looking Ahead to 2020: 5 Big Questions
Will Serena Williams win a 24th (or more) major in 2020? My guess is yes as I think she seems to be dialed in during this offseason. The talent pool she is facing is deep and comparatively younger so 2020 represents her best chance at 24 and beyond, but 4 runner-up finishes over the past two…
Happy Thanksgiving to Everyone
I am grateful for bludgeoning groundstrokes among other things Many countries celebrate the act of giving thanks. The dates do not line-up so my offering is not intended to be jingoistic as today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Still, taking the time to give thanks and express gratitude is always worthwhile. As tennis…
Can My Tennis Game be Upgraded? A Sequel
Reanimating the Bones of My Tennis Game is Done, but Can I Climb Higher? On October 20, 2017, I wrote Can My Tennis Game be Salvaged? Due to some medical issues that arose with my now nine-year-old child, I stopped playing tennis for roughly 3-years. This hiatus was not something I consciously chose. It just…
Pickleball: Friend or Foe?
Prelude I first encountered pickleball when playing tennis nearly 10-years ago at a public park. There were two courts on an upper terrace and one on a lower terrace at this particular park. My opponent and I took the first available court and were on the upper terrace. When the lower court cleared, a man…
Tennis Abides: Dan Martin on Tennis and Life 