Tennis is notorious for having perhaps the most demanding schedule in professional sports. Technically, the season never really ends. The ridiculously grueling season comes in addition to the natural physical strain of the sport itself. This is causing more and more injuries, and ultimately reducing the longevity of tennis players' careers.
One factor compounding the problem of the punishing schedule is the fact that tennis players are not united in their stance. Naturally, top players will only want to play prestigious tournaments and not risk their physical well being in lesser events. However, the lesser players want as many opportunities as possible to advance in the rankings and improve their games. With no strong union to unite and protect tennis players, the grumblings of many top players has little or no effect.
If players are constantly being injured because of overplay, what is the point of such a taxing schedule? Tennis players don't last very long as it is, it seems ridiculous to doom them to even shorter careers by making them play a nearly year round circuit. All other major sports have a reasonably large off season, allowing athletes to recover. The young athletes crucial to the success of tennis in the future are already showing disturbing signs of wear. Stars Rafael Nadal and Juan Martin del Potro frequently are forced to withdraw from smaller tournaments because of constant nagging injuries. Remember, neither have reached age 25.
While most sports strive to protect their athletes, Tennis does not seem to get the concept. With a fresh crop of rising stars, the need to reassess the schedule is of dire importance. Here's hoping the pro tennis schedule will be readjusted to take into account the demands the sport places on its athletes. At least make some tournaments optional so that those who choose not to participate do not receive fines or ranking punishments as they do currently. For this to happen however, Tennis player need to unite under one banner and fight for the longevity of their careers. The game will be better for it.
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
The Djoker
In my last entry I mentioned a few up and coming tennis stars who are making their way into the upper echelon of the game. My personal favorite, and potentially the most dangerous is 22 year old Serb Novak Djokovic. Just watch this rally and if you honestly still don't find tennis entertaining, I give up. While Djokovic actually loses this point, he demonstrates his ability to make every shot in the book and keep up with the likes of Rafael Nadal all the while.
Ranked #3 in the world Djokovic has already won the Australian Open, and at such a tender age the upside is enormous. He has shown some issues with on and off court anger, but what tennis player worth their salt hasn't? If he can continue to improve his already vast skill set and keep his temper in check to gain more fans, he will set himself up for a prolonged run at the top of his sport.
The biggest obstacle Djokovic obviously faces is the stiff competition arising in the sport. With cemented legend Roger Federer still near the top of his game, and the many other rising stars in tennis, it may be hard for Djokovic to pile up Majors. The phenomenal young talent throughout the tour will possibly often foil even his best efforts. It will be interesting to see his mental fortitude put to the test through frustration. Regardless, the new youth movement is setting tennis up for a fun new era, and no one is better to lead the charge than The Djoker.
Ranked #3 in the world Djokovic has already won the Australian Open, and at such a tender age the upside is enormous. He has shown some issues with on and off court anger, but what tennis player worth their salt hasn't? If he can continue to improve his already vast skill set and keep his temper in check to gain more fans, he will set himself up for a prolonged run at the top of his sport.
The biggest obstacle Djokovic obviously faces is the stiff competition arising in the sport. With cemented legend Roger Federer still near the top of his game, and the many other rising stars in tennis, it may be hard for Djokovic to pile up Majors. The phenomenal young talent throughout the tour will possibly often foil even his best efforts. It will be interesting to see his mental fortitude put to the test through frustration. Regardless, the new youth movement is setting tennis up for a fun new era, and no one is better to lead the charge than The Djoker.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Shifting the Power in Pro Tennis
An exciting age is approaching in professional tennis. All time great Roger Federer,28, is nearing that age when tennis players decline. While he is still playing dominant tennis at times, his competition is finally showing they can take him down.
The biggest and most recent example of this is Federer's stunning defeat at the hands of Juan Martin del Potro at the U.S Open. The 21 year old Argentinian, who often makes it look like he is running around with a fly swatter rather than a tennis racket, showed his potential to be a major factor in tennis for years to come. Del Potro simply overpowered both Rafael Nadal and Federer, bludgeoning the ball at obscene angles and speeds not often seen even at the highest of levels. By beating the world's #2 and #1 players in quick succession, del Potro rose to the top 5. It doesn't seem like he will stop there.
Del Potro isn't the only one to make waves though. Nadal has already showed flashes of dominance and temporarily dethroned Federer from the #1 spot. Unfortunately his punishing physical style seems to already have left him with the knees of a 40 year old. Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open and repeatedly made appearances in Grand Slam finals and semifinals. His go for broke approach to the game is high risk high reward. As he gains experience he'll learn to better pick his spots and be even more dangerous than he is now.
Players like these will make tennis intriguing long after old man Federer leaves the game. All it takes is a look at the top 5. No player (other than Federer) is even past the age of 23. Nadal(23), Djokovic(22), Andy Murray(22), and del Potro(21) round out the top 5. The extraordinary youth of these players, combined with their prime skill sets promises a constant struggle for position amongst tennis's elite level players.
The biggest and most recent example of this is Federer's stunning defeat at the hands of Juan Martin del Potro at the U.S Open. The 21 year old Argentinian, who often makes it look like he is running around with a fly swatter rather than a tennis racket, showed his potential to be a major factor in tennis for years to come. Del Potro simply overpowered both Rafael Nadal and Federer, bludgeoning the ball at obscene angles and speeds not often seen even at the highest of levels. By beating the world's #2 and #1 players in quick succession, del Potro rose to the top 5. It doesn't seem like he will stop there.
Del Potro isn't the only one to make waves though. Nadal has already showed flashes of dominance and temporarily dethroned Federer from the #1 spot. Unfortunately his punishing physical style seems to already have left him with the knees of a 40 year old. Novak Djokovic has won the Australian Open and repeatedly made appearances in Grand Slam finals and semifinals. His go for broke approach to the game is high risk high reward. As he gains experience he'll learn to better pick his spots and be even more dangerous than he is now.
Players like these will make tennis intriguing long after old man Federer leaves the game. All it takes is a look at the top 5. No player (other than Federer) is even past the age of 23. Nadal(23), Djokovic(22), Andy Murray(22), and del Potro(21) round out the top 5. The extraordinary youth of these players, combined with their prime skill sets promises a constant struggle for position amongst tennis's elite level players.
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