Quantcast
nodot nodot
Pro Tennis Showcase
June 21, 2011

Subscribe to Match Reports

Pro Tennis Showcase Archive

Player Profile Index (Men)
Player Profile Index (Women)

Contact Tennis Server

Tennis Server
HOME PAGE

Do You Want To Be A Better Tennis Player?

Then Sign Up For A Free Subscription to the Tennis Server INTERACTIVE
E-mail Newsletter!

Tom Veneziano You will join 13,000 other subscribers in receiving news of updates to the Tennis Server along with monthly tennis tips from tennis pro Tom Veneziano.
 
Best of all, it is free!

Tennis Features Icon TENNIS FEATURES:

TENNIS ANYONE? - USPTA Pro John Mills' quick player tip.
 
TENNIS WARRIOR - Tom Veneziano's Tennis Warrior archive.
 
TURBO TENNIS - Ron Waite turbocharges your tennis game with tennis tips, strategic considerations, training and practice regimens, and mental mindsets and exercises.
 
WILD CARDS - Each month a guest column by a new writer.
 
BETWEEN THE LINES - Ray Bowers takes an analytical and sometimes controversial look at the ATP/WTA professional tour.
 
PRO TENNIS SHOWCASE - Tennis match reports and photography from around the world.
 
TENNIS SET - Jani Macari Pallis, Ph.D. looks at tennis science, engineering and technology.
 
MORTAL TENNIS - Greg Moran's tennis archive on how regular humans can play better tennis.
 
HARDSCRABBLE SCRAMBLE - USPTA pro Mike Whittington's player tip archive.
 
TENNIS EQUIPMENT TIPS.

Tennis Community Icon TENNIS COMMUNITY:


Tennis Book, DVD, and Video Index
 
Tennis Server Match Reports
 
Editor's Letter
 
Become a Tennis Server Sponsor

Explore The Tennis Net Icon EXPLORE THE TENNIS NET:

Tennis News and Live Tennis Scores
 
Tennis Links on the Web
 
nodot
Pro Tennis Showcase Banner
 
Green Dot
 
Tennis Warehouse Logo
 
Green Dot

 
nodot
Wimbledon 2011, London, England, UK
June 21, 2011
Editorial by Jane Voigt.


 

Jane Voigt Photo
Jane Voigt

Tradition
 
June 21, 2011 -- Getting to know a tennis star, like any other sport's star, is difficult.
 
We can ascertain what they might be like at a dinner table, walk in the park, or during a family gathering from what we see in the media. But the fact is we really don't know them.
 
We can't interact with them off the courts except through peripheral exchanges like a YouTube video, or glossy magazine article, or in a TV commercial. Roger Federer's Rolex ads display grace and good looks. Rafael Nadal's Armani underwear ads make women swoon. A Tag Heuer wristwatch never looked better than on Maria Sharapova's wrist.
 
But little essence of their true character is revealed through our gazes. Instead we integrate tennis stars into our worlds through imagination. Maybe you were lucky enough to find a pair of Sharapova signature flats from Cole Haan in that new hot tangerine color. You look down and think ... Maria. She might have a pair just like them, which could mean you and Marie share the same great taste in shoes. It's a tiny window to intimacy.
 
So today's emotional outpouring from Serena Williams, after her first round win on Centre Court Wimbledon, the last major she played before her year-long hiatus, threw the door wide open for fans. They experienced a normally controlled environment, which is Serena Williams. Her spontaneous tears came as a surprise to her, to the thousands witnessing them, and to the press.
 
"I usually don't cry," she told the BBC immediately after she left the court. "It's been so hard. I didn't expect to play. I never cry with joy for anything."
 
Wow! Serena came to life amidst tears and admissions. She let the air out. She did it in front of the world.
 
And we needed to see that after such a long break away from tennis and so much confusion from what actually happened with her foot a year ago, and then her serious stomach problems with blood clots. Operations. More operations. Walking in a boot. Being on the brink of death, as she told the press recently.
 
Serena has said she has heart. That she loves playing and winning. She also has displayed some downright rage. No one has forgotten the rant pointed directly at the poor Asian lineswoman at the U. S. Open a couple years back.
 
But today at Wimbledon, Serena helped herself overcome the strain of those months of surgeries and hospital visits that probably have been tucked far away from public view. Bets are she sleeps well tonight. Bets are she will have more fans tomorrow. Why? We know her better. She's like us -- she cries for release. Common ground builds relationships.
 
Yesterday on Radio Wimbledon, Nick Bollettieri, the guru of tennis academies world wide, said, "We need some characters [in tennis], a little bit more zippy zappy with players."
 
Serena Williams wasn't 'zippy zappy' today, but she was perfectly marvelous in her authenticity. It was a lovely way to introduce the 'Midsummer's Day,' the longest of the year -- a refreshing transformation of one tennis star.
 
And what about Mrs. Mirka Federer taking a snapshot of her husband shaking hands with Mikhail Kukushkin, after Roger's first round victory? These two have been smitten with each other ever since they met, or so the story goes. They have a set of twin daughters, which will be two at the end of July.
 
The picture taking, though, showed us that their love endures. That they feel what we feel toward our spouses, children, and family.
 
Our desire to reel in real tennis stars has become more difficult, in part, because of tennis's growth and the business of sports. Top-level players travel with entourages. Their courtside boxes are chuck full of coaches, physios, managers, public relations experts, administrative staff, plus family and friends. They provide protection from the outside and safety from the inside.
 
Responses from players in press conferences have become dull, to some extent, too. They have morphed into politicians through talking points. If a reporter asks about that, we'll answer this.
 
Some of this professional polish serves a purpose. Players don't want to cross the line between their profession and the public. They love fans and sincerely thank them after a win. However, the amount of familiarity is controlled.
 
To relate on another level calls for loss of control. That's what happened with Serena today. Bravo! Welcome back. Her victory over Aravane Rezai was her 200th Grand Slam win. Williams is now 44-0 in first-round matches at a major tournament. Let The Championships roll on.
 

 

Earlier Columns from this Event:
 
June 20, 2011 Wimbledon: Tradition
 

Green DotGreen DotGreen Dot

Player Profile Index (Men) | Pro Tennis Showcase Archive | Player Profile Index (Women)

SUBSCRIBE TO THE TENNIS SERVER PHOTO FEED

join our mailing list
* indicates required

All Tennis Server photography is copyrighted by the photographer and/or the Tennis Server, and all rights are reserved. You may not copy these images without permission. While you are welcome to create hyperlinks to Tennis Server web pages, you may not embed these images into other web pages or blogs without permission. To request permission, please use this contact form. Please be sure to clearly indicate exactly which photograph(s) you are requesting permission to use, as terms and conditions will vary depending on the photographer and the photograph.


 

nodot
nodot
Google
Web tennisserver.com
nodot nodot
The Tennis Server
Ticket Exchange

Your Source for tickets to professional tennis & golf events.
 
SAI Team Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
Dallas Open Tickets
 
Delray Beach Open Tickets
 
ATX Open Tickets
 
BNP Paribas Open Tickets
 
Miami Open Tickets
 
Credit One Charleston Open Tickets
 
US Men's Clay Court Championships Tickets
 
Wimbledon Tickets
 
Infosys Hall of Fame Open Tickets
 
Atlanta Open Tickets
 
Mubadala Citi Open Tennis Tournament Tickets
 
National Bank Open Women's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
National Bank Open Men's Tennis Canada Tickets
 
Western & Southern Open Tickets
 
Winston-Salem Open Tickets
 
US Open Tennis Championship Tickets
 

 

Popular Tennis books:
 
Winning Ugly: Mental Warfare in Tennis-Lessons from a Master by Brad Gilbert, Steve Jamison
 
The Best Tennis of Your Life: 50 Mental Strategies for Fearless Performance by Jeff Greenwald
 
The Inner Game of Tennis by W. Timothy Gallwey
 
Most Recent Articles:
 
October 2022 Tennis Anyone: Patterns in Doubles by John Mills.
 
September 2022 Tennis Anyone: Short Court by John Mills.
 

 

 

 

"Tennis Server" is a registered trademark and "Tennis Server INTERACTIVE" is a trademark of Tennis Server. All original material and graphics on the Tennis Server are copyrighted 1994 - by Tennis Server and its sponsors and contributors. Please do not reproduce without permission.

The Tennis Server receives a commission on all items sold through links to Amazon.com.

 

Tennis Server
Cliff Kurtzman
Editor-in-chief
791 Price Street #144
Pismo Beach, CA 93449
Phone: (281) 480-6300
Online Contact Form
How to support Tennis Server as a Sponsor/Advertiser
Tennis Server Privacy Policy