When danger lurks across the net

July 2, 2015

Disturbing story on the front page of The New York Times’ July 1 edition about the stalkers whom female tennis players face, among them a guy after No. 3-ranked Simona Halep – I see no reason to give him publicity here by naming him – who became increasingly hostile after seeing a rumor that she was to marry.

It was interesting to read the accompanying comments, which as usual were all over the place, with some pointing out that male players also have crazy fans, that these women are better protected than the average woman, etc. ...

Roger Federer and Selfie Nation

May 25, 2015

The French Open isn’t even one day old and we’ve already had our first international incident. A kid tried to take a selfie with Roger Federer after his first-round win against Alejandro Falla, and Feddy Bear – a traditionalist if there ever was one – was not amused:

“I’m not happy about it, not for one second am I happy about it….All of a sudden, he was next to me. I didn’t know who he was. He tried to take a picture and nobody’s reacting, and I realize it’s just some guy out of the crowd….It happened yesterday (Saturday) in practice, too. It was just a kid but then three or four kids came….And today on center court where you would think this is a place where nobody can come on, he just wanders on and nothing happens….

“Normally, I only speak on behalf of myself, but in this situation I think I can speak on behalf of all the players, because (the court) is where you do your job. It’s where you feel safe so clearly I’m not happy about it, but nothing happened so I’m relieved but it wasn’t a very nice situation to be in.”

Fed said that while he was appreciative of the apology he received from French Open officials, who nonetheless insisted there was nothing wrong with their security procedures, he expects them in effect to walk the walk. ...

Nick Bollettieri’s new book, “Changing the Game”, is dedicated to Arthur Ashe and Billie Jean King. “Most people build buildings. They tore down barriers.”

Nick (Bollettieri) of time

April 5, 2014

There are teachers and then there are teachers – Aristotle, who taught Alexander the Great; Annie Sullivan, who unlocked the brilliance of Helen Keller; Jelena Gencic, who taught Novak Djokovic poetry and classical music along with groundstrokes.

Nick Bollettieri is a teacher. Watch him talking to kids who’ve been practicing tennis on one of the 10 indoor courts in the gorgeous new Lifetime Athletic in White Plains, N.Y. He doesn’t just autograph his new book, “Changing the Game” (New Chapter Publisher, 319 pages, $26.95), for them. He takes the time to explain the fine points of the game – their game. And the kids, hardly bigger than the tennis bags they are carrying, really listen.

Even his inscription in my copy is a teacher’s admonition: “You have studied the game. But remember it’s people that you must know in order to give more precise information.”

To Nick, that’s what makes a great coach – the ability to know the individual student to help him become the most he can be.

Nick grew up in Pelham, N.Y., playing football and thinking tennis was a sissy’s game. But then an uncle who belonged to the New Rochelle Tennis Club invited him to join him there and, well, football’s loss was tennis’ gain.

Nick has coached 10 world No. 1s, including the Williams sisters, Maria Sharapova, Andre Agassi and Monica Seles. It was Seles who surprised him at Madison Square Garden on World Tennis Day March 3 to introduce him as one of this summer’s inductees into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

I’m smart enough not to ask who his favorite is and instead ask who is the best he ever coached. He answers the question by turning it around.

Nole + Andy = Love at the Garden

March 4, 2014

World Tennis Day – which was celebrated March 3 with marquee matchups of past and present stars around the globe – featured something that Andy Murray said we were not likely to see again. He and Novak Djokovic squared off in the “BNP Paribas Showdown,” an exhibition that reminded us what makes tennis and friendship so great.

A tennis exo – as exhibitions are sometimes called – is a bit like a rock concert mixed with a boxing match. There’s smoke (no mirrors). There are lighting effects and an irresistible beat. There’s an announcer who pronounces everyone’s name dramatically.