Tennis Random, Random (On Court)

[ti-amie]

[JazzNU]

It's not just that, the repeated "other sports" as if they are set up even remotely close to tennis has gotten ridiculous from the tennis journalists. What is the PGA Tour doing? That's your comparison. Because those "other sport" are organized leagues in specific countries with teams and the players are employees.

Nothing wrong with rookie orientation, but again, realize that means something very different in tennis than it does in other sports, because again, leagues are a good deal different than how tennis operates.

[ponchi101]

Could be. And Argie's like to stick to their own coaches. Although I do not see much upside to Cerundolo.

I've not seen him play. Can you explain why? Is he a lesser version of Schwartzman?

Taller than Diego, for sure (not a considerable achievement) but very limited game. Not a lot of power, good wheels, not a huge serve. There are 50 like him out there right now.
The power issue is problematic. I believe that if you have not developed power by 16, it is very hard to get it later one (Wozniacki and Aggie were my two main examples).
BTW. I saw him once (the final he won in Argentina). So take that with a grain of salt.

[ti-amie]

Speaking of volleying...

Check the dates.

[dmforever]

In 1970, Court kicked things off by praising South Africa’s apartheid policy (“South Africans have this thing better organised than any other country, particularly America,” she said. “I love South Africa. I’ll go back there any time.”), for which she received very little lasting scrutiny.
============
These quotes of Court in this article is ALL THERE IS on her alleged racist views. And I've seen oh so many times how media quotes out of context, PUSHING THEIR OWN AGENDA. Maybe, just maybe - she "received very little lasting scrutiny" because she wasn't talking about apartheid? Because "this thing" is too generic to rely on. Why this quote is so short? Such short quotes to me is a signal that someone is trying to tamper with the source...

Also - when a writer expresses a displeasure that someone "received very little lasting scrutiny" for a statement rather than an action - to me it is not a good outlook. I'm starting to think that this writer - Russell Jackson - would like a free speech to be applied selectively - it is free for him, but others shall be scrutinized. Isn't it a bit hypocritical?

I'll say it one more time and then I'll quit. You have made zero comment on her repeated extremely homophobic stances. I can only assume that those stances aren't problematic for you.

Kevin

These "homophobic stances" judging by what she actually said I consider as an understandable reaction of highly religious person raised in the 50s society. Not enough to declare that she is a horrible person.

It is also a matter of perspective. I live in Ukraine. The country is in bad shape, to put it mildly. If you stop an average person on the street here and ask - what is their opinion on the unequal treatment of gays and how serious of a problem is it - they will think that you're either imbecile or a pranker. This being a problem does not register on anybody's radar here, because of the severity of other problems.

Thanks for your answer. This will be my last post on this point because frankly I don't think any more discussion will be worth my time.
Her background doesn't make her any less homophobic. It's like saying racist people who are super racist because they were raised in a racist family aren't that bad. That would basically make everyone not that bad because hate is a learned behavior. It isn't the default. Everyone has a reason for their hate. Those reasons aren't a free pass to spout hate.

I'm really sorry about the condition that your country is in right now. I have students from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia and they have all told me stories of what's going on, and I try to read the news as much as possible, so I know a little bit. But of course you and your family, friends, and loved ones are experiencing it first hand. I hope you and they are all OK.

To say that homophobia doesn't register on anyone's radar in Ukraine is grossly incorrect. Ask a lesbian, gay, trans, or non-binary person in Ukraine if homophobia is a problem, even given the current situation, and I'm sure you'll hear an earful. Violence against the LGBTQ community in Eastern Europe, especially now is no laughing matter. (And I'm not singling you out. It's bad in the US too.) The fact that you didn't include them in your answer speaks volumes. They are somebody, even if society in general doesn't consider them to be, or considers them less.

You didn't say that Court's racist comments didn't matter because of the era that she was raised, or because Ukraine has too many other problems to be worried about racism. You treated the two really differently.

I don't know if you can see my position, but I"ll try to make it very personal and clear. What Court has said about LGBTQ issues matters. Of course, she has no direct affect on me. I live in the US. But her ideas do directly affect me. I have only been able to have the family of my choice since 2013. That's less than 10 years. And there are people here, even people on the Supreme Court, who think that I shouldn't have that right. That I shouldn't be able to give power of attorney to my spouse if I were in an accident. That my spouse shouldn't be able to get health care through my job. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Please consider the fact that there are many many things that you take for granted (being able to hold hands and kiss in public without violence or harassment, being able to get married and all the attendant rights that come with that, being able to have a picture of your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend at work without fear of getting fired, or harassed, being able to look or dress or talk or walk in a way that doesn't provoke violence against yourself) that the LGBTQ community does not. We know how easily these things can be taken away if we have them, or how much we need to fight for them if we don't. So for us, her words matter.

She has had decades to talk to people in the LGBTQ community, to read, to watch videos, to educate herself. As someone else said, she has chosen to triple down. She has chosen to hate. This should be enough to get her name removed from the Australian Open.

I apologize to everyone here in advance. We all come here for tennis mostly. I get it. I know this is kind of a diatribe, but I sort of just feel like I need to speak up. Otherwise, my silence feels like complicity.

Kevin

[ti-amie]

I'll say it one more time and then I'll quit. You have made zero comment on her repeated extremely homophobic stances. I can only assume that those stances aren't problematic for you.

Kevin

These "homophobic stances" judging by what she actually said I consider as an understandable reaction of highly religious person raised in the 50s society. Not enough to declare that she is a horrible person.

It is also a matter of perspective. I live in Ukraine. The country is in bad shape, to put it mildly. If you stop an average person on the street here and ask - what is their opinion on the unequal treatment of gays and how serious of a problem is it - they will think that you're either imbecile or a pranker. This being a problem does not register on anybody's radar here, because of the severity of other problems.

Thanks for your answer. This will be my last post on this point because frankly I don't think any more discussion will be worth my time.
Her background doesn't make her any less homophobic. It's like saying racist people who are super racist because they were raised in a racist family aren't that bad. That would basically make everyone not that bad because hate is a learned behavior. It isn't the default. Everyone has a reason for their hate. Those reasons aren't a free pass to spout hate.

I'm really sorry about the condition that your country is in right now. I have students from Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia and they have all told me stories of what's going on, and I try to read the news as much as possible, so I know a little bit. But of course you and your family, friends, and loved ones are experiencing it first hand. I hope you and they are all OK.

To say that homophobia doesn't register on anyone's radar in Ukraine is grossly incorrect. Ask a lesbian, gay, trans, or non-binary person in Ukraine if homophobia is a problem, even given the current situation, and I'm sure you'll hear an earful. Violence against the LGBTQ community in Eastern Europe, especially now is no laughing matter. (And I'm not singling you out. It's bad in the US too.) The fact that you didn't include them in your answer speaks volumes. They are somebody, even if society in general doesn't consider them to be, or considers them less.

You didn't say that Court's racist comments didn't matter because of the era that she was raised, or because Ukraine has too many other problems to be worried about racism. You treated the two really differently.

I don't know if you can see my position, but I"ll try to make it very personal and clear. What Court has said about LGBTQ issues matters. Of course, she has no direct affect on me. I live in the US. But her ideas do directly affect me. I have only been able to have the family of my choice since 2013. That's less than 10 years. And there are people here, even people on the Supreme Court, who think that I shouldn't have that right. That I shouldn't be able to give power of attorney to my spouse if I were in an accident. That my spouse shouldn't be able to get health care through my job. I could go on, but I think you get the picture. Please consider the fact that there are many many things that you take for granted (being able to hold hands and kiss in public without violence or harassment, being able to get married and all the attendant rights that come with that, being able to have a picture of your spouse/girlfriend/boyfriend at work without fear of getting fired, or harassed, being able to look or dress or talk or walk in a way that doesn't provoke violence against yourself) that the LGBTQ community does not. We know how easily these things can be taken away if we have them, or how much we need to fight for them if we don't. So for us, her words matter.

She has had decades to talk to people in the LGBTQ community, to read, to watch videos, to educate herself. As someone else said, she has chosen to triple down. She has chosen to hate. This should be enough to get her name removed from the Australian Open.

I apologize to everyone here in advance. We all come here for tennis mostly. I get it. I know this is kind of a diatribe, but I sort of just feel like I need to speak up. Otherwise, my silence feels like complicity.

Kevin

Thank you for this Kevin.

[ponchi101]

Thanks to all, and I do mean it. As is very frequent, some conversations at TAT really make you think.
I only wish it could be done in person. So many interesting questions to ask.

[ti-amie]

Raw, Real and Reilly – Meet the No. 1 Player in America: Badass Reilly Opelka
October 5, 2021


US Open

Bill Simons

Reilly Opelka is big: 7 feet tall. He’s brash. He serves up thunderous blasts and unvarnished “I’ll do it my way” commentaries. Yet this massive warrior is also into fashion and the works of trendy artists many of us peasants haven’t even heard of.

His hair has the wild, “chaos is beautiful” look of a rock ‘n’ roll roadie, and he’s happy that people don’t like it. While he adores a tennis icon, John McEnroe, whom some dismiss, he hates a tourney, Indian Wells, that many love. He says he won’t name names, but then he sort of does. Ranked No. 19, he’s the top American male tennis player, but he doesn’t think American men have much of a chance to be the best. And, oh, yes, he says the tennis media suck.

Other than that, he’s just your typical 7-foot-tall, 24-year-old white multimillionaire who’s inspired by a black female legend, digs Rome, Tokyo and the streets of Manhattan, and doesn’t give a s–t what you think.

Italian Fabio Fognini says Opelka’s game is boring. But the Michigan native, who has long lived in Florida, may well be the most intriguing top-20 star to emerge out of the ATP since Nick Kyrgios. He’s real, raw, very salty and eminently likeable. Here’s our conversation:

In your press conferences you’re so bright, so present and quite the badass. Where does all that come from?

I’ve been fortunate to be around some good tennis minds and good quality people my whole life: Tom Gullickson, Jay Berger, Jim Loehr, and Venus – who has one of the best perspectives on life from a player. I’ve been super lucky. I met Gullickson at eight – I hadn’t even played yet. If I hadn’t met Gully, I wouldn’t have met Berger. If I hadn’t met Jay, I wouldn’t have met Loehr. If I was not on tour, I wouldn’t hang out with Venus or learn from John Isner.

Jim Loehr, the mental fitness pioneer, is unique. What’s the one take-away from him?

Complex guy. It’s crazy, I can explain things to him and he already knows. He fills them in before I even say them. It’s nuts. He’s worked with so many great people. He has a great perspective on how small tennis is in the big scheme of things. He has a good outlook on balance, and what really matters. He’s dealt with Navy Seals who have seen their best friend step on a landmine. Those are traumatic events – not just hitting a yellow ball and missing a lot.

The Laver Cup was a wakeup call. Can American men possibly emerge and get to the very top pretty soon?

No. No, I don’t think we can.

Is it that Europe is just…?

The Russians. The Russians – they are here to stay and they are here to dominate for a while.

You guys are working your asses off, but you know the European and US stats. Why is there such a disparity?

We are only a handful of guys. It’s just a much smaller sample size. In Europe it’s either soccer or tennis. In the US it’s either football, baseball or basketball. Soccer is bigger than tennis in the US, lacrosse is bigger. The best athletes in the world are American. But they just play basketball and football. And why not? I wish I played basketball. I think I’m a great athlete, my body moves well for a 7-footer. If I was a mediocre basketball player, a top 20 NBA player, I’d be making $28 million a year. Instead I’m grinding, traveling the world and making much less. I could stay at home, cash checks for 12 years. If you are the eighth man on the Bulls, you are making more than the guy who’s No. 8 in the world [in tennis].

You said Seb Korda and Jenson Brooksby would be our future champs.

The young guys are better than us, if I’m being honest. Korda is a hell of a player…Brooksby is brutal…He’s going to be a big second-week guy. [Brandon] Nakashima is as pure of a ball-striker as there is. The young guys are going to be the guys to beat, from the American standpoint…Korda’s dad was a great player – no offense to Seb but it’s hard not to be great. He grew up with a great tennis mind and he’s a nice kid. He’s got a nice build, a nice modern-day tennis frame…[But] I’d invest in Brooksby. He’s special, and could be No. 1. His mind works so differently. He’s got this game plan, he sees things so well and is so tricky. Behind the baseline he reminds me of Djokovic. He’s got great depth, is a great ball striker, a great mover, good size and intangibles. He’s got this X-factor, his mindset, that could make him a future Grand Slam champion.

You said the tennis media sucks.

These guys are terrible – there are some bad journalists. You have some guys that just criticize. They look to be super negative. Guys that know nothing about tennis. I think we have the worst media of any sport, quite frankly.

Do you think there are reporters who do have an understanding, who work hard to tell the story of the game and bring personalities alive?

I’m sure there are, but none of the ones that interview me or none of the ones that I’ve done pressers [with]. I’m in the finals of Toronto and these guys are asking me, “What’s wrong with American tennis? Why aren’t there any American players in the top 30?” The same in Rome: I’m in the semis and they are finding the negative. I’m 23 and playing Rafa. Things are quite all right. I’m in the finals of Toronto and we are going to talk about how Americans don’t win Slams?

They take subtle shots at John Isner. I’m like, “Why?” He’s been top 20 for 10 years in a row. We have a journalist saying, “Mixed-doubles is not in the French Open this year. That’s what makes a Slam a Slam.” Like, really? Is that a joke? There shouldn’t even be mixed doubles. They should get rid of it completely. It doesn’t sell a ticket. No one cares about it, no one watches or wants it to be there. Just get rid of it and throw all that money into the women’s and men’s qualifying. Take care of your people that actually have potential to sell tickets. It just shocks me. The media is awful in our sport. It holds our sport back, it really does.

John McEnroe recently said that Americans fans were spoiled by generations of great players who actually won Slams. Do fans just want winners and don’t appreciate lower ranked players?

Enjoy what you got – the guys that are here. Why criticize them so much? Don’t compare us to Sampras and Agassi. Just enjoy us, support us. You don’t even know the first thing about me. There are so many negative people out there. I could name names but I don’t want to. [Actually] I do want to name names because I do want to call them out, but at the same time I don’t even want them to know that I give a s–t about them because they have no say in my life. [He then names three of America’s most prominent tennis writers, but asks me not to use their names. But then he continued.]

I will say one name. Chris Fowler tweeted about Carlos Alcaraz, the youngest man to make a Slam quarterfinal. He tweeted, “What a shame that he threw in the towel, hope that this isn’t a pattern.” That was pathetic.

But Alcaraz is just 18, he plays in the shadow of Rafa and he was balling in New York and had a great run.

I tweeted back at Fowler saying, “After everything Carlos showed us this week, you’re really going to question his courage?” That’s one take that’s terrible. This guy is on ESPN, he does college football, he shouldn’t work another tennis match. It hurts the sport because ESPN has a lot of guys who are following football or don’t know Carlos Alcaraz…and don’t know anything about tennis and they’re like, “This young kid just completely just walked off the court, what an idiot, what a jackass.” That just can’t happen. If I’m commissioner of tennis, that’s one offense too much.

There are some problematic media people, but there are plenty who are trying to do the work and staying up till 1:30 AM to file their stuff…

Totally, yeah – I know there are, but with that same logic they wrote me into the same American negative narrative. Not ripping you, but people were so sensitive about it. It’s like if you’re not willing to take it, don’t dish it out. I’m not just going to sit up on the podium and be a punching bag. Find something other than Sampras and Agassi, like, get over it. Quit blowing on that s–t. It’s over. Times have changed. It is 2021, we are not in the eighties and nineties, move on.

What about your core generation, Frances Tiafoe, Tommy Paul and Taylor Fritz – fresh energy, working hard?

We’re all friends, no bad blood. We’re not the next Agassi, Sampras or Courier. Do you know how many times I’ve been asked that? Can I finally say, ’I don’t know and I don’t f–king care.” All I know is that I like Frances, Tommy and Fritz. We have fun and travel the world. Frances came from Sierra Leone and has done an incredible job…Tommy Paul’s from Greenville, North Carolina. He didn’t come from money, he didn’t have a coach. His mom saved up money, traveled to every tournament, no matter how far. Same thing for me. I’m not from much money. I have two great parents. They gave me every resource and went into debt. We came from nothing. It’s all perspective.

Does it bring you pride that as such a big man you are bringing athleticism, movement and stroke production to the game?

I take some pride in it. I take pride in winning matches and being the best I can be. I don’t care how I win, I don’t care if it’s ugly, I don’t care if a tennis journalist wants to criticize it and say I have no return of serve. If I hold serve 95% of the time I’m going to be top 8 in the world. I’m one of the best athletes in the world. I’m going to be making 8 to 10 million dollars, and I won’t give a s–t about what anyone else thinks.

There’s a long history of guys with long hair – Borg, Agassi, Federer, Hewitt, Blake – cutting their locks. Is your hair a statement?

It’s just different, it’s just a switch up. It’s like a punk look. It’s long, it’s different, it’s crazy, it’s curly. I like it. And I like that people don’t like it.

Many tennis players have been into art. Vitas Gerulaitis, Wojciech Fibak, Ivan Lendl, Milos Raonic and even John McEnroe.


ATP

McEnroe’s made more money off of one painting than he did in his career earnings. He has plenty of paintings like that. We’re talking serious art: Andy Warhol, Basquiat, and he has four Philip Gustons, who is my favorite artist. That’s pretty wild. He’s a really sweet guy. I’ve always gotten along well with guys like McEnroe because it’s impossible to have a problem with them because he tells you everything he’s feeling. He just shoots straight and tells me how it is. And on top of that there are not many people that have four Philip Guston paintings, Basquiat, Picassos, and Warhols and lived through the 70s and 80s era of rock and roll and tennis. People just think of him as mentally crazy, a hothead New York guy….[But] he was incredibly, incredibly optimistic at Laver Cup. He’s misunderstood…He’s a genius. He’s brilliant and cultured. He’s a rock star.

You’ve broken into the top 20. Now what do you want to do in the sport?

My dream is to win a Slam.

Next up is the great Indian Wells.

It’s my least favorite tournament. You have 128 girls, 128 men. It’s a beautiful event. They want to pay more than any other tournament. They do everything they can. It’s just that every brand needs to do a photoshoot and you don’t have time to practice. They’re four- or five-hour photo shoots and you’re completely tired. Tennis is secondary. I hate it.

Stefanos Tsitsipas was criticized heavily by Zverev in Cincy and by Murray in New York for gamesmanship, for taking long breaks that they claimed changed the momentum.

I took long bathroom breaks in Toronto and got criticized, but, again, they don’t even know the situation. Again, that’s why the tennis media sucks. They don’t even know. It took me six minutes to walk to a bathroom. It takes me three to four minutes to take off my sweaty socks and put dry socks on, change out my orthotics to a different pair of shoes and then re-tie those shoes. At the US Open, I changed against Basilashvili super quick in two minutes and he was complaining and I was like, “Dude, what do you want me to do?’ Like who the f–k are you to complain? You’re just complaining because Murray complained and it’s the cool thing to do now.”

Part of me is salty, but there’s truth to both sides. If he’s taking a bathroom break and he’s not changing then there is no excuse.

A career is made up of decisions. What’s the best decision you’ve made?

The best was to leave [the USTA national training center in] Orlando and start doing things independently. Working with Jay Berger, paying more of my own bills, because I was having the USTA coach me. Then I was spending my own money, so you want to make the most of it, make sure you get the right guy. You don’t want to take any shortcuts. You just become a professional a lot quicker and my only regret is not doing that earlier. That’s not a dig on the USTA. If it weren’t for them I wouldn’t have even been in that position.

Few ATP guys are inspired by WTA players. You’ve spoken glowingly about Venus.

She’s an absolute badass. I learned more from her than any other active player. She’s brilliant – a fierce competitor. She works extremely differently than anyone else. The great ones think differently. And she’s hilarious – she has a great sense of humor. I enjoy being around her and learning from her.

She seems to be in her own dimension. How does her mind work?

She’s insanely competitive – as fierce as there’s ever been. Absolutely cannot tolerate losing – it makes her sick to think about it. She doesn’t even reflect on her wins. She stays in the moment. If it weren’t for Serena she’d be the greatest woman player of all time. Then again, there’s no Serena without Venus. So you almost have to give it to them both.

http://www.insidetennis.com/2021/10/raw ... ly-opelka/

[ti-amie]

[ti-amie]

[Fastbackss]

A lot to digest from that Opelka interview. Appreciate his candor.

One thing I think will get lost was his comments on the usta - I think that ties through to the beginning of the program on why US is behind

[ponchi101]

Indeed interesting, and a lot to talk about.
For example: Don't compare us to Sampras and Agassi. Then, who do we compare you too? Henman? Goran?
Every single french player gets compared to Noah (which is not that tough a comparison). Every Aussie is compared to the Great Generation. It is just part of the game, If you are an American, you get compared to Sampras, Agassi, Connors, Mac, etc. That's the deal when you come from a country with such history.
Ask any Argentinean soccer player. They do not get compared with Messi only. They immediately get compared with Maradona.

[meganfernandez]

Indeed interesting, and a lot to talk about.
For example: Don't compare us to Sampras and Agassi. Then, who do we compare you too? Henman? Goran?
Every single french player gets compared to Noah (which is not that tough a comparison). Every Aussie is compared to the Great Generation. It is just part of the game, If you are an American, you get compared to Sampras, Agassi, Connors, Mac, etc. That's the deal when you come from a country with such history.
Ask any Argentinean soccer player. They do not get compared with Messi only. They immediately get compared with Maradona.

I think he doesn't see the point in comparisons. His energy would be better spent ignoring this stuff if he doesn't like it. It's a normal part of spectator sports.

I didn't want to like him or this story, but I do, both. I like his candor, which doesn't come with a giant side of cluelessness. Although the harsh words about criticism, and his distaste for it, are quite ironic. One thing that's unsaid is that journalists don't get much time with these athletes. Very little access. So it's not all their fault that they aren't finding other stories and angles.

Wish they should have unpacked his friendship with Venus a lot more.

Why is it so surprising to discover an athlete is aware of and appreciates culture? That kind of gawking is lame to me.

[ti-amie]

[ponchi101]

...

I think he doesn't see the point in comparisons. His energy would be better spent ignoring this stuff if he doesn't like it. It's a normal part of spectator sports.

I didn't want to like him or this story, but I do, both. I like his candor, which doesn't come with a giant side of cluelessness. Although the harsh words about criticism, and his distaste for it, are quite ironic. One thing that's unsaid is that journalists don't get much time with these athletes. Very little access. So it's not all their fault that they aren't finding other stories and angles.

Wish they should have unpacked his friendship with Venus a lot more.

Why is it so surprising to discover an athlete is aware of and appreciates culture? That kind of gawking is lame to me.

Lendl was into collecting art. Wojtek Fibak too.
I like Reilly. I believe he is a bit off key about the media, but hey, minor detail.