Re: Serena's retirement & Related

[Canucklehead]

When I heard she was going to retire possibly after the US Open event, I thought this could not be a better scenario set for her. The place that started her Slam career back in 1999 could be where she steps aside from the game that she has become the greatest women's player ever. I cannot even imagine how electric every one of her matches will be when she steps on the court every time at the US Open. She has given so much to the game of tennis and I hope the US Open gives her the send off she deserves.

Question is, when do the stars show up to watch? When does Beyonce put it on her schedule? Every match?

I've never been a fan of favoritism, but having her play anywhere other than Ashe would be improper planning. And is should be the last match of either session, giving the tournament time to hold a ceremony and not affect other players.

She will play every match on Ashe. As far as a ceremony. I bet she will be part of the planning. She might not want it right after a loss. After the last match could be too late, if it turns out to be midnight. I think they would rather make the second match of the session wait for her.

I wonder if they would name a stadium after her, but only Grandstand is available, and I'm not sure she would want the third-largest stadium. Maybe they wait for a new arena years from now

That is a great question. I wouldn't wait if I were the stars. I would want to see every point she plays.

[ponchi101]

No stadia named after Evert or Navs. Not even in the men's, with no Stadium named after Sampras, Connors, Agassi or Mac.
And the USO likes to name its stadia after the sponsors, after they de$$$$$$$$erve it.

[Canucklehead]

No stadia named after Evert or Navs. Not even in the men's, with no Stadium named after Sampras, Connors, Agassi or Mac.
And the USO likes to name its stadia after the sponsors, after they de$$$$$$$$erve it.

But isn't there an Arthur Ashe Stadium?

[Deuce]

No stadia named after Evert or Navs. Not even in the men's, with no Stadium named after Sampras, Connors, Agassi or Mac.
And the USO likes to name its stadia after the sponsors, after they de$$$$$$$$erve it.

But isn't there an Arthur Ashe Stadium?

It was named only after Ashe died.

[meganfernandez]

No stadia named after Evert or Navs. Not even in the men's, with no Stadium named after Sampras, Connors, Agassi or Mac.
And the USO likes to name its stadia after the sponsors, after they de$$$$$$$$erve it.

I could see some clamoring for renaming Louis Armstrong, who wasn't even a tennis player, for Serena. I know Armstrong lived nearby, but still... I think Serena deserves a stadium more than anyone, even Martina and Chris, for breaking barriers and setting the Open Era Slam record.

[ponchi101]

The one stadium that is named, and the entire complex, are named after players that transcended tennis. If they were because of tennis achievements (ala Rod Laver at Melbourne) they would be the Sampras Stadium, and, in this case yes, the Serena Williams NTC, as they are the winningest Americans ever.
And everybody agrees that the current names are more than appropriate.
Changing Louis Armstrong? Don't know, it has so much tradition behind it.

[Canucklehead]

No stadia named after Evert or Navs. Not even in the men's, with no Stadium named after Sampras, Connors, Agassi or Mac.
And the USO likes to name its stadia after the sponsors, after they de$$$$$$$$erve it.

But isn't there an Arthur Ashe Stadium?

It was named only after Ashe died.

Yes, I would hope that isn't the criteria for getting a Stadium at the US Open named after you.

[Deuce]

But isn't there an Arthur Ashe Stadium?

It was named only after Ashe died.

Yes, I would hope that isn't the criteria for getting a Stadium at the US Open named after you.

Perhaps it is the criteria.
If so, it is done to honour the person and to keep their achievements and memory alive. And that's fine with me.

Connors was reportedly upset when they named the stadium after Ashe instead of after him. He and Ashe were not good friends, and Connors has been known to be an obnoxious ass.
If it's true that he was upset that the stadium was named after Ashe instead of him, the perfect response would have been "Ok, Jimmy... we'll name a stadium after you. But we'll have to kill you first."

[Canucklehead]

It was named only after Ashe died.

Yes, I would hope that isn't the criteria for getting a Stadium at the US Open named after you.

Perhaps it is the criteria.
If so, it is done to honour the person and to keep their achievements and memory alive. And that's fine with me.

Connors was reportedly upset when they named the stadium after Ashe instead of after him. He and Ashe were not good friends, and Connors has been known to be an obnoxious ass.
If it's true that he was upset that the stadium was named after Ashe instead of him, the perfect response would have been "Ok, Jimmy... we'll name a stadium after you. But we'll have to kill you first."

I have also heard that both Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe are not the greatest of friends, and wouldn't that be something if they named a stadium after John McEnroe before Jimmy Connors? He would never show up there again.

[ponchi101]

Uhm, the thing about Connors and Mac not being friends was a bit more complicated.
During the 1984 DC Cup final in Malmo, Connors arrived and found out that he was in the suite next to Mac. He demanded to be moved to ANOTHER HOTEL; Ashe convinced him to be moved to a DIFFERENT floor, but to say that Connors was difficult is being too kind to him.
But.
On one occasion, they were playing. Some fan in the crowd said a couple of things to Mac, who, obviously, lathered him with some choice expletives.
After which, in the words of Mac, the fan "stood up, and UP, AND UP". Mac, telling the story, said he was sure he was going to be pureed in front of everybody. Next thing he knew, Connors had run to his side, wrapped his arm around his shoulders, and said "let's calm down here or this will get ugly, because that guy can beat the out of both of us".
Connors was a very odd player. When you were on court, he hated you. But then he had a good relationship with the likes of Borg and Nastase, Vilas and Mac. Vitas does not count because he was everybody0s friend.
The one player he really hated was Lendl. And that was well documented.

[Canucklehead]

Uhm, the thing about Connors and Mac not being friends was a bit more complicated.
During the 1984 DC Cup final in Malmo, Connors arrived and found out that he was in the suite next to Mac. He demanded to be moved to ANOTHER HOTEL; Ashe convinced him to be moved to a DIFFERENT floor, but to say that Connors was difficult is being too kind to him.
But.
On one occasion, they were playing. Some fan in the crowd said a couple of things to Mac, who, obviously, lathered him with some choice expletives.
After which, in the words of Mac, the fan "stood up, and UP, AND UP". Mac, telling the story, said he was sure he was going to be pureed in front of everybody. Next thing he knew, Connors had run to his side, wrapped his arm around his shoulders, and said "let's calm down here or this will get ugly, because that guy can beat the out of both of us".
Connors was a very odd player. When you were on court, he hated you. But then he had a good relationship with the likes of Borg and Nastase, Vilas and Mac. Vitas does not count because he was everybody0s friend.
The one player he really hated was Lendl. And that was well documented.

I remember watching videos of Connors matches at the US Open where he would have the fans in a frenzy. He seemed to feed off of it. These videos were late in his career.

[ponchi101]

Connors at the USO gave it all. All the good (the 91 match against Pat McEnroe), the ugly (the Corrado Barazutti match in 1977), and the bad (his behavior after losing the 77 final to Vilas). But he was never boring, if you could stomach the boorish.

[ashkor87]

I always felt it was good she didn't get #24, there should always be something incomplete, makes it more human...like Bradman scoring zero in his last innings (cricket fans will know..)..Tendulkar never scoring a century at Lord's...

[meganfernandez]

The one stadium that is named, and the entire complex, are named after players that transcended tennis. If they were because of tennis achievements (ala Rod Laver at Melbourne) they would be the Sampras Stadium, and, in this case yes, the Serena Williams NTC, as they are the winningest Americans ever.
And everybody agrees that the current names are more than appropriate.
Changing Louis Armstrong? Don't know, it has so much tradition behind it.

It would be so controversial, they probably wouldn't dare. Maybe they could start naming courts inside stadiums. You're playing on Serena Williams Court at Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Miami arena would make sense.

[meganfernandez]

I always felt it was good she didn't get #24, there should always be something incomplete, makes it more human...like Bradman scoring zero in his last innings (cricket fans will know..)..Tendulkar never scoring a century at Lord's...

Same. Plus, this means she has a reason to come back after having another kid or two. She will play Olympia at Wimbledon for #24.

Connors at the USO gave it all. All the good (the 91 match against Pat McEnroe), the ugly (the Corrado Barazutti match in 1977), and the bad (his behavior after losing the 77 final to Vilas). But he was never boring, if you could stomach the boorish.

Was Connors worse than Kyrgios?