Jelena Ostapenko is the new queen of Linz! The world No. 12 convincingly won the premiere of the WTA 500 tournament in Upper Austria in Sunday’s final involving the top two players. The 2017 French Open winner and No. 1 seed from Latvia defeated No. 2 seed Ekaterina Alexandrova 6-2, 6-3 in only 70 minutes at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz. “I played in the final here five years ago and didn’t get the winner’s trophy, but this year’s trophy is much nicer anyway,” joked the 26-year-old from Riga holding the new Swarovski trophy. When arriving in Linz, Ostapenko revealed that she collects Swarovski figurines and that she had her eye on the iconic one-off. And it really was a happy ending in the city on the Danube. “A big thank you to Sandra and her team, they spoil us and always look after us so well. I hope to be here again next year,” said Ostapenko during the trophy ceremony to great applause. For the third consecutive day, there was a capacity 2,500 crowd in Linz’s Design Center. In addition to the trophy adorned with 8,100 crystals, she also took home prize money totalling 123,480 euros. The defeated Alexandrova was gracious in defeat saying: “Congratulations to Jelena, she played great. Thanks to the fans, it was great fun to play in Linz again.” The world No. 21 lives not far away in Prague and is a regular at the Upper Austria Ladies Linz where she was the runner-up in 2018 against Camila Giorgi. On Upper Austria Day, the local singer-songwriter Ina Regen provided the musical backdrop to the final, while tennis legend Ana Ivanovic was honoured in advance on Centre Court and interviewed by Tournament Ambassador Barbara Schett. The 2008 and 2010 Linz winner, who had already completed a photo shoot in the “Schlossmuseum” earlier in the day, also tossed the coin before the singles final together with Upper Austria’s Governor Thomas Stelzer. Other guests of honour included Markus Achleitner, Upper Austrian Councillor for Economic Affairs and Sports, Klaus Luger, Mayor of Linz, and Karin Hörzing, Deputy Mayor of Linz. They saw a match that was typical for Ostapenko with her high-speed power tennis. The Australian Open doubles runner-up had only dropped one set in her three previous encounters – in her opening match on Thursday evening when she, despite jet lag and being a match point down, clinched the 3-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7) win against the young Danish star Clara Tauson just after midnight. “That’s what makes a champion, that you still fight your way through. After that I realised that I could win this tournament. And now I have the trophy!” It will take pride of place in her living room in Riga. “The trophy is so beautiful. I don’t have to hide it. I’ll put it in a place where I can always see it,” said the Latvian with a liking for interior design. In the Upper Austria Ladies Linz doubles final, the Italians Sara Errani and Jasmine Paolini took on the No. 1 seeds Nicole Melichar-Martinez (USA) and Ellen Perez (Australia). With Errani’s experience and Paolini’s carefree attitude, the unseeded duo finally claimed the doubles title with a 7-5, 4-6, 10-8 win. All four doubles players were full of praise of the atmosphere in Linz. Melichar-Martinez was particularly grateful saying: “Thanks to Sandra! She is probably the best tournament organiser on the whole tour!” At the final award ceremony, tournament director Sandra Reichel was symbolically presented with the “Aces for Bees” donation by Kathrin Kühtreiber-Leitner, borad director of Oberösterreichische Versicherung. 346 aces were hit during the tournament, but Oberösterreichische rounded it up to 700. This means that 700 honeycombs will be handed over to beekeepers in Upper Austria. This campaign is part of the sustainability philosophy of the Upper Austria Ladies Linz, which was once again certified as a “Green Event” this year. |
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U.S. Davis Cup Team Beats Ukraine 4-0 In Lithuania
The doubles team of Austin Krajicek and Rajeev Ram clinched the U.S. Davis Cup team’s spot in the Group Stage of the 2024 Davis Cup Finals on Friday in Vilnius, Lithuania, defeating a spirited Ukrainian team Vitaliy Sachko and Illya Beloborodko, 6-3, 4-6, 6-3. The match was an indication of the fighting spirit of the Ukrainians, as exemplified in their struggle in war against invading Russia as Krajicek and Ram are ranked No. 3 and No. 5 in the world, respectively, while Sachko is ranked No. 301 and Beloborodko is ranked No. 947.
World No. 9 Taylor Fritz, having been subbed for Chris Eubanks for the opening day’s singles due to an injured right hip, recovered in time to finish off the tie, defeating Vladyslav Orlov, 6-3, 6-4, in a dead rubber to make the tie an even 4-0.
On the first day of play, Eubanks won his Davis Cup debut to clinch a 2-0 lead for the USA. After Sebastian Korda outlasted Oleksii Krutykh, 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4, Eubanks overpowered the 498th-ranked Viacheslav Bielinskyi 6-3, 6-2.
Vilnius was chosen as the site for the series due to the war in Ukraine, as you can read here: https://www.worldtennismagazine.com/archives/22653
The Group Stage will be played across four TBD cities September 10-15. The top eight nations advancing out of Group Play will play in the Final 8 stage of the competition, a knockout-style quarterfinal bracket to be played in November in Malaga, Spain, that will crown the 2024 Davis Cup champion.
The U.S. is captained by Bob Bryan, who made his Davis Cup debut alongside twin brother Mike in 2003, as you can read about in the ebook “U.S. Davis Cup Team Stories – The Bryan Brothers Debut In A 2003 Season of Change” here https://a.co/d/gruI3Lk #Amazon via @Amazon
Thursday, February 1
Sebastian Korda (USA) d. Oleksii Krutykh (UKR), 6-3, 6-7(3), 6-4
Chris Eubanks (USA) d. Viacheslav Bielinskyi (UKR), 6-3, 6-2
Friday, February 2
Austin Krajicek / Rajeev Ram (USA) d. Vitaliy Sachko / Illya Beloborodko (UKR), 6-3, 4-6, 6-3
Taylor Fritz (USA) d. Vladyslav Orlov (UKR), 6-3, 6-4
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From The Court To The Casino: Tennis Players Who Love To Gamble
The world of professional tennis is not just about forehands and backhands; it’s also a realm where the thrill of the game often extends beyond the court.
From Australian online real money casinos to poker tables and roulette wheels. For some tennis stars, the allure of gambling offers a different kind of excitement. Let’s find out which famous tennis players enjoy the thrill of gambling just like you are!
Rafael Nadal: The Poker Enthusiast
Rafael Nadal, renowned for his dominance on clay courts, is also a passionate poker player. His competitive spirit on the tennis court seamlessly translates to the poker table. Nadal’s involvement in gambling is not just a pastime; he has participated in professional poker tournaments, showcasing his strategic thinking and mental toughness, traits that have served him well in tennis.
Boris Becker: High Stakes Beyond the Court
Boris Becker, a legend in the tennis world, is equally known for his high-stakes gambling. Reports have detailed Becker’s affinity for casino visits, where he engages in various games of chance. Becker’s gambling habit has been a subject of much discussion, reflecting how a sports star’s competitive drive can find outlets beyond their primary field of fame.
Jimmy Connors: From Tennis Champion to Gambling Enthusiast
Jimmy Connors, an iconic figure in tennis with eight Grand Slam titles, also had a known interest in gambling. His presence in renowned gambling resorts was well-documented, indicating a life lived with the same vigor off the court as on it. Connors’ gambling hobby shows how the adrenaline rush of sports can parallel the excitement found in betting and gambling.
Patrick Antonius: The Tennis Pro Turned Poker Star
Patrick Antonius, initially making his mark in tennis, shifted his focus to become a professional poker player. His journey from tennis courts to poker tables is a fascinating tale of transition, where skills like patience, reading opponents, and strategic planning are crucial in both domains. Antonius exemplifies how the attributes of a sports professional can translate into success in the gambling world.
The Intersection of Tennis and Gambling
For these tennis stars, gambling is more than a leisure activity; it’s a continuation of their competitive nature. The qualities that make them exceptional athletes — strategic thinking, mental fortitude, and a knack for risk-taking — are equally valuable in the world of gambling. Their involvement in gambling also highlights the psychological parallels between sports and betting: the thrill of the win, the analysis of opponents, and the pressure of high-stakes situations.
Wrapping Up
The crossover of tennis players into the world of gambling is a fascinating study of how the skills and thrills of professional sports find resonance in other forms of competition. For these athletes, the casino offers a different arena where their competitive spirit can thrive. It’s a reminder of the diverse interests and talents of these sports stars, and how the rush of competition is a universal language, whether on the court or at the casino table.
Before Jannik Sinner, There Was Adriano Panatta
by Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
Before Jannik Sinner, there was Adriano Panatta, who was the only other Italian man in the Open Era of tennis (since 1968) to win a major singles title.
All respect goes to perhaps the all-time Italian men’s tennis great Nicola Pietrangeli, who won back-to-back French titles in 1959 and 1960 and lost two other finals at Roland Garros. In the pantheon of Italian men’s tennis greats, he will still be regarded as the top cannoli.
In his famed tennis encyclopedia “The Bud Collins History of Tennis,” Hall of Famer Bud Collins described Panatta at the time as the “best Italian in the Open Era,” which is now up for debate with Sinner’s success. Panatta’s career record is quite similar to that of Sinner as it stands now – one major singles title (1976 French for Panatta, 2024 Australian for Sinner), 10 singles titles (against 11 now for Sinner) and a Davis Cup title for Italy. However, Sinner is only 22 years old. Panatta’s success is not quite up to snuff for the International Tennis Hall of Fame, which is why his bio, as seen in the official “Bud Collins History of Tennis” (which is for sale and download here https://a.co/d/fOGnbec is only written in short-hand note form, as you can read below.
PANATTA, Adriano—Best Italian in Open era, Adriano Panatta, RH, b. July 9, 1950, Rome. Slick 6 ft god at Il Foro Italico, Rome, responding winningly to feverish chants, “AD-REE-ANNO!” Strong serve, whipping forehand, called “Portiere” (Goaltender) for brilliant volleying saves. Spectacular 1976 (45-15 matches)—Won French singles, def. Harold Solomon (USA), 6-1, 6-4, 4-6, 7-6 (7-3). Won Italian singles, def. Guillermo Vilas (ARG), 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 6-2, 7-6 (7-1). Lost Italian F, 1978, to Bjorn Borg (SWE) 1-6, 6-3, 6-1, 4-6, 6-3, a tumultuous verbal and tossed-coins assault on Borg. Led Italy to lone Davis Cup, def. Chile, 5-0 (10-1 singles; 5-1 doubles). Also to F, 1977, 79-80. Cup record, 1970–83, 38 ties, 37-26 singles; 27-10 doubles; one of 14 to play 100 matches. MP escapes in big titles, 1976: French, 1 MP, def. Pavel Hutka (CZE), 1st rd., 2-6, 6-2, 6-2, 0-6, 12-10; Italian, 11 MP, def. Kim Warwick (AUS), 1st rd. 3-6, 6-4, 7-6. Best world rank, No. 4 in Aug 1976, 7 at end of 1976. Career: won 10 singles (364-223 matches), 18 doubles (233-152 matches) pro titles, $776,187 prize money. Younger brother, Claudio Panatta (b. Feb. 2, 1960, Rome) played Davis Cup, pro tour.
A Look Back At Roger Federer’s Final Major Title At The Australian Open
From the “On This Day In Roger Federer History” book, fans can look back at all the great moments in the career of all-time legend Roger Federer. Let”s look back at Federer’s final major tournament victory…
January 28, 2018: Roger Federer wins his 20th and ultimately his final major singles title defeating Marin Cilic 6-2, 6-7(5), 6-3, 3-6, 6-1 in the final of the Australian Open. Federer joins Roy Emerson and Novak Djokovic as a six-time winner of the Australian championships and, at the age of 36, Federer becomes the second-oldest man to win a Grand Slam singles title, only behind Ken Rosewall, who won the Australian Open in 1972 at 37. On winning his 20th
major singles titles, Federer says, “I was not allowed to think of it going into the match, because that’s exactly when things go bad, when you think too far ahead…All day I was thinking, ‘How would I feel if I won it? How would I feel if I lost it? I’m so close, yet so far.’ I think I was going through the whole match like this. I’ve had these moments in the past, but maybe never as extreme as tonight. Getting to 20 is obviously very, very special, no doubt.”
Buy or download the “On This Day In Roger Federer History” book here: https://a.co/d/ej9SQLV #Amazon via Amazon
Jannik Sinner Writes His Own Story In Dramatic Australian Open Win
BY JAMES BECK
It’s been the same old story at the Australian Open for a long time in the men’s game.
One of the greats almost always would take the top prize Down Under. Either Novak Djokovic, Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer or even Stan Wawrinka always prevailed since 2006 at Melbourne.
And then came Jannik Sinner in 2024.
None of the other superstars were still around for Sunday’s final.
A DIFFERENT AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Yes, this time it was a different Australian Open.
But actually Sinner may have written his own story when he upended Djokovic in the semifinals. Without that experience, the slender Italian may not have been able to handle the pressure that Daniil Medvedev sent his way in the final.
Sinner was ready for the finish line after shocking Djokovic in the semifinals. It just took time to get there.
Sinner played within himself most of the last three sets of the final. A first-time Grand Slam finalist, Sinner played as if he belonged there in those three sets.
But, oh, those first two sets when Medvedev dominated play with his backhand from the middle of the court. Backhands usually are reserved for the backhand side of the court, but not with the tall Russian on the court.
SINNER DIDN’T PLAY HIS GAME AT FIRST
In a similar manner as women’s champion Aryna Sabalenka, Sinner followed up a big semifinal win with his own Australian Open title. Only, Sinner had to fight for five sets to accomplish his dream Down Under with a 3-6, 3-6, 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 victory over Medvedev.
Sinner appeared to play far differently from his victory over Djokovic when he controlled the court with his aggressive play and power.
This time, Sinner started things conservatively with few aggressive winners, repeatedly leaving the corners wide open for Medvedev’s crafty, but hard hit strokes. Medvedev made Sinner pay a price with a style of play that was just the opposite.
Medvedev played close to the baseline and aggressively hopped on balls with his backhand in whip-lash fashion. He hardly had to move as he conserved energy.
THE STRATEGY ALMOST WORKED TO PERFECTION
Medvedev’s strategy worked like a charm until Sinner served the ninth game of the third set as Medvedev once needed only six points for a possible Grand Slam title. Sinner managed to overcome a deuce score to win that game.
Medvedev fell behind 30-0 serving the 10th game of the set and then Sinner got his first set point. Sinner made it stand up and it was a new game after that.
Sinner didn’t appear to be ready for Medvedev’s game the first two sets, but the Italian then came alive. He became prepared for Medvedev, even after losing the first two sets.
Of course, Sabalenka got her boost from a surprising, but solid win over talented Coco Graff in the women’s semifinals. Sabalenka then was never really challenged by Qinwen Zheng in the final.
Sinner’s final was much different. He was somewhat lucky to escape with a win.
Medvedev almost wrapped up the title in the ninth game, but it didn’t happen. As a result, Sinner may have started his own success story in Grand Slam finals.
—
James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.
Emma Navarro USTA STORY BY BECK LINK
Move Over Coco, Sabalenka Is The New Star In Women’s Tennis
BY JAMES BECK
Coco Gauff may have to wait a couple of years before she is proclaimed the greatest women’s tennis player.
Aryna Sabalenka appears to have that title wrapped up for the present.
Is the 25-year-old Belarussian better than the 19-year-old American? Obviously yes for the moment, after Sabalenka’s 7-6 (7), 6-4 win over Gauff in the Australian Open semifinals, and then Sabalenka’s 6-3, 6-2 breeze by 21-year-old Qinwen Zheng in Saturday’s women’s final Down Under
TOUGHER COMPETITION AHEAD FOR COCO?
Maybe to make matters tougher for Gauff, Zheng may be ready to join the battle quicker than anyone could have dreamed.
Yes, the final was a breeze, but the young and tall Chinese star demonstrated great potential against the powerful Sabalenka.
Then again, Sabalenka never seemed to be worried about winning a second straight Australian Open crown. No matter what Zheng came up with, Sabalenka generally had the answer.
Sabalenka just decided to concentrate a little deeper when Zheng tried to make things interesting.
SABALENKA TO MUCH FOR ZHENG
Sabalenka was simply too big, strong and talented to let the lean Chinese player make things real difficult for her.
And it’s those same features that might be Gauff’s toughest enemy to overcome in the near future.
But, of course, Gauff has plenty of time since she’s still a teen-ager.
TWO BIG SURPRISES IN TWO DAYS
This year’s semifinals may have been among the most surprising in a long time
Not only did crowd favorite Gauff go down in the women’s semifinals, the legendary Novak Djokovic didn’t have what it takes to go for an 11th Australian Open men’s title.
Novak appeared really worried and puzzled as early as the first set that he lost 6-1 to hard-hitting and talented Italian Jannik Sinner in the semifinals. And Djokovic didn’t appear any more in the match in a 6-2 second set.
At that point, it was over. Sinner just wouldn’t allow Djokovic to make a match of it. Sinner hit and served harder, and moved better than Novak.
Even though Novak won the third set in a tiebreaker only to lose the match 6-1, 6-2, 6-7 (6), 6-3, Sinner was just too good for the 36-year-old Serbian.
HAS THE FUTURE CHANGED?
Whether the match was a sample of what’s to come in the latter stages of Novak’s historic career, it likely was an example of the talented Sinner’s future.
Yes, in two days, the present outlook of both men’s and women’s professional tennis was altered.
No Coco. No Novak.
Both had headed home before the finals.
Indian Wells and Miami are still there, but the red clay of Paris in about four months probably holds the answers to both puzzles.
James Beck was the 2003 winner of the USTA National Media Award for print media. A 1995 MBA graduate of The Citadel, he can be reached at Jamesbecktennis@gmail.com.
Emma Navarro USTA STORY BY BECK LINK
Before Qinwen Zheng and Li Na, This Famous Personality From China Loved His Tennis (Until A Goat Ate His Net!)
Before Qinwen Zheng and Li Na, there was another great personality from China who was almost equally passionate about tennis. It was Chairman Mao Tse-Tung….
There is much attention focused on tennis in China with the success of Zheng, following in the footsteps of Li Na, the first Chinese player to win a major singles titles at the French Open in 2011 and at the Australian Open in 2014.
It is interesting to know that Mao, the founder of the People’s Republic of China in 1949 and its ruler until his death in 1976, was also an enthusiastic tennis player and that he played in a lot more tiring environments. Bud Collins, the one-and-only and irreplaceable tennis personality, author and Hall of Famer, wrote of Chairman Mao in the “They Also Serve” biography section of his authoritative book “The Bud Collins History of Tennis” which is for sale and download here: https://a.co/d/9V197JJ
Wrote Collins in his “tome” of Mao, “Chairman Mao’s biographer, Edgar Snow, reported that the chairman enjoyed playing tennis with comrades in Shensi Province after his army had survived the famed, brutal Long March of 6,000 miles in 1935. Unfortunately his tennis career ended when a goat ate the net. That must have gotten his goat. But he would have been proud of Zi Yan and Jie Zheng, first Chinese ladies to win majors, Australian and Wimbledon doubles, 2006. Mao was born December 26, 1893 in Shaoshan Xiang Tan, Hunan Province, China and died at the age of 82, September 9, 1976 in Beijing.”
Alex Michelsen Earns Future Major Championship Contender Praise From John McEnroe
By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
During his run at the 2024 Australian Open, Alex Michelsen is already receiving super high praise from four-time U.S. Open champion John McEnroe.
Commentating on the tournament for ESPN, McEnroe said that the 19-year-old new pro Michelsen is one of the most likely American men to break through a win their first major singles title.
“We’ve talked about the top-five (American players), who’s the most likely of those people to win a major first…I’d put him above two or three of those other guys,” said McEnroe. “I’d put him behind (Ben) Shelton, sort of. I’m a little bummed about Frances Tiafoe right now. I’ve dropped him down, put him up there around where (Sebastian) Korda is. Actually, Michelsen’s just got so much tennis sense and tennis skill. He believes already. You can tell the way he goes about his business on the court. He’s a really good player.”
During this segment, McEnroe did not specifically say who he thought had the best chance of the Americans to win a major and if this included current U.S. No. 1 Taylor Fritz or U.S. No. 2 Tommy Paul.
ESPN’s Chris Fowler, in the commentary booth with McEnroe, then asked, “Do you like the intangibles? He’s also a pretty good mover for six-five and he can still improve his serve a lot. That’s an area of growth for him, you’d think, to see.”
McEnroe answered, “Absolutely. He’s going to be a guy we’re going to be talking about.”
An American man has not won a major singles title since Andy Roddick won his only major singles title at the 2003 U.S. Open.
Following his second round win in Melbourne over No. 32 seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic, Michelsen was interviewed by ESPN’s Brad Gilbert, who first saw Michelsen play almost exactly a year ago at the $25,000 USTA Pro Circuit ITF World Tennis Tour event in Malibu, California, where he reached the final, losing a three-set final to Arthur Fery of Great Britain and Stanford University.
Said Gilbert, “A year ago at this time, I saw you play the Malibu Futures. You were ranked 600 in the world where you got to the finals there. What’s the biggest difference a year on now for Alex Michelsen? Said Michelsen, “I think mentally I’ve gotten a lot better because, I don’t know if you remember that final, but it was a roller coaster up and down mentally. And also, my serve and forehand have improved tremendously because those are the two things that are my biggest weaknesses. So ever since I’ve been working on those a ton, it’s just been getting so much better.”
Michelsen was signed to play college tennis for Coach Manny Diaz and the Georgia Bulldogs, but ironically, under the guidance and brilliant coaching by Eric Diaz, the son of Manny Diaz, Michelsen told his coach’s dad that he would not be playing college tennis for him and would turn pro, shortly after he had an amazing run to the ATP singles final in Newport, Rhode Island that moved his ATP ranking inside the top 150.
The Last Four American Men To Win Grand Slam Singles Titles
American tennis has witnessed some great players over the decades, but over the last few years, they have been waiting for their next big champion. Admittedly it’s only the male side of the game where those from the States have struggled because in the women’s game, the Americans are as dominant as ever.
Serena Williams remains the most decorated female player of all time however, she has recently retired and past the baton on to the likes of Coco Gauff, who claimed her first Grand Slam late last year with victory on home turf at the US Open.
The last American man to lift a Grand Slam came 21 years ago, and in that time frame, no fewer than four of the country’s women have claimed their maiden Slam. Add to that Serena and her sister Venus, who have both romped to glory since 2003, and that proves that the females have put their male counterparts to shame. And it doesn’t look like the drought will end anytime soon.
The country’s best hope comes in the form of the 26-year-old Taylor Fritz. The San Diego-born star has already reached the quarterfinal at both Wimbledon and the French Open, and a prominent tennis sportsbook has made him a +3300 contender for victory in the former and a +10000 outsider for the latter. He will be aiming to join this illustrious list in the coming years.
However, it’s hard to forget the golden years of the 90s and early 2000s when American players took the Grand Slam tournaments by storm. From Andre Agassi to Pete Sampras, the United States has produced some of the most talented players in tennis history. But when it comes to winning the biggest titles in the sport, it has been a tough road for American men in recent years. Here are the last four men to achieve the feat.
Andy Roddick – 2003 US Open
Andy Roddick burst onto the tennis scene in the early 2000s, quickly establishing himself as one of the most promising young players in the game. In 2003, he won the US Open, defeating Juan Carlos Ferrero in the final, making him the youngest American in 13 years to win a Slam. His world record-breaking serve and aggressive baseline game made him a force to be reckoned with on any surface. He would go on to reach the Wimbledon final on three separate occasions however, was downed by nemesis Roger Federer on each occasion.
Andre Agassi – 2003 Australian Open
Andre Agassi was one of the most dominant players of his era, with his eight Grand Slam titles making him a tennis icon in the 90s and early 2000s. In 2003, at the age of 32, he became the oldest player in the Open Era to win a Slam when he captured the Australian Open, a record that would be claimed by the aforementioned Federer with victory Down Under in 2018. His incredible footwork and return of serve made him one of the most difficult opponents to face, and he continued to compete at the highest level well into his 30s.
Pete Sampras – 2002 US Open
Pete Sampras is widely regarded as one of the greatest tennis players of all time, with 14 Grand Slam titles to his name. His first of those came when he defeated Jim Courier – more on him shortly – in an all-American contest in the 1993 Wimbledon final, and he would go on to reign supreme at the All-England Club in six of the next seven years. He would twice win the Australian Open as well as become a five-time winner of the US Open.
In September 2002, he won his final Slam on home turf, defeating long-time rival Agassi in an all-American final in New York City in four sets. The pair had battled it out in no fewer than four Grand Slam finals before their final bout on the grandest stage, with Sampras winning three of them and the other’s sole victory being an upset win in the 1995 Aussie Open final.
Jim Courier – 1993 Australian Open
Jim Courier became the dominant force in tennis in the early 1990s and he looked set to rival both Sampras and Agassi at the summit of the men’s game mountain. The Floridian won the French Open in 1991 before reaching the French Open later that year. He would then successfully defend his crown on Paris’ famed clay courts just four months on from winning the Australian Open.
Despite being just 21 years of age, he successfully defended his trophy on the Melbourne hard courts in the winter of 1993, making it four Slam victories in just two years. From there he reached the Wimbledon final for the first time later that year, meaning that he had reached all four major finals by the age of 22, but he would never actually win one of the famed tournaments again.
The Mardy Fish Tennis Courts In Vero Beach – How It Came To Be
By Randy Walker
@TennisPublisher
There’s Arthur Ashe Stadium and Rod Laver Arena and now there is The Mardy Fish Court.
While not nearly the arenas the stadium courts at the U.S. Open and Australian Open, it is still flattering to have a tennis court named after you and Mardy Fish, the 2004 Olympic silver medalist and former U.S. Davis Cup star, now has a court at the Riverside Park public tennis facility where he learned to play tennis named in his honor in the small, cozy beach-side town of Vero Beach, Florida..
The process took five years to happen, from the idea first being hatched to it finally happening on January 14, 2024. It actually happens 20 years after Fish’s silver medal performance at the Athens Olympic Games which, despite the disappointing five-set loss to Nicolas Massu in the gold medal match, was still the hallmark achievement in the Fish tennis career. This is how it came to be.
In early 2019, Rob Slezak, then the Recreation Director for the City of Vero Beach, Florida, reached out to Mardy’s dad Tom Fish to see if he could help with fundraising ideas to help spruce up the city’s public tennis courts at Riverside Park. The facility was growing tired and was losing money for the city and Slezak wanted to brain storm with Fish, himself a leading tennis voice in Vero Beach as a 40-year teaching pro in town.
Fish asked me, as his fellow tournament director for the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation Tennis Championships USTA Pro Circuit event in Vero Beach, to come along to meet with Slezak at Riverside Park that morning for the brainstorm and to walk around the 10-court facility to see what specific upgrades needed to done. As we walked over to the group of four courts on the far east part of the footprint, we stopped at the court that stands in the far northeast corner. Fish then looked over a Slezak and I said “Do you know how many tennis balls I hit with Mardy on this court?” Fish and his wife Sally used to live just across the street from the courts on Honeysuckle Lane and after teaching tennis for his day job, Fish would then take a young Mardy – and an even younger daughter Meredith Fish – and hit balls with them in his spare time. It was the court where Mardy first started to learn to play tennis and where he went on to an amazing pro tennis career that brought him around the world to Centre Court at Wimbledon and Arthur Ashe Stadium in New York.
The significance of this did not pass me by and I immediately shouted out “This has to be ‘The Mardy Fish Court.’ We need to have a plaque here or something.” Said Tom Fish in 2022 in an interview with me as seen here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o0BIDbPuaww of the days teaching tennis to young Mardy and Meredith, “I would teach tennis basically all day and then come home at night and hit tennis balls with Mardy and Meredith. We didn’t have any illusions of grandeur that Mardy has accomplished and actually Meredith accomplished too. We were just hoping to get some exercise, hang out with each other, and learn some tennis. Our biggest dream was maybe get a college scholarship. (which Meredith did at Florida State.)”
I’ve always been not only a tennis history buff but a history buff in general and have always found it fascinating when discovering historic sites that are commemorated, like the exact spot where historical events have happened, whether it was a place where George Washington slept or a place where a battle was or where someone famous once lived. In New York City, where I also live, it seems that on almost every street there is a commemoration of where some famous person lived, like Teddy Roosevelt, Ulysses S. Grant or Andy Warhol.
These kind of markers are also present here and there in tennis. There is a plaque commemorating where the first edition of the modern-day U.S. Open took place in 1881 at the Newport Casino in Rhode Island. When I worked at the U.S. Tennis Association, we implemented a program where a plaque was placed at every site in the United States that hosted a U.S. Davis Cup match. On a trip years ago driving from New York to Vero Beach, I stopped in Lynchburg, Virginia to a site that was just recently commemorated as the place where Althea Gibson and Arthur Ashe trained with Dr. Robert Johnson as you can see on YouTube here:
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At my alma mater, the University of Georgia named its center court in Henry Field Stadium “The Mikael Pernfors Center Court” in honor of the greatest Georgia tennis player who won two NCAA singles titles on that very court (A court I too had the privilege of also playing an official match on for the Georgia Bulldogs.)
Why couldn’t something similar be done in Vero Beach to commemorate the spot where Mardy Fish learned to play? While Mardy was not a world No. 1 or Grand Slam tournament champion, he did win the silver medal at the 2004 Olympic Games, was a stalwart on the U.S. Davis Cup team and was a top 10 player. While he wasn’t an International Tennis Hall of Famer, he was a Hall of Famer in Vero Beach circles. He might be the most well-known and accomplished athlete to come out of Vero Beach.
While having your name on a court is certainly about honoring someone for their achievements, as Mardy deserves in the context of his hometown, it can also serve as an inspiration to others. If a young kid can play tennis on the very same court where another Vero Beach kid learned to play the sport that brought him or her success around the world in international tennis, couldn’t that kid also believe that they could do it as well? Or at least they can aspire to play on a high school team, play national tournaments or college tennis or perhaps even some pro tennis. And all the while, learning life skills through tennis like independence, self-reliance and while learning a healthy form of exercise that would keep them healthy throughout their lifetime.
Having a plaque for a “Mardy Fish Court” would also, in a way, becomes a bit of a tourist attraction, at least for tennis fans. And it can be used to lure more attention to the Riverside Park community. One of my first discussions of the possibility of a Mardy Fish Court in public was in this video from 2019, shortly after the meeting with Slezak and Tom Fish, when I conducted a video tour of the Riverside Park tennis courts here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ErykLkpldJ0 to showcase the facility to those who were not in Vero Beach.
One of the efforts that came out of the meeting with Slezak was to put together a plan to refurbish the courts at Riverside Park with a fundraising effort, perhaps with sponsorship or a “brick naming” program to raise money. One of the great programs that the U.S. Tennis Association has, as I learned from my 13-year career working there, is not only the offering of facility grants to help refurbish public tennis facilities, but also a facility design program. Soon, I was working with Todd Carlson with the USTA on putting together a potential facility refurbishment design but also a profit-and-loss document with potential expanded programming so it could be determined just how much money needed to be raised. The project was going to be championed by the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, Mardy and the Fish family’s non-profit foundation that helps at risk children in Vero Beach. The project was dubbed “The Riverside Dream” by Treasure Coast Tennis Association head Tim Palmer, the local “Johnny Appleseed” for youth tennis in Vero Beach, who, after visiting the amazing public tennis facility in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida wondered why a similar facility couldn’t be created in Vero Beach, which is an equal or even better tennis town than Palm Beach Gardens. The central part of this design, which was emphasized to Carlson, would be that the very court where Mardy first started hitting tennis balls would be a “Mardy Fish Court” or even a mini stadium – albeit it would only be a court surrounded by a few rows of seating and nothing like an Arthur Ashe Stadium or Rod Laver Arena.
The final designs for the facility came from the USTA in January of 2020 and only a few weeks later, the world went still with the global COVID pandemic. The project was put on hold for obvious reasons and the city and the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation did not even make any of the details or designs public. The climate and pulse of the country and the community was not conducive for this kind of fundraising at the time with the world facing many bigger problems.
While playing socially-distant tennis at Riverside Park during the summer and autumn months of 2020 and into 2021, Tim Palmer and I would always make sure that we played on “The Mardy Fish Court” and always referring to it as such, including the first day when I returned to playing tennis during COVID, as I documented in video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QPdd7ps5K0
When I played tennis at Riverside, I would always try to play on the “Mardy Fish Court” and tried to promote it as much as possible on social media.
On St. Patrick’s Day in 2021, I posted another plug for the “Mardy Fish Court” on Facebook with the hint that fundraising would soon start. This was done to make the initial move to start to get word out about potential plans for the court as the “Mardy Fish Court” came under threat by….pickleball.
Two separate groups were attempting to convince the City of Vero Beach to transform the four eastern court on the property – including “The Mardy Fish Court” – into pickleball courts. Transforming four of the 10 tennis courts at Riverside Park to pickleball would be a major blow for tennis in Vero Beach and would threaten the tennis programming that the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation was conducting at Riverside Park. Lynn Southerly, the executive director of the Mardy Fish Children’s Foundation, as well as Tim Palmer and myself and others all went on an offensive to save Riverside Park from pickleball and keep the “Riverside Dream” alive, including the Mardy Fish Court. We decided that it would be a good idea to go public with the Riverside Park tennis design plans – that sat dormant in an email inbox for well over a year as the economy and investment climate improved as the pandemic conditions began to slowly improve. It was the lead story written by former New York Post sports writer Ray McNulty on April 1, 2021 in the influential Vero Beach weekly newspaper “32963” as you can read here https://veronews.com/2021/04/01/expansion-proposed-for-riverside-park-tennis-complex/#.YG3UGJ856tY.twitter I also posted a story on my TennisGrandstand.com tennis website here: https://tennisgrandstand.com/2021/04/11/u-s-davis-cup-captain-olympic-silver-medalist-mardy-fish-may-have-a-court-named-after-him-in-hometown-of-vero-beach-florida/
One of the arguments that the pickleball organizers had in favor of taking over tennis courts at Riverside Park was limited play and programming on the courts. This was largely due to their not being a director of tennis at the facility who was organizing and pro-actively promoting play at the facility. Pickleball was organized. Tennis was not.
I tried to think of people who could maybe put their hat in to be a tennis director at Riverside Park. I spoke with Carlos Goffi, the former coach of John and Patrick McEnroe who recently ran the tennis at Disney Wide World of Sports in Orlando and who I helped with his “Tournament Tough” book in the past. I also spoke with former Florida junior tennis standout Brian Rosenthal, who has a business that runs tennis operations at public facilities, as well other teaching pros I knew. However, there was no guaranteed salary with a job. It would be 100 percent entrepreneurial. It would not be an easy sell.
I then remembered that the USTA Florida section has a program where their office actually takes over and runs as the primary vendor for some public tennis facilities in Florida. The USTA could certainly take a financial risk and they know tennis better than anyone. The USTA’s mission is to promote and develop the growth of tennis so even if they break even or even lose a little money, it is money invested into their mission.
I emailed Laura Bowen, the USTA Florida section executive director about the pickleball dilemma at Riverside Park tennis and she agreed to meet me and pay a visit to the tennis courts. I made sure that I showed her “The Mardy Fish Court” and posted a photo on the TennisVeroBeach Twitter page (now out of service) of two of us on said court on June 11, 2021.
Shortly thereafter, the Vero Beach City Council officially rejected the idea of pickleball at Riverside Park and Bowen and USTA Florida began their effort to work to take over the operation of Riverside Tennis. There was some initial community reluctances based on unknowns, false information and rumors. However, the Riverside Park tennis facility needed more attention and care as I documented in many videos that I compiled here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UkVNfoVkUg&t=.
Other promotional videos in support of USTA Florida’s efforts can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UkVNfoVkUg and, one including an endorsement from Mardy himself, here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2td0Ah8mgY and an interview with a former Riverside Tennis Director Ted MacBeth here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wb9Bd8C02gA
Bowen spearheaded an excellent community outreach program that included community discussion sessions and a question and answer document, as documented here: https://tennisverobeach.com/index.php/2022/03/19/usta-florida-head-laura-bowen-discusses-potential-riverside-park-tennis-partnership-for-vero-beach/ to fully educate the public and the Vero Beach City Council. In February of 2023, the Vero Beach City Council voted to approve the USTA Florida’s proposal as you can read here: https://www.tcpalm.com/story/news/local/indian-river-county/2023/02/28/vero-beach-enters-contract-with-usta-over-riverside-tennis-complex/69936335007/ With the USTA in control of Riverside Tennis – and with the financial resources to renovate and upgrade the facility – the “Riverside Dream” is alive and “The Mardy Fish Court” becomes a reality, albeit not a mini-stadium as was first thrown out as a possibility, but a court still named for Vero Beach’s favorite tennis playing son that will surely inspire many generations of Vero Beach tennis players.
Will Andy Murray Hit His Half-Century Target?
Whenever the day comes for Andy Murray to put down his racket for the final time, he’ll do so with enough happy memories to last a lifetime.
He’s scaled heights that few can dream of reaching – in an era where Novak Djokovic, Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal have made it virtually impossible for anybody else to get a look in.
Murray is a Knight of the Realm, with his exploits rightly being recognised with a ‘Sir’ moniker, and the only man to have won the BBC Sports Personality of the Year award on three occasions.
Targets
History has been made, but there are still targets for him to chase down.
Murray isn’t done yet and welcomed in 2024 with ambition burning as brightly as ever. Trips Down Under haven’t always been kind to him over the years, with Melbourne Park littered with tales of what could have been, but he’ll keep on coming back for more.
Australian Open betting odds are no longer weighted in his favour, with all-time Grand Slam title leader Djokovic still sitting at the top of that chart, but a price of 250/1 will appeal to some.
Glory Days
Back in his prime, Murray was one of the best to ever do it. His glory days may not be as frequent as they once were, with a metal hip contributing significantly to a change in his performance, but the fiery Scot is a force to be reckoned with once the adrenalin starts pumping and momentum is established. He’s determined to remain in contention for major honours, with there a couple of notable milestones that he’d like to reach before thoughts begin to turn towards calling it a day.
Murray has said: “There are lots of small goals. I’ve won 46 tournaments as a pro and I’d like to get to 50. I’ve had 700-and-something career wins and I’d like to win 800.”
Murray has emerged victorious in more than 730 of the matches that he’s taken in throughout a glittering career, with his last title being won at the 2019 European Open in Belgium. He’s made three more ATP Tour finals since then while emerging victorious in three Challenger events during 2023.
Those efforts prove that Murray can still climb to the top of the mountain and that no goal should be considered out of reach.
Ambitious
Hitting the 800-win mark may be a little ambitious, with his schedule having to be managed carefully, but Murray has shown down the years that he should never be written off.
Reaching a half-century on the ATP Tour finals front could be considered realistic, with there enough events on the calendar to suggest that he can make serious runs at four of those in the weeks and months to come.
It would be fitting if Murray were to claim triumph No.50 before walking away, with the two-time Olympic gold medal winner already assured of standing among the immortals in men’s tennis.
