Sports Illustrated will announce its choice for Sportsman of the Year on Nov. 30. Here's one of the nominations for that honor by an SI writer. Now this was The Greatest Match Ever: All England Club, Gentlemen's final, King Federer vs. The Everyman with the 145 mph serve. After the afternoon shadows had overtaken Centre Court, after the longest fifth set in the history of the tournament was over and the breathtaking four-hour, 16-minute epic had come to an end, Roger Federer put on the white jacket embroidered with the gold 15 like an emperor slipping on his cloak. Federer had won more Grand Slam singles titles than any player in history. Yet, the better story on that July afternoon belonged to the loser, because there had never been a loser that more deserved to win than Andy Roddick at Wimbledon.
WTHIGOW Melanie Oudin? -- Tom, Riverwoods, Ill.
We'll start this week with two open calls. I received my ballot for the 2010 inductions to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Doubles is the theme this year and the nominees are Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva (as a team), Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge (as a team), and Anders Jarryd (individually).
A few thoughts from the tennis world ...
Be sure to check out Andre Agassi's revealing autobiography excerpt in this week's Sports Illustrated. I'll be taking all questions on the must-read next week.
Are you really equating a couple of sets of exhibition tennis to the demands of a long tour season? -- Henry Brito, Atlanta
A few thoughts as tennis takes its annual autumnal tumble off the radar ...
Without any second thoughts, I would say that Jack Kramer was the single most significant figure in the history of his game, tennis.
NEW YORK -- The U.S. Open felt like two separate tournaments. The first was an exciting, spirited 10-day party, played amid ideal conditions. The second was a soggy circus. But in the end, the sun came back out and we were treated to some compelling finals. Herewith, some scattered observations and opinions:
SI.com caught up with Sports Illustrated senior writer S.L. Price, who is covering the U.S. Open in New York, after Serena Williams was penalized on match point in her 6-4, 7-5 loss to Kim Clijsters in the semifinals Saturday night. Clijsters will play Caroline Wozniacki in the final at 9 p.m. ET Sunday.
Sports Illustrated will announce its choice for Sportsman of the Year on Nov. 30. Here's one of the nominations for that honor by an SI writer. Now this was The Greatest Match Ever: All England Club, Gentlemen's final, King Federer vs. The Everyman with the 145 mph serve. After the afternoon shadows had overtaken Centre Court, after the longest fifth set in the history of the tournament was over and the breathtaking four-hour, 16-minute epic had come to an end, Roger Federer put on the white jacket embroidered with the gold 15 like an emperor slipping on his cloak. Federer had won more Grand Slam singles titles than any player in history. Yet, the better story on that July afternoon belonged to the loser, because there had never been a loser that more deserved to win than Andy Roddick at Wimbledon.
WTHIGOW Melanie Oudin? -- Tom, Riverwoods, Ill.
We'll start this week with two open calls. I received my ballot for the 2010 inductions to the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Doubles is the theme this year and the nominees are Gigi Fernandez and Natasha Zvereva (as a team), Mark Woodforde and Todd Woodbridge (as a team), and Anders Jarryd (individually).
A few thoughts from the tennis world ...
Be sure to check out Andre Agassi's revealing autobiography excerpt in this week's Sports Illustrated. I'll be taking all questions on the must-read next week.
Are you really equating a couple of sets of exhibition tennis to the demands of a long tour season? -- Henry Brito, Atlanta
A few thoughts as tennis takes its annual autumnal tumble off the radar ...
Without any second thoughts, I would say that Jack Kramer was the single most significant figure in the history of his game, tennis.
NEW YORK -- The U.S. Open felt like two separate tournaments. The first was an exciting, spirited 10-day party, played amid ideal conditions. The second was a soggy circus. But in the end, the sun came back out and we were treated to some compelling finals. Herewith, some scattered observations and opinions:
SI.com caught up with Sports Illustrated senior writer S.L. Price, who is covering the U.S. Open in New York, after Serena Williams was penalized on match point in her 6-4, 7-5 loss to Kim Clijsters in the semifinals Saturday night. Clijsters will play Caroline Wozniacki in the final at 9 p.m. ET Sunday.
SI.com caught up with Sports Illustrated senior writer S.L. Price, who is covering the U.S. Open in New York, after Melanie Oudin's 6-2, 6-2 loss to Denmark's Caroline Wozniacki in the quarterfinals Wednesday night. With her deep run, Oudin is projected to make her top-50 debut and could climb as high as No. 43 when the rankings come out following the Open. She is the youngest American to reach the quarterfinals at any Grand Slam since Serena Williams in 1999.
According to the tennis shibboleth: "You can't win a Grand Slam title in Week 1; you can only lose it." Well, Week 1 is over and now it's Showtime at the U.S. Open. Five plotlines to follow over the next seven days:
At a bare minimum, when you've represented Robert Kennedy, Arthur Ashe, Michael Jordan, and Jimmy Connors, among others, you ought to have some good stories. And Donald Dell doesn't disappointment. A well-known figure in the tennis world for being the sport's first agent, helping to found the ATP Tour and serving as a U.S. Davis Cup captain, Dell, 71, mixes practical advice and war stories in his new book, Never Make the First Offer.
Beneath seven flat-screen TVs and one large pulldown screen, members of the Racquet Club of the South gathered Monday to watch and celebrate one of their own.
NEW YORK -- What we learned on the seventh day into night ...
NEW YORK -- What we learned as the Melanie Oudin bandwagon begins to overflow following her 3-6, 6-4, 7-5 win over Maria Sharapova ...
Grades for the 2009 U.S. Open after six days:
NEW YORK -- A few thoughts on a day of goodbyes at the Open ...
SI.com's Jon Wertheim breaks down the men's and women's seeds at the U.S. Open. Read on for the top first-round matchups, dark horses to watch and his predicted winners.
A 'bag before the big dance (and we don't mean this).
Instead of the Ad-In, Ad-Out format, we're going to try something new on Monday, a "best-of-three" recap of the week plus other random thoughts:
With the last Grand Slam of the decade kicking off next Monday, here's a look at five of the most pressing questions entering the U.S. Open:
This time last year, Vera Zvonareva was playing her way to the bronze medal at the Beijing Olympics. Now she is ranked No. 7 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, and gaining strength after an ankle injury earlier this season. In a recent interview with SI.com, the 24-year-old Moscow native discussed her thoughts on the success of Russian women, her experience as a ball girl and her other life as a student of international affairs.
History was made last Friday at the Rogers Cup in Montreal, when the world's top eight players took part in the quarterfinals of the same tournament for the first time since the ATP Tour starting the rankings in August 1973.
Since advancing to the fourth round at Wimbledon in late June, Melanie Oudin of Marietta, Ga., has continued her rise to a career-high ranking of No. 68 on the Sony Ericcson WTA Tour. In a recent interview with SI.com, the 17-year-old discussed life as a qualifier, her decision to be home-schooled and her views on grunting.
Let me be the 12,764th person to ask you: Does Kim Clijsters' win over 13th-ranked Marion Bartoli show how weak the women's game is today, or is Clijsters really that good a player to come back after a two-year absence and knock off a player who just beat Venus Williams in the Stanford final? -- Curious Fan, New York
1. Wimbledon I don't remember my first brush with Wimbledon, but my mom does. I was 3 years old in the summer of 1975 when Arthur Ashe defeated Jimmy Connors in the men's final, a moment that she celebrated by picking me up, holding me in front of the television and telling me, "He looks like you! He looks like you!" This was my mom's way of telling me that anything in life was possible -- that I, too, could grow up and do anything I wanted. She was right. I wonder what it would be like to sit at Centre Court and see the grass and watch Federer, Nadal and the Williams sisters. I'm sure I would think about Arthur Ashe. I'm sure my mom would, too.
The grassroots renaissance of tennis in the United States was the subject of an Associated Press feature that appeared online and in many newspaper sports sections over the weekend. The story argues, among other things, that "today's dearth of top American professionals" hasn't curtailed the sport's post-2000 growth:
There was a time in the not-too-distant past when the popularity of the WTA Tour rivaled its men's counterpart, when stars like the then-up-and-coming Williams sisters held court with Martina Hingis, Lindsay Davenport, Jennifer Capriati, Monica Seles, Justine Henin, Mary Pierce and, yes, Anna Kournikova.
While the 16 remaining players in the men's draw competed at Wimbledon on June 29, Richard Gasquet was a few miles from the All England Club, fighting for his career at a tribunal hearing. Three months earlier, the French player had tested positive for cocaine, triggering a two-year ban under the World Anti-Doping Agency code. In a sport with no guaranteed contracts and a short career shelf life, this was, potentially, akin to a professional death sentence.
It's always struck me as shabby when a commentator or columnist ignites controversy and then slips away like Laura Dern in the last scene of Citizen Ruth. Last week, I took issue with Roger Federer's Wimbledon attire -- and, more specifically, the Nike taste-makers who determined Federer's dignity and humility required more edge. The responses, pro and con, were as intense as they were numerous.
Each week, SI.com's Richard Deitsch will report on newsmakers from the world of TV, radio and the Web.
Andy Roddick had just taken the first set from Roger Federer in Sunday's Wimbledon final, inducing roars from the Centre Court spectators, when my wife-to-be posed a perfectly sincere question.
The Wimbledon grass has always been a bit of a yoga mat for Roger Federer, who routinely moves around Centre Court at mental and physical ease while his more bruiser-like counterparts clip-clop on its blades.
Some scattered thoughts on a historic Wimbledon ...
This is our last "crumpet" for Wimbledon 2009. Time to do magazine work (though I'll continue periodic tweeting and podcasting). If you'd like, you could read this tomorrow; think of it as tape-delay. Thanks to everyone who wrote in. We'll be back Sunday with a Wimbledon wrap-up!
WIMBLEDON, England -- While marveling at Venus Williams's play on grass....
A total of 28 staff at the Wimbledon Tennis Championships have been asked to stay at home with suspected swine flu.
While raising an eyebrow at Novak Djokovic's play today...
WTHIGOW James Blake? Another first-round loss in ignominious fashion. Here's a guy who, just a year ago, was looking like he might challenge for Slams. Now it's a challenge for him not to get bounced in straights in Round 1. -- Robin Smith, Detroit
From the book, STROKES OF GENIUS: Federer, Nadal, and the Greatest Match Ever Played, by L. Jon Wertheim. Copyright © 2009 by L. Jon Wertheim. Published by arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
SI.com's Jon Wertheim breaks down the men's and women's seeds at the French Open. Read on for the top first-round matchups, dark horses to watch and his predicted winners.
Even if you believe Serena Williams is "the real No. 1" on the women's tour, which she probably is, you've got to question the timing of her cocksure, matter-of-fact declaration on the eve of last week's Italian Open.
I'm back from a week off. One of my new Twitter buddies noticed that I had attended the Family Circle Cup in Charleston, S.C., last week, not as a journalist but as a fan. He asked me what the experience was like, and it was a good question. I can't recall the last time I'd attended a tennis event armed not with a notebook but with a bag of popcorn, concerned not about a deadline but about my daughter's sunblock status. Here are five impressions:
Has there been a more fun time in men's tennis than now? Rafael Nadal is definitively on top, Roger Federer is still in the mix with a will to regain his form, Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray have officially arrived, Juan Martin del Potro is continuing to make strides, and Andy Roddick seems to be right on the verge this season. With variations for surface, there seem to be six players in the mix to some extent for any major tournament right now. Let's hope they all stay healthy. -- Dan, Atlanta
Ooof. Larry Scott is leaving as the head of the WTA? This can't be good. -- Greg Smiley, Washington, D.C.
Former No. 1 player Kim Clijsters announces she's coming out of retirement
How do you reconcile Roger Federer's brilliant strategic mind with his decision to -- yet again -- return from a brief tennis hiatus without a coach? Here's a future Hall-of-Famer, oozing with guts, game, and determination (the Aussie Open was no straight sets cruise by Rafa), and yet he foregoes a calming voice to settle any niggling nerves? I confess I'm having troubling distinguishing stubbornness from stupidity... -- Michael Selby, West Chester, Pa.
"We will be parents this summer," the tennis champ says. "This is a dream come true"
What did you make of the matches on HBO? And how much should we read into the results? One never knows how hard the players are playing, does one? -- Barry, Arizona
For obvious reasons, L'Affaire Shahar Peer and the aftermath dominated the questions last week. I'm thinking the most efficient way to do this is take a few of the recurrent themes in order:
In July 2008, a month before China grabbed the sporting headlines for the Beijing Olympics, Zheng Jie made her own bit of sporting history for China.
The UAE denies Shahar Peer, an Israeli, a visa to play in a joint WTA/ATP tournament, when she was placed in the main draw. What does this mean for the future of tennis in this region? What is the appropriate response for the WTA and the other players? There can be little tolerance for this kind of behavior, right? -- Aaron Mayfield, Chicago
Five things we learned from the Australian Open men's final while most of America slept:
Organizers of a tennis tournament in Dubai, criticized for banning an Israeli player, said Tuesday they were trying to protect the woman from anti-Israel protests.
Does Nadal have the best PR person, or does this all come naturally to him? The guy seems to handle himself in a way that I don't think we've seen from some of these younger players. The respect he continues to show to Federer seems genuine. How does he do it? -- Erin, Sudbury, Mass.
I know how Roger Federer feels. For years, I could not beat Priest Holmes in chess. You might remember Holmes, the star running back for the Kansas City Chiefs, the guy who led the NFL in rushing in 2001, the guy who seemed to score three or four touchdowns every week when you were playing against him in fantasy football. We had a weekly chess match for a while.
He stands 6' 1", weighs 185 pounds and can send a tennis ball pretty much anywhere he pleases. He's won on a variety of surfaces, collecting Grand Slam singles titles at a breakneck pace. He projects professionalism and grace and a distinctly European dignity. For all his success, he remains modest and grounded, uninterested in the usual trappings of modern celebrity, attracting attention only with his play.
Some scattered thoughts on the heels of another Australian Open:
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have battled for tennis supremacy on the clay and grass courts of the French Open and Wimbledon for three years. On Sunday, their rivalry will break new ground when they meet on a hard court for the Australian Open title.
Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have battled for tennis supremacy on the clay and grass courts of the French Open and Wimbledon for three years. On Sunday, their rivalry will break new ground when they meet for the Australian Open title on a hard court. A few thoughts:
Jelena Jankovic is making a reputation for herself as one of the hardest working women in tennis.
With regard to the Slams, it has been argued that players are least fit coming into the Australian Open, because they are not as match-tough after the 'offseason'. Bearing that in mind, why does the year start with possibly the most grueling Slam (in terms of playing conditions)? -- Stephen Males, Devonshire, Bermuda
Can Jelena Dokic become the dominant player the women's tour is looking for? (And regardless of the answer -- how wonderful is it to see someone who used to be the epitome of misery so thoroughly enjoying herself?) -- Deborah, Como, N.S.W.
I know you'll never touch this question but here's nothing. Serena said: Being a Jehovah's Witness kept her from voting in the election, but didn't prevent her from watching Barack Obama's campaign and victory. "I try to stay politically neutral, don't get involved in worldly matters," she said. "For me, because I am black, seeing that happen, I would be blind if I didn't take interest in it or I would be lying if I said I wasn't interested in what was going on. Obviously I am." As an African-American, I'm curious as to whether winning slams and other tennis tournaments is somehow religious or unworldly? My point is that she and her sister set a poor example for young kids. Voting is ungodly but chasing Slams isn't? Your opinion? -- Ray Vinson, Hampton,Va.
We'll do some periodic baggies off the Australian Open. Also, I'm considering "live blogging" the final, so stay tuned for details.
• WERTHEIM: Dementieva looking to make long run
Our guest today is widely regarded as the greatest player ever to set foot on the tennis court. He's Roger Federer, I'm Anjali Rao, and this is Talk Asia.
1. Where does the Nadal-Federer passion play go from here? You'd be hard-pressed to name a more gripping and textured rivalry in professional sports. One versus two. Lefty versus righty. Grit versus polish. Nouveau versus classic. Will versus Grace, as it were. In 2008, Nadal beat Federer all four times they met --including their spellbinding Wimbledon final -- and assumed the No. l ranking in the process. Yet Federer recovered and enter 2009 within a single Major title of tying Pete Sampras' record. So long as both remain healthy, Rafa-Roger the best theater in tennis, no matter what happens.
It was the match of the year. It was the match of the decade. It was, one could certainly make a credible case, the greatest match in tennis history. On the first Sunday in July, Rafael Nadal beat Roger Federer 6-4, 6-4. 6-7, 6-7, 9-7 in the finals of Wimbledon, the most important match of the most important tournament.
The most amazing thing I saw in this most amazing sports year was not especially important or historic or even decisive. No one won a medal at the end of it, no trophy, no championship, no world record. There were no playbooks involved, no chalkboards, no swimsuits, no balls, no bats, no clubs, no rackets. The man who performed the miracle was only doing what every child does, and at the end of it he seemed utterly unimpressed with himself. He would become world famous, but that was later.
Tennis star Venus Williams is a six-time Grand Slam winner with possibly the fastest serve ever seen in the women's game. With the Australian Open under way, CNN's Anjali Rao sits down with Williams as she discusses her current No. 8 world ranking, growing up in a tough Los Angeles neighborhood, her rigorous training schedule and close relationship with fellow pro and sister Serena.
Few folks are likely to describe 2008 as a gilded year. Oh, for the days, when "bailout" was something done to a wayward rowboat, homes were worth more than mortgages, and Iceland was best known as a quirky (and solvent) vacation destination. Fortunately, tennis was there to provide us with diverting entertainment and some welcome escapism. The sport up to its usual tricks this year, serving up jarring plot twists (Justine Henin, the top WTA player, abruptly retiring), relentless melodrama, and enough mutually destructive in-fighting and finger-pointing to shame the post-election McCain and Palin camps.
Check back next week for our annual Baggie Awards ...
Exhibitions during the offseason are a double-edged sword, no matter how you look at them. You answered a question about players complaining of the long season, yet booking numerous exhibitions during the offseason. While I lean towards the argument of players losing credibility for this phenomenon, I have to think they are acting partially as ambassadors of the sport and taking the sport (and themselves) to places that have little tennis exposure. -- J. Duncan, Flagstaff, Ariz.
While I agree that Rafa Nadal's decision not to play in Shanghai might require some re-thinking about the year round schedule, don't you think it is also a reflection that the Davis Cup is very much alive outside the U.S., and that Rafa does not want to award Argentina any advantage. It seemed Rafa and Ferrer were going to have the tough time adapting from China to Argentina, now it is only the unlikely Del Potro. -- Marcos Clutterbuck, Buenos Aires, Argentina
I used to think this notion was controversial and didn't want to submit it for fear of being ridiculed, but I think the time has finally come: Jelena Jankovic is a better No. 1 than Ana Ivanovic. Here's a few reasons why.
So, somewhat inebriated conversation with a friend: "Top 5 All Time On-Court Headcases (Men), Sans McEnroe." In no particular order, and somewhat relegated to our generational recollection: Nastase, Youzhny, Slobodan Zivojinovic, Ivanisevic, Safin (others in consideration --Gasquet, Noah). Is it just us, or is there really an European slant to this? Who'd we miss? -- Anirban Mukherjee, Durham, N.C.
What do you make of Roger Federer's withdrawal from Stockholm (citing fatigue) and, more importantly, his possible closing of the door on the remainder of his 2008 season (per his noncommital, vague press release)?
As someone who covers a variety of other sports, how do think tennis players stack up as far as athletes? -- John, Hong Kong
NEW YORK -- Feted as the four-time and defending U.S. Open champion throughout the duration of his American fortnight, Roger Federer returned to the site of his past glories Monday evening.
NEW YORK -- Cleaning out the notebook from the 2008 U.S. Open.
A quick baguette before Williams-Williams. But if you haven't checked out Andy Roddick's transcript from last night, do so now.
What is going on with Ana Ivanovic? She seemed in good spirits in her press conference -- which shocked me. I realize she's been dealing with a thumb injury that the doctors still aren't sure how to fix, and that has meant little match play. Any buzz you can let us in on? I have a theory -- look at Sampras, Serena, Sharapova, Andy, even Djokovic as examples: generally it takes some time for someone when they win their first major to get their games back together and start fighting consistently. In both Andy's and Ana's case, the first major was soon followed (if not immediately) with the No. 1 ranking. Maybe it's just part of the process. And obviously, as to any rule or theory, their are exceptions: Steffi Graf, Venus, Roger. -- Dart, Atlanta, Ga.
Will you do an Olympics Mailbag? If no, then why? -- George, Auburn
Your latest mailbag really does scale unprecedented heights of xenophobia . Quite on top of your gloating about the downgrading of Hamburg (only the biggest tournament in a country that has given tennis Boris Becker and Steffi Graf) in favor of umpteen cookie-cutter events in the U.S., you then jump into the realms of total hysteria with your comments about the Olympics and the "U.S. Open Series." I am sure you are the only person on the planet who thinks the Olympic Games should defer to the Series, after all it really can't compare with the Series on prestige and longevity, can it? -- John Thompson, United Kingdom
Michael Phelps may rule the American sports universe for these Olympics, but in China, ask local fans who they're supporting and you'll start hearing names like Lin Dan (badminton), Zhang Yining (table tennis) and Zhao Ruirui (volleyball).
Maria Sharapova will miss the U.S. Open because of a bad right shoulder
Federer or Nadal, who's your pick at the U.S. Open? -- Chas, New York
An unconditional Roger fan, I also felt crushed. Still I was able to come up with the following positives: 1) What Rafa did to win the match was extra-terrestrial and such a performance must be rewarded; 2) Roger is more rational than I am in interpreting the meaning of his wins and his losses; 3) Roger is not Justine, he will not disappear because the competition fundamentally suits his body and his mind. -- Barbara Katzenberg Lexington, MA
That was unquestionably one of the greatest tennis matches I have ever witnessed. But let's digest it a little bit and let the heat of the moment pass before we dub it "the greatest of all time." This one had a lot at stake, with a lot of underlying stories attached to it on the most prestigious stage in all of the sport. But I'm not ready to dismiss Agassi-Blake in the 2005 Open quarters just because we saw a match of its equal. -- Steve, New York, NY
Cleaning out the Wimbledon notebook while still in awe of that final.
The Wimbledon champ says her most challenging opponent is also her inspiration
The stylish couple went courtside to root for pal Roger Federer – but to no avail
The emotional impact of Nadal's victory over Swiss champion Federer, as seen by TIME's reporter at the Centre Court
For Wertheim's audio roundup of today's matches, click here or scroll down below.
Five years since their last title matchup, the Williams sisters are back in the Wimbledon final with another Grand Slam championship -- and family bragging rights -- at stake
For Wertheim's audio roundup of today's matches, click here or scroll down below.
Hi Jon. How do the Wimbledon organizers decide the schedule of play? Specifically, what are their criteria for selecting who will play on Centre Court or Court 1? I ask this because it seems a little disrespectful to make Venus and Serena (who have six Wimbledon trophies between them) play on Court 2, while Kuznetsova-Radwanska and Vaidisova-Chakvetadze get to play on Centre Court and Court 1, respectively. These four have never gotten past the quarters at Wimbledon, and don't exactly generate the amount of interest that Venus and Serena do. So if it's not past performance or popularity, what is it? -- Nancy Ng, Montreal
Williams hit a 127-mph serve on Saturday -- the fastest recorded by a woman at Wimbledon
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