August 14, 2020

Here’s your roundup of the five most interesting things I’m enjoying or thinking about this week.

1.) The Fractured World of Tennis

In her article published yesterday, Louisa Thomas of the New Yorker, shines a light on the “stark divides in a global game,” while providing a great recap of all that’s happened in the past few months during the pandemic. It’s a bit of a lengthier read, but perfect for those who want to catch up.

Great read from @louisahthomas If you haven’t been paying attention to much of the off-court details surrounding tennis since coronavirus shut things down, this article is a great opportunity to catch up.https://t.co/s2zhhjEdqZ

— TennisCompanion (@TennisCompanion) August 15, 2020

2.) Serena vs. Venus: Episode 31

Yesterday, Serena and Venus met for the thirty-first time at the Top Seed Open in Kentucky, and it didn’t disappoint. Serena came back from a set down to win 3-6, 6-3, 6-4 for an entertaining match that brings her record against her sister to 19-12. If you didn’t have a chance to catch it, here’s a look at the highlights.

3.) Impressive Player Imitations

Not all tennis player imitations are worth sharing, but these from Stelios Gkontsaris are well done. Players include Murray, Djoker, Federer, Rafa, Thiem, Delpo, Tsitsipas, Kyrgios, and Wawrinka.

4.) Why Are Tennis Crowds Quite?

In this in-depth article on the topic from Atlas Obscura, writer Dan Nosowitz attempts to dig through history to uncover why crowds are quiet during a tennis match. It’s an interesting read if the topic sparks your curiosity.

Why are tennis crowds quite? @dannosowitz digs in to provide an explanation over at @atlasobscura https://t.co/OACtI6VzT2

— TennisCompanion (@TennisCompanion) August 13, 2020

5.) Tsitsipas Behind the Racquet

World #6, Stefanos Tsitsipas, went Behind the Racquet to share his story along with the struggles and pressure he’s endured as one of the top athletes to emerge from Greece in the past decade.

View this post on Instagram

“In 2018, I broke into the Top 15 and was seeded in Grand Slams. That’s when I understood my potential. In the beginning, I traveled with only my dad. Now, I travel with my dad, mom, and three siblings. I’m the main source of income for my family. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I have hobbies that keep me interested in different aspects of life. These activities keep me creative and are reflected in my tennis game. Sometimes, I post things on my social media that not many people understand. These posts express my inner creativity. I put Stefanos’ twist on life. I am philosophical, I come from a country with a history of philosophy and I don’t know if I was Pythagoras or Socrates in my previous life, but I wouldn’t mind being either one. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ There was a time when I wasn’t doing well. I started to play futures and was doubting myself. I wasn’t sure if I was good enough to play professional tennis. My country was on the verge of bankruptcy. The entire population was suffering. My father’s siblings were unemployed and couldn’t feed their families. People looked at me like I was the one ruling the country and they thought I was part of the problem. ⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I felt isolated. I wasn’t home to see what was going on because I was traveling. I needed support. My mental coach shared his wisdom and inspired me. Then I said to myself, ‘You’ve dedicated your entire life to tennis, you can’t just give up. You’ve got to keep going.’ I play tennis to prove that my country has a great history and can achieve success. Tennis is a very introverted sport and we face everything alone. We have a team that follows us all over the world but I have spent countless sleepless nights on my own. All the traveling and competing causes a lot of stress and I grew very lonely.⁣⁣ ⁣⁣ I was an introverted child and didn’t have many friends. When I started playing on tour, I thought I would develop friendships but it turned out to be the opposite. Most players keep to themselves. I feel like players don’t want to become friends because they think someone will grab a secret from you to beat you. I guess they’re just too serious about the whole thing. Friends would make traveling less lonely.⁣⁣” @stefanostsitsipas98 #BTR

A post shared by Behind The Racquet (@behindtheracquet) on Jul 30, 2020 at 10:01am PDT

If you have a moment, I’d love to hear your feedback. Which topic is your favorite? What would you like to see more or less of each week?

Share your thoughts in the comments below and have a great weekend.