By way of an apology to anyone who comes here expecting gig reviews (yes I know you flock to my blog in your thousands): I should probably divide this blog into two somehow. Or just start different blogs for my waxing and waning interests. My distinct lack of exposure to live music so far this year, particularly in the last three months or so, has not only disturbed me deeply, but coupled with the pathetic flailings of the England ‘football’ team in South Africa has led me to a new obsession, and one which I am enjoying so thoroughly I sincerely doubt I’ll ever get tired of it. I knew I was more excited about tennis than usual this year but I wasn’t sure why. Well finally I know. It’s the sport I should have been focussing on all these years – loving it for a month or so a year just simply isn’t enough. I’ve been doing that since I was 8 or 9 years old, so why hasn’t it stuck sooner? So I’ve taken the plunge and invested myself in the sport, heart and soul, over the past couple of months, and here’s what I’ve concluded so far about why it’s the most under-rated spectator sport going.
1) There’s always something to be excited about. In the whole year there’s literally only about 3 weeks in December when there ISN’T a tennis competition of some kind going on. It’s like the football season, only better. There are matches EVERY DAY. There’s always another draw to look forward to, another upset, another rising star or fallen idol, another giant serve or breath-taking backhand. It never ends. Therefore it is pure, and perfect.
2) The perpetrators of this fine sport appear to be thoroughly nice chaps. They converse jocularly with one another through such modern networks as Twitter, and they do so with articulate intelligence, often not in their first language, and sometimes even in two. Beats Rio Ferdinand’s monosyllabic nonsense into the ground. They earn good money for their profession, yes, but outside of the top echelons of the sport (and I’m talking a seriously limited number of people here) they are not paid ridiculous sums of money, and even those that are remain humble, dedicated, and passionate about their sport. Like athletes, these are men and women who tend to remain involved with tennis long after they have retired from the tour, playing Masters and exhibition events and generally keeping themselves in great shape. It’s a really nice network of people who genuinely seem to love what they do.
3) Also like athletics, it’s easy to support individuals in tennis, regardless of what country they are from. It’s a sport where for the most part, individuals are competing for themselves, and so the feeling of needing to support your own countrymen is not as strong. Thankfully, as I’m really not a fan of the unfortunate-faced surly oik that Britain calls its number one these days. I’ve been a patriot when it comes to sport for a number of years, and although up until recently I used to love supporting England at football, I can’t deny that it made a nice change once the fumbling bunch of duffers had gone out of the World Cup to support the teams that I actually liked watching. And that’s why I love tennis so much. You can do that all the time. It’s a carte blanche to get behind whoever you damn well please.
4) It’s completely unpredictable. The obscenely complicated rankings system means that players have to employ real strategy when deciding which tournaments to play, and which to sit out. This means that you see a different collection of players in every tournament; countless different match-ups and myriad possibilities for outcomes. Add to this four different surfaces, each with their respective merits and disadvantages, and it really is a recipe for an ever-fluctuating, thrilling year-round experience. Not just two weeks in June – much as those Pimms and strawberry-filled weeks are a joy to everyone involved with the sport, from the armchair fan to the players themselves, many of whom see Wimbledon as a mecca, a kind of mothership to which they strive to return year in year out. It really is worth keeping up with once the grass of the All-England club falls silent.
5) The sport itself is a joy to watch, but there is so much going on off court too. Tennis is as much a mental as it is a physical game. It’s an endless tussle between rest and recovery, and achieving that much sought-after match fitness. Players must gamble with their bodies and make judgements over which tournaments would best suit their hunt for points, all leading towards the Barclays-sponsored ATP Tour Finals which will be held in London for the second time this year, on the indoor hard courts at the O2 arena. I have already purchased tickets and am breathless with anticipation as to who I will actually see in action. And the beauty of this fluid yet erratic sport is, other than the beast that is Rafael Nadal, who has already scored enough points to guarantee a place at this prestigious event, I really don’t know yet.
So there you have it. The biggest downside I’ve discovered so far is the lack of coverage on British television but that’s not a huge surprise when it comes to sport. And if the above reasons weren’t enough? Wimbledon apparently employed a resident poet this year. Which other sport can say that?
1) There’s always something to be excited about. In the whole year there’s literally only about 3 weeks in December when there ISN’T a tennis competition of some kind going on. It’s like the football season, only better. There are matches EVERY DAY. There’s always another draw to look forward to, another upset, another rising star or fallen idol, another giant serve or breath-taking backhand. It never ends. Therefore it is pure, and perfect.
2) The perpetrators of this fine sport appear to be thoroughly nice chaps. They converse jocularly with one another through such modern networks as Twitter, and they do so with articulate intelligence, often not in their first language, and sometimes even in two. Beats Rio Ferdinand’s monosyllabic nonsense into the ground. They earn good money for their profession, yes, but outside of the top echelons of the sport (and I’m talking a seriously limited number of people here) they are not paid ridiculous sums of money, and even those that are remain humble, dedicated, and passionate about their sport. Like athletes, these are men and women who tend to remain involved with tennis long after they have retired from the tour, playing Masters and exhibition events and generally keeping themselves in great shape. It’s a really nice network of people who genuinely seem to love what they do.
3) Also like athletics, it’s easy to support individuals in tennis, regardless of what country they are from. It’s a sport where for the most part, individuals are competing for themselves, and so the feeling of needing to support your own countrymen is not as strong. Thankfully, as I’m really not a fan of the unfortunate-faced surly oik that Britain calls its number one these days. I’ve been a patriot when it comes to sport for a number of years, and although up until recently I used to love supporting England at football, I can’t deny that it made a nice change once the fumbling bunch of duffers had gone out of the World Cup to support the teams that I actually liked watching. And that’s why I love tennis so much. You can do that all the time. It’s a carte blanche to get behind whoever you damn well please.
4) It’s completely unpredictable. The obscenely complicated rankings system means that players have to employ real strategy when deciding which tournaments to play, and which to sit out. This means that you see a different collection of players in every tournament; countless different match-ups and myriad possibilities for outcomes. Add to this four different surfaces, each with their respective merits and disadvantages, and it really is a recipe for an ever-fluctuating, thrilling year-round experience. Not just two weeks in June – much as those Pimms and strawberry-filled weeks are a joy to everyone involved with the sport, from the armchair fan to the players themselves, many of whom see Wimbledon as a mecca, a kind of mothership to which they strive to return year in year out. It really is worth keeping up with once the grass of the All-England club falls silent.
5) The sport itself is a joy to watch, but there is so much going on off court too. Tennis is as much a mental as it is a physical game. It’s an endless tussle between rest and recovery, and achieving that much sought-after match fitness. Players must gamble with their bodies and make judgements over which tournaments would best suit their hunt for points, all leading towards the Barclays-sponsored ATP Tour Finals which will be held in London for the second time this year, on the indoor hard courts at the O2 arena. I have already purchased tickets and am breathless with anticipation as to who I will actually see in action. And the beauty of this fluid yet erratic sport is, other than the beast that is Rafael Nadal, who has already scored enough points to guarantee a place at this prestigious event, I really don’t know yet.
So there you have it. The biggest downside I’ve discovered so far is the lack of coverage on British television but that’s not a huge surprise when it comes to sport. And if the above reasons weren’t enough? Wimbledon apparently employed a resident poet this year. Which other sport can say that?
