A New Age: Young

When I began playing tennis, at the age of 18, I soon realized that I had lost my chance. The great warriors of tennis don't start playing in high school or middle school. The best players are are born with racquets in hand. They are reared on tennis courts; learning precision form and taking lessons from highly qualified instructors. I never knew this was the case til I saw just how good some high school players are. One high school match I went to was right across from a tennis academy and we could see 5 and 6 year olds practicing precision serves and backhands as we struggled to put power into our forehands. It's amazing to watch players who have played since they were that young. They have a gifted flow in everything they do. Theses gifted athletes are also going pro sooner than ever before. Melanie Oudin was only 17 when she turned professional and she appeared in Wimbledon and the U.S. Open as a fierce competitor. This shows that a younger generation is coming through the ranks and this generation possesses the same strengths and skills as the modern stars of tennis.

The Diversity of Tennis Fans

The U.S. Open was a prime example of the diversity of tennis fans around the world. All you have to do is look at the fans that come to the 4 Grand Slam tournaments to see how different fans can be. The major difference is between fans from the United States and fans from Europe. Since tennis originated in Europe, so did the etiquette and respect that comes with the game. Fans from all over Europe keep the etiquette of the game as they stay quiet and respectful when watching tennis and cheering at the appropriate times. You almost never hear fans yell during serves or insult players. Fans from the United States treat tennis matches a little differently. As I watched the U.S. Open, I heard fans yell repeatedly during serves and insults the players and officials. I was astounded to hear fans actually "boo" the Chair Umpire for delaying a match because of rain. What are these fans doing? This isn't a football game or a baseball game! I understand a fans disappointment but rain causes a necessary delay and that delay should be taken with respect. It's common to hear "booing" at a baseball game but fans need to understand the values of tennis. Also, fans need to know when to be quiet. Fans should always be quiet during a serve as a respectful courtesy to the players.

However, fans from the U.S. bring a spirit to a tennis match that you won't find anywhere else. Tennis players that give their all on the court will instantly make fans and gain support at the U.S. Open. Fans will fall in love with players that they've never seen before because they admire the players efforts and want to support them. Since the mental aspect of tennis plays a huge role, support from the crowd can win the match from any player.

Tennis Etiquette

Tennis stands as one of the oldest sports in history. Tennis was and is played with etiquette and manners and everyone who plays is expected to uphold that tradition. The U.S. Open showed a different story. Roger Federer and Serena Williams shocked the tennis world when they both used profanity with officials during their matches. Serena Williams lost self control as she threatened to shove the ball down the officials throat after Serena was called for a foot fault. Roger Federer was complaining about Del Potro taking too much time to call for review when he used profanity with the chair umpire. These two players should have been punish more than they were. It costed Williams the match but it should have costed her the entire tournament. Including her doubles match. Federer was only fined $1,500 for his profanity. Although his use was small it should not be taken lightly in the sport of tennis. These players need to have more respect for the officials of the game. I can see a new age of tennis coming that is changing the historic values of tennis. This modern age is one without respect for tennis in its proper form. Players are focused on doing whatever they can to be the best. Its all about themselves and not themselves and the game of tennis.

U.S. Open History Made

The towering, young Juan Martin Del Potro surprised everyone when he won the U.S. Open Championship almost a week ago. he humbly accepted his trophy and spoke to both the crowd and his Argentines at home. I could tell he was emotional as he accepted the award, thanked the crowd, and tried to combine words to explain how he felt in the moment, but when he spoke to his fans in Spanish, he immediately began to cry with joy. He Brought pride back to his native country, Argentina, when he became the first Argentine to win the U.S. Open since Guillermo Vilas in 1977. Del Potro and Vilas are the only two from Argentina to ever win. But what is so amazing, to me, is that he is only 20 years old! While I go to a tennis P.E. class to learn a forehand, a guy one year older than me is defeating legendary players in one of the four major Grand Slams in tennis. His skill combined with his height of 6 feet 4 inchers makes him a deadly weapon on the court. He is one of the few that have defeated both Nadal and Ferderer in the same tournament. Del Potro has an extremely bright future and with his talent, he could be placed among the legends of tennis.

Introduction

For the past few years I have become consumed in tennis. I love watching it and recently, I've started playing. I've swam competitively my entire life and after a few months of tennis, I'm ready to forget about swimming and focus completely on tennis. It's amazing how addicting tennis can be. The pros definitely make it look easy, but just like every other sport, you just have to work at it to get better. Tennis involves a lot of muscle memory so repetition is the key. The more I get into tennis the more I find out how technical it is. Good form is vital to a beginner. Once you have the basic form down you can then work to improve strength, speed, and precision. After that, you can work on being the best!