Jannik Sinner, of Italy, executing a picture-perfect backhand volley against Holger Rune, of Denmark, at the 2022 ATP Sofia Open tournament in Sofia, Bulgaria
Enshrinement in the Hall of Fame in your sport is the ultimate honor for an athlete. Inductees into sports halls of fame invariably say that joining the pantheon of greats is a tremendous honor and the pinnacle of their careers. These sports shrines have become so famous that they’re often referred to by their American locations: Cooperstown (baseball), Springfield (basketball), Canton (football), and Newport (tennis).
To my loyal, knowledgeable followers:
The movement to abolish the service let has recently gained momentum. The four Grand Slam tournaments have discontinued using their technology on some courts to announce service lets, apparently due to a dispute with the company that provides the technology.
Tennis Channel analyst and former world No. 1 Jim Courier today said, "We could move away from lets and not miss a beat."
Tennis thrives on great rivalries. The riveting ones feature legends like Borg-McEnroe, Navratilova-Evert, Sampras-Agassi, and Djokovic-Nadal-Federer. A compelling, insightful book on this subject, written by Johnette Howard in 2005, chronicled the longest (80 matches) between the most contrasting of champions—The Rivals: Chris Evert vs. Martina Navratilova, Their Epic Duels and Extraordinary Friendship.
Of the 64 total seeds in the ladies’ and gentlemen’s singles events, a record-tying 36 were beaten in the opening two rounds.
Shocking!
There was a lot to like—even love—about Roland Garros. Here are my five picks.
Other Books by Paul Fein
