Here’s the most recent episode of Served. I appreciate all of your help. So far, this has been a lot of fun, and the feedback has been humble and satisfying. Please feel free to provide ideas, queries, criticisms, etc. (Andy Roddick and myself are Midwesterners; we have low self-esteem and thick skin.)
• I’m excited to hear that Bill Gates will be writing a new introduction for the summer rerelease of The Inner Game of Tennis.
• It’s likely that you’ve seen this ATP-produced video. There’s a lot to enjoy about this, not the Gael Monfils least of which is how dedicated the players are to the role. (Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, and have comic register and acting skills that are almost unnaturally strong.) This is doubly (triply?) effective since it serves as a subtle reminder of what makes sports like tennis so beautiful: its unplanned, unchoreographed, anything-can-happen quality. Well done; raise the team. or a spending plan to do more.
I lean toward saying both “no” and “no.” No player starts the year wanting to make major changes a few weeks in, as Roddick stated on the podcast.
The legendary Craig Shapiro had a conversation with Holger’s mother Aneke Rune prior to the most recent round of turbulence. And, well. This obviously has a lot going on. Extra, the children say. An organizational psychologist would be helpful in this camp to figure out roles, logistics, and dynamics in the workplace.
All that said, I’ve always had a hard time ginning up outrage for Rune. What’s the worst thing you can say about him? He’s unapologetically ambitious? He sometimes acts his age (20)? He gets more bothered than he should by yutzes and putzes on social media? I see a talented player making his way. This is not a critique, but he is flanked by a hyperattentive mother who is not exactly the Danish equivalent of a shrinking violet.
He’ll age and mature. He’ll make more changes. IMG, newly hired, will play management consultant and professionalize the operation. He’ll be fine
Maybe you guys have heard about the new streaming service from ESPN, Fox, and Warner Bros. How would this affect tennis and Tennis Channel, I asked a buddy who works as a media consultant. He mentioned some of the true selling features of tennis. (It is worldwide. Its audience is predominately female. It’s loaded with “tonnage.” It has gained popularity among gamblers, whether they are better or worse.) There’s another major disadvantage to the sport: no set times. In just an hour, a best-of-three match can be concluded. Three hours can easily be exceeded. This presents a presentation challenge.
