Players who become commentators and who won't

[roysid]

I was seeing so many ex players became commentators and some don't. Makes me wonder why they go and if it is the natural progression, why don't everyone go. So here's my little theory(in development stage) to study the players and predict what they will do after tennis career is over.

Category 1: The "Not the champions" (not many slams in short career or zero slams). But they've earned enough popularity to grab a tv slot. After their career is over, they invariably go with tv/magazine. The reasons being 1) They can't sit at home idle and that's the easiest job for them. 2) There's money in it.
Examples: There are a lot of players in this. Tim Henman, Greg Rusedeski, Justin Gimelstob, Pat Cash, Pat Rafter, Jim Courier, John Lloyd, Tracy Austin, Michael Stich, Vijay Amritraj,
Future Prediction: Mardy Fish, James Blake, Ferrer(Spanish), Andy Murray (probably)


Category 2: The "tennis is my life" types. These players love tennis and play doubles though they are very successful in singles. They bring their whole personality on the court and enjoy it. So obviously when their career ends, they keep on coming. Become commentators, play seniors, write in magazines.
Examples: John Mcenroe, Martina Navratilove, Mats Wilander, Pam Shriver, Sanchez Vicario
Future: This is a dying breed. Players: Santoro (French), Sam Stosur(maybe)

Category 3: The "obsessively committed to winning" types. These players gave their all to winning slams means practicing day & night, limited social skills, basically gave a lot in order to win. For them it's "Winning is life".
After tennis career is over, they prefer to sit idle at home (they have enough money) and take it easy. Enjoy stable family life and the titles won. They can't stand coming again to the battlefield.
Examples: Bjohn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, Justine Henin
Future: Roger Federer. I bet Roger would be happy sitting at home enjoying family life. He won't come for commentary for some bucks.
Rafael Nadal (probably)

Category 4: The "popular superstars". These players are too popular in their times and talented. Means they have enjoyed in court and not succeeded so much like the category above. But they've earned a lot through advertising for their future. After career, they'll come to social events, some guest commentary perhaps.
Examples: Andre Agassi, Stefan Edberg, Chris Evert belongs to this category but an exception(she turned commentary). Boris Becker is another exception.
Future: Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Williams sisters, Lleyton Hewitt, Anna Kournikova, Kim Clijsters.

Category 5: The "headcases". They made such a mess managing their career in spite of tremendous talent. So when it's over, they don't have the discipline for TV. They sit at home and make a bear belly.
Examples: Goran Ivanisevic, Mark Phillipousis, Jimmy Connors (or does he belong to category above)
Future: Marat Safin, Jo Wilfried tsonga.

 

[roysid]

Feel free to share your thoughts. Which player belong to which category and predictions for the current ones.

 

[jamesblakefan#1]

I definetly see Hewitt and Blake going into the media. Tursunov's another guy who'd fit into the 1st category, his blog was pretty popular on the ATP site a few yrs back.

I don't see Sharapova, she's too self-centered in every interview I've seen, doesn't come off as an analyst.

Ferrero maybe, Murray definetly if he wants to, probably one of the Bryan Brothers.

 

[CyberShot]

How can you forget Mince Spadea?! He's really funny and knows his stuff. I'm sure he'd up the ratings for ESPN/Tennis Channel

 

[roysid]

How can you forget Mince Spadea?! He's really funny and knows his stuff. I'm sure he'd up the ratings for ESPN/Tennis Channel

You mean Vince Spadea. It's Category 1- The "Not so good Players"

 

[fps]

"not-so-good players" is an incredibly dismissive way to describe players like Cash who have won a slam, Rafter who won two, or, like henman, overachieved and got to SIX slam semis.

i can't see Murray doing it unless he has a voice transplant, he also clearly sees the media here as a distraction to be tolerated but generally avoided.

i think Roddick would potentially be a great commentator, really funny. Blake will move on to other things I imagine, he's never struck me as being overly obsessed with his chosen career, kinda like Safin.

it's interesting that the peak of the men's game, the likes of borg and sampras, have not gone into commentating, as you say, and i highly doubt federer will go down that route. when you've had that much success it shows an utterly competitive, selfish (in a good way) streak that reflects utter dedication to the game, but not necessarily *love* of it.

i'd love santoro to go into media, but he seems quite shy. maybe stepanek, someone like that would be a good commentator- a hard, thoughtful pro.

henman, as one newspaper put it, has progressed from one-word banalities to full sentence banalities this year. perhaps next year he'll be more opinionated at Wimbledon, he has a great niche being the last of the S&Vers but clearly still feels restricted in the company of authoritative champions like McEnroe in the box.

Boris Becker rocks.

 

[Mafia13]

Didn't Andre do some part-time commenting? Also from what I heard he was quite good at it.

 

[MarcRosset1992]

Category 3: The "obsessively committed to winning" types. These players gave their all to winning slams means practicing day & night, limited social skills, basically gave a lot in order to win. For them it's "Winning is life".
After tennis career is over, they prefer to sit idle at home (they have enough money) and take it easy. Enjoy stable family life and the titles won. They can't stand coming again to the battlefield.
Examples: Bjohn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, Justine Henin
Future: Roger Federer. I bet Roger would be happy sitting at home enjoying family life. He won't come for commentary for some bucks.
Rafael Nadal (probably)

Bjorn Borg, stable family life! There have been a few complaints

 

[roysid]

Bjorn Borg, stable family life! There have been a few complaints

Well Bjohn Borg failed there. I guess the reason is he never completed his career. He gave it midway. So probably he was not so much at peace sitting at home.

 

[roysid]

"not-so-good players" is an incredibly dismissive way to describe players like Cash who have won a slam, Rafter who won two, or, like henman, overachieved and got to SIX slam semis.

i can't see Murray doing it unless he has a voice transplant, he also clearly sees the media here as a distraction to be tolerated but generally avoided.

i think Roddick would potentially be a great commentator, really funny. Blake will move on to other things I imagine, he's never struck me as being overly obsessed with his chosen career, kinda like Safin.

it's interesting that the peak of the men's game, the likes of borg and sampras, have not gone into commentating, as you say, and i highly doubt federer will go down that route. when you've had that much success it shows an utterly competitive, selfish (in a good way) streak that reflects utter dedication to the game, but not necessarily *love* of it.

i'd love santoro to go into media, but he seems quite shy. maybe stepanek, someone like that would be a good commentator- a hard, thoughtful pro.

henman, as one newspaper put it, has progressed from one-word banalities to full sentence banalities this year. perhaps next year he'll be more opinionated at Wimbledon, he has a great niche being the last of the S&Vers but clearly still feels restricted in the company of authoritative champions like McEnroe in the box.

Boris Becker rocks.

"Not so good players" means a notch below top players. They are good players obviously but not champion players. I'll change that.

Cash was not in the same league as Lendl, Mcenroe.
Henman, Rafter not at same league as Sampras, Agassi.

 

[sanchino]

I was seeing so many ex players became commentators and some don't. Makes me wonder why they go and if it is the natural progression, why don't everyone go. So here's my little theory(in development stage) to study the players and predict what they will do after tennis career is over.

Category 1: The "Not the champions" (not many slams in short career or zero slams). But they've earned enough popularity to grab a tv slot. After their career is over, they invariably go with tv/magazine. The reasons being 1) They can't sit at home idle and that's the easiest job for them. 2) There's money in it.
Examples: There are a lot of players in this. Tim Henman, Greg Rusedeski, Justin Gimelstob, Pat Cash, Pat Rafter, Jim Courier, John Lloyd, Tracy Austin, Michael Stich, Vijay Amritraj,
Future Prediction: Mardy Fish, James Blake, Ferrer(Spanish), Andy Murray (probably)


Category 2: The "tennis is my life" types. These players love tennis and play doubles though they are very successful in singles. They bring their whole personality on the court and enjoy it. So obviously when their career ends, they keep on coming. Become commentators, play seniors, write in magazines.
Examples: John Mcenroe, Martina Navratilove, Mats Wilander, Pam Shriver, Sanchez Vicario
Future: This is a dying breed. Players: Santoro (French), Sam Stosur(maybe)

Category 3: The "obsessively committed to winning" types. These players gave their all to winning slams means practicing day & night, limited social skills, basically gave a lot in order to win. For them it's "Winning is life".
After tennis career is over, they prefer to sit idle at home (they have enough money) and take it easy. Enjoy stable family life and the titles won. They can't stand coming again to the battlefield.
Examples: Bjohn Borg, Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras, Steffi Graf, Justine Henin
Future: Roger Federer. I bet Roger would be happy sitting at home enjoying family life. He won't come for commentary for some bucks.
Rafael Nadal (probably)

Category 4: The "popular superstars". These players are too popular in their times and talented. Means they have enjoyed in court and not succeeded so much like the category above. But they've earned a lot through advertising for their future. After career, they'll come to social events, some guest commentary perhaps.
Examples: Andre Agassi, Stefan Edberg, Chris Evert belongs to this category but an exception(she turned commentary). Boris Becker is another exception.
Future: Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova, Williams sisters, Lleyton Hewitt, Anna Kournikova, Kim Clijsters.

Category 5: The "headcases". They made such a mess managing their career in spite of tremendous talent. So when it's over, they don't have the discipline for TV. They sit at home and make a bear belly.
Examples: Goran Ivanisevic, Mark Phillipousis, Jimmy Connors (or does he belong to category above)
Future: Marat Safin, Jo Wilfried tsonga.

Some people just have too much time to let their brains work!.......anybody who would put Connors in the "made a mess out of their carreer" catagory hasn't a clur what they are talking about!!.....and where did you get that crystal ball that predicts the same of Tsonga and others?.....Get a life!

 

[roysid]

Some people just have too much time to let their brains work!.......anybody who would put Connors in the "made a mess out of their carreer" catagory hasn't a clur what they are talking about!!.....and where did you get that crystal ball that predicts the same of Tsonga and others?.....Get a life!

Could be I made a mistake regarding Connors. I had put the comment that maybe he belongs to superstars category.

What put the idea in the first place is that I wondered why someone like Mcenroe is so full of tennis even after retirement whereas people like Sampras, Lendl are so far from spotlight.