Reason You Watch Tennis Or Are A Fan Of A Player

[BorisBeckerFan]

I watch tennis because I like the sport itself. I am a fan of the game.
I am a Federer fan because I like the style in wich he plays tennis.
It is entertaining for me. I do not like the style in wich Nadal plays.
I am not saying Nadal is not talented or doesn't hit amazing shots.
He is obviously talented and he is a hard worker. Since it is very unlikely
that I would have a meaningful friendship with either of them, I could careless if they are humble or if they are jerks. I am not watching tennis because of what they do off the court or how they handle themselves in
an interview. I am watching because I like tennis. If either one of them was
harming people or involved in criminal activity it would prevent me from
enjoying watching them play but otherwise it is how they play that makes
me watch.

It obvious to me (based on the public interviewsnot any personal knowledge
or relationship) that Federer is a Class A Jerk with little respect for his
counterparts and does not have his ego under control. Nadal seems to be
genuine, humble and respectful. A person of good character. Since they are
not my role models I could really careless about all the discussion over who is
classy and who is not. If you are watching tennis for the post match
interviews, have a personal or any connection to any player then character
and personality would be important. I however am watching because of the
beauty and game of tennis and I prefer Federer over Nadal. Where I picking
friends it would be Nadal over Federer. Federer despite being a jerk has been
a great ambassador for the sport and has helped it grow. Nadal is doing the
same. In that sense I like them both because I would like see tennis continue
to grow as a sport.

Being a new poster I don't want to offend any posters here but I believe
some people here have difficulty seperating objective and subjective
thoughts, my self included. I am trying to improve my critical thinking,
have clear thoughts and not simply defend something because I like it.
I use to think Federer was classy but I now realise that me liking the way he
plays made me excuse his childish behaviour. Being a father and raising
children I would prefer them to grow up and act more like Nadal. I have a
meaningful, loving relationship with my children hence I care about there
behaviour and character.

Some people seem to have a need to prove that what they like is also
what is best. Boris Becker is currently my all time favorite player and it
would take someone pretty special to change that but I'll never argue
that he was the best player or person ever.

So are you watching because of the tennis or because of the character
of the player? Maybe both? If both, are they equally important to you?

 

[miyagi]

I watch tennis because I like the sport itself. I am a fan of the game.
I am a Federer fan because I like the style in wich he plays tennis.
It is entertaining for me. I do not like the style in wich Nadal plays.
I am not saying Nadal is not talented or doesn't hit amazing shots.
He is obviously talented and he is a hard worker. Since it is very unlikely
that I would have a meaningful friendship with either of them, I could careless if they are humble or if they are jerks. I am not watching tennis because of what they do off the court or how they handle themselves in
an interview. I am watching because I like tennis. If either one of them was
harming people or involved in criminal activity it would prevent me from
enjoying watching them play but otherwise it is how they play that makes
me watch.

It obvious to me (based on the public interviewsnot any personal knowledge
or relationship) that Federer is a Class A Jerk with little respect for his
counterparts and does not have his ego under control. Nadal seems to be
genuine, humble and respectful. A person of good character. Since they are
not my role models I could really careless about all the discussion over who is
classy and who is not. If you are watching tennis for the post match
interviews, have a personal or any connection to any player then character
and personality would be important. I however am watching because of the
beauty and game of tennis and I prefer Federer over Nadal. Where I picking
friends it would be Nadal over Federer. Federer despite being a jerk has been
a great ambassador for the sport and has helped it grow. Nadal is doing the
same. In that sense I like them both because I would like see tennis continue
to grow as a sport.

Being a new poster I don't want to offend any posters here but I believe
some people here have difficulty seperating objective and subjective
thoughts, my self included. I am trying to improve my critical thinking,
have clear thoughts and not simply defend something because I like it.
I use to think Federer was classy but I now realise that me liking the way he
plays made me excuse his childish behaviour. Being a father and raising
children I would prefer them to grow up and act more like Nadal. I have a
meaningful, loving relationship with my children hence I care about there
behaviour and character.

Some people seem to have a need to prove that what they like is also
what is best. Boris Becker is currently my all time favorite player and it
would take someone pretty special to change that but I'll never argue
that he was the best player or person ever.

So are you watching because of the tennis or because of the character
of the player? Maybe both? If both, are they equally important to you?

Interesting post....

Like your honesty

 

[ThA_Azn_DeViL]

Interestingly enough, I began to play tennis because of my cousin, and because I sucked at football, a chain of coincidental events led me to tennis, and within 3-4 months, I fell in love with it.
Federer is my kinda guy, even though im lefty (which shouldnt make a difference), I still love Nadal's passion for tennis, but since hes in the way of my favorite player, he must go down! .
For your last question, im pretty sure most people would watch both, the *******s and *******s watch for the character .

 

[Leublu tennis]

I picked up tennis late in life, in my 20s, but then moved to California and played a fair amount in the wonderful weather. Never cold and rains only for a few months in "the winter". Now I live where tennis is an unknown, so I don't play, but have discovered watching tennis. I know, there is almost a sexual connotation to this, but thats the way life is.

I try to combine watching tennis with travel to interesting places and have now been to matches on all the continents of the world, other than Africa, which did not have a tournament until this year.

The players I like are the ones who play an entertaining game. Being pro tennis players, the play among top players varies very little and a lot depends on variables (health, mental attitude, etc). So its more a matter of personality as opposed to ability. Sure Lendl was a great player, but I liked Becker more. Same today. Federer is dull, Blake is dull, Fish is dull. But Djokovic, Baghdatis, and Safin all have great personalities which come across on the tennis court. I am emotionally involved when I see them play so that, when they make a great shot, I feel great. When they lose, I feel sorrow. But the players I like is not limited to those three. I like many others as well, Nishikori, Del Potro, Verdasco, and the new kid Dimitrov.

Didn't mean to make it so long but didn't know how to answer otherwise.

LT

 

[DarthFed]

Okay....
When i was 9, in gym class the teacher tried a different sport every day (supposedly) one day we tried tennis...we all sucked but i was having so much fun....we never played it again

Me being 9, it didn't bother me....fast forward to 2006, I like to play video games and im into ANime...so my little brother tells me to check out this series called "The Prince of tennis"

I've tried to get into many of these sports cartoons, but not of them captivated me except this one....after i finished the series i decied tocheck out the real sport again...saw WImbledon 06, became a casual fan...fast foward to USO 2007...i see Darth Federer besting Djokovic..i follow the sport rabidly now

Fast forward Wimbledon 2008...after the match i realized i was in love with this sport...attempted to start playing (with limited success)

Why i watch? because of the mental strength, complexity, single player nature and the will power it takes, and of course "The Federer"

 

[icedevil0289]

To be honest I used to hate tennis. Watching it or playing it. I'm not an athlete and I'm not coordinated. My cousin was staying at my house and she's a huge tennis fan and federer fan, and I saw him playing wimbledon 2006 and I fell in love. I couldn't believe someone could make a game look so beautiful. In the beginning I only used to watch federer, but now I just enjoy watching tennis. I'm not a big fan of the baseline rallies and have recently been watching videos of serve and volley tennis,and like it more, but things are always changing I suppose. I still don't know that much about tennis in terms of tactics and many of the shots are still unknown to me. I'm still learning and it helps when people post analysis of matches.

 

[DarthFed]

To be honest I used to hate tennis. Watching it or playing it. I'm not an athlete and I'm not coordinated. My cousin was staying at my house and she's a huge tennis fan and federer fan, and I saw him playing wimbledon 2006 and I fell in love. I couldn't believe someone could make a game look so beautiful. In the beginning I only used to watch federer, but now I just enjoy watching tennis. I'm not a big fan of the baseline rallies and have recently been watching videos of serve and volley tennis,and like it more, but things are always changing I suppose. I still don't know that much about tennis in terms of tactics and many of the shots are still unknown to me. I'm still learning and it helps when people post analysis of matches.

Research! Research! Research!

Thats what i did i remember when i first started these were common questions...

Why is he hitting with a one handed backhand when he is a two hander? and his one handed backhand is so slow (referring to a slice)

WTF is an inside out forehand?

 

[icedevil0289]

Research! Research! Research!

Thats what i did i remember when i first started these were common questions...

Why is he hitting with a one handed backhand when he is a two hander? and his one handed backhand is so slow (referring to a slice)

WTF is an inside out forehand?

thanks. I'm getting there.

 

[DarthFed]

thanks. I'm getting there.

When you do....i assure you you'll love the sport even more...the more technical it gets the more exciting it becomes...

 

[BorisBeckerFan]

It's always great to see new fans. The larger the fan base and people playing
the greater chance tennis will have at recruiting the best atheletes and not
loose them to football (soccer) or any other sport. Federer and Nadal could have easily been lost at a young age to football (soccer). I do love football to though.

 

[icedevil0289]

It's always great to see new fans. The larger the fan base and people playing
the greater chance tennis will have at recruiting the best atheletes and not
loose them to football (soccer) or any other sport. Federer and Nadal could have easily been lost at a young age to football (soccer). I do love football to though.

I used to play soccer for 9 years, but I still don't like it very much. It could be that I was never any good. If I was any good at tennis, I would definitely play that more. I do enjoy playing though. Whenever I see federer play, I get inspired go to the courts and realize there is a reason why certain people like myself should never play tennis.

 

[BorisBeckerFan]

Keep at it. Hard work goes a long way. If your finances allow take some classes. I try to play at least three to four times a week. I was blessed to have parents that despite having financial hardships did everything they could to make sure I could take tennis lessons. Not because they thought I could make a career out of it but simply because they saw how much I loved
tennis. I started with summer camps as child and ended up taking lessons
regularly until I was about 16 or 17. I still take occasional lessons just to
stay sharp. I have seen several adults pick up tennis well enough to enjoy
playing and it was more due to putting in the time than it was natural ability.
Talent is highly important but it is more important to maximize however much
or little talent one has.

 

[icedevil0289]

Keep at it. Hard work goes a long way. If your finances allow take some classes. I try to play at least three to four times a week. I was blessed to have parents that despite having financial hardships did everything they could to make sure I could take tennis lessons. Not because they thought I could make a career out of it but simply because they saw how much I loved
tennis. I started with summer camps as child and ended up taking lessons
regularly until I was about 16 or 17. I still take occasional lessons just to
stay sharp. I have seen several adults pick up tennis well enough to enjoy
playing and it was more due to putting in the time than it was natural ability.
Talent is highly important but it is more important to maximize however much
or little talent one has.

thanks. I actually did take classes for a year when I was around 15 or 16 and like I said some people are not meant to play tennis. I don't mind, I just enjoy watching tennis and sometimes I like to picture myself playing as that particular tennis player.

 

[Ruzica]

My parents were great tennis fans and members of the LTA (Lawn Tennis Association) in the UK, and first took me to Wimbledon at the age of 5. I haven't missed a year since (that's quite a few now), and also go each year to Roland Garros, Rome and quite a few other tournaments. I watch tennis a lot on TV and Internet livestreams too, but, for me, nothing beats the atmosphere of being there live, hearing the sound of the racquet hit the ball, and really feeling how fast the ball travels, and how hard these guys hit. Also, to watch how hard they practice, and how much they dedicate themselves to their sport.

Do I play? No - well not since schooldays, and I was never very good then! I am the most clumsy and unco-ordinated person in the world, when it comes to sport, and totally disininterested in taking part in the game myself - but I don't think it matters. You can love opera without being able to sing like Domingo or Pavarotti, so why not respect sports stars and enjoy their game without playing yourself?

As for a favourite player....... well I grew up in love with Goran - his charisma, his personality, and his humour completely won me over. I was fortunate enough to be at the Wimby final where he beat Rafter in 5 sets to finally win a Grand Slam, and he will always remain in my heart! Of present-day players, my favourite is Djokovic, for many reasons - both his style of play, and his personality. Yes - he isn't pefect - he's still young, he makes mistakes, and he is learning the hard way about growing up in the public eye. but he has humour, kindness, intelligence, charisma, personality, and a good heart, with many charity works at home in Serbia, and I respect him totally.

 

[icedevil0289]

you went to see wimbledon at age 5?! Wow, that must have been incredible. My dream is to see wimbledon live, but being from America, it is far away. It helps that the tournament is played during summer vacation. Although, I'm a nervous wreck watching federer,especially when he plays against nadal, and if I went to see him play live, I think I would just die of a heart attack.

 

[babbette]

I've always been sort of a tennis fan because it was always in my household. With my dad watching the ocassional tourny and stuff and my mum loving McEnroe. It was only until 2005 that I didn't just continue watching the occasional match here and there but that I got hooked and the person and reason why is in my avatar. I don't need to explain why really, everybody knows about his character on court and off.....






...also because his looks are the bombdigidi of all bombdigidies

 

[dantespark33]

i really really like pong, the repetition was awesome, then i started getting into tennis and it was like extreme pong, i just love it because tennis added lobs, and tweeners, etc. i mean mean pong, not ping pong.

 

[SchreckTennis]

I really like tennis because it's a sport that really doesn't have "teams" other than doubles. Most other sports like football, soccer, baseball, have many players but the commentators only praise a few.

In tennis, you get where you get by yourself, through your own accomplishments. I also believe there's more motivation to play your absolute best (rather than just "good enough") because your results determine your pay, not what team you're on.

 

[DarthFed]

I used to play soccer for 9 years, but I still don't like it very much. It could be that I was never any good. If I was any good at tennis, I would definitely play that more. I do enjoy playing though. Whenever I see federer play, I get inspired go to the courts and realize there is a reason why certain people like myself should never play tennis.

Man my dad forced me to play soccer....i hated it

 

[VivalaVida]

I was really young when I started watching tennis. I saw Andre Agassi, Federer, and Roddick in 2003 and I became an immediate fan. From there I bought rackets and started playing, and now about 6 years later I love tennis more than ever.

 

[380pistol]

Would speak about Sampras but won't as it seems to bother the fans of a particular tennis player.

 

[Fintendo]

I watch it because I like seeing men with nice legs run around alot. I also like watching it because of the eastern european (wo)men running around in short skirts look silly, and aren't very good.

 

[The_Question]

Michael Chang's run to French Open championship back in 89'...

 

[Leublu tennis]

As for a favourite player....... well I grew up in love with Goran - his charisma, his personality, and his humour completely won me over. I was fortunate enough to be at the Wimby final where he beat Rafter in 5 sets to finally win a Grand Slam, and he will always remain in my heart!

I was working in Kosovo at that time and we watched the match on Turkish tv. Didn't understand a word, but didn't need to either. An unforgettable experience.

Of present-day players, my favourite is Djokovic, for many reasons - both his style of play, and his personality. Yes - he isn't pefect - he's still young, he makes mistakes, and he is learning the hard way about growing up in the public eye. but he has humour, kindness, intelligence, charisma, personality, and a good heart, with many charity works at home in Serbia, and I respect him totally.

I am beginning to warm up to Djokovic myself. At first I started paying attention to him when so many people were throwing garbage at him, his family, his friends, his dog. Just defending the underdog. But I did enjoy his humor. His imitation of the other players is just rich and he strikes me as being the kind of guy who is fun. Just plain fun. And he does hit some fantastic groundstroaks on occasion.

 

[Ruzica]

I was working in Kosovo at that time and we watched the match on Turkish tv. Didn't understand a word, but didn't need to either. An unforgettable experience.

I am beginning to warm up to Djokovic myself. At first I started paying attention to him when so many people were throwing garbage at him, his family, his friends, his dog. Just defending the underdog. But I did enjoy his humor. His imitation of the other players is just rich and he strikes me as being the kind of guy who is fun. Just plain fun. And he does hit some fantastic groundstroaks on occasion.

Yes - the Wimby final was indeed an unforgettable experience, because it was held on the Monday, it was just the "real" fans who got in - many Aussies, and many Croats too, but everyone was so friendly. I remember my (Croatian) friend and her son and I, sitting with some Australian girls - when Goran won they were so genuine in their congratulations to us, and everyone was shedding tears - quite amazing and wouldn't have missed it for the world. Shame you didn't understand the TV commentary - not bring politics into anything here, but as a Brit married to a Serb, I would have been very interested in how the Kosovans reacted to Goran, and who they supported in that match.

As for Djokovic - glad you like him. I admit he's not everyone's cup of tea, but I always try and tell people watching him live for the first time, just to try and forget what they may have read or heard about him before, and just make up their own minds.

 

[Ruzica]

you went to see wimbledon at age 5?! Wow, that must have been incredible. My dream is to see wimbledon live, but being from America, it is far away. It helps that the tournament is played during summer vacation. Although, I'm a nervous wreck watching federer,especially when he plays against nadal, and if I went to see him play live, I think I would just die of a heart attack.

Hope you get the chance one day. My parents lived about 2 miles from Wimbledon when I was growing up, and I still live only about 20 minutes away now, so it's really easy. I usually go there after work to catch the late afternoon/evening sessions, as well as at weekends. I remember seeing Federer there when he beat Sampras and "announced" his arrival on to the big tennis scene - it was a very special moment. And of course you would get nervous watching him - but that's just normal - I admit I cried when Novak lost to Safin there last year because I hated that my favourite player lost so early in my local tournament. It's all part of the fun of live tennis though - the emotions are just part of that!

 

[tudwell]

Nadal's butt. Word.

 

[Leublu tennis]

Would speak about Sampras but won't as it seems to bother the fans of a particular tennis player.

Ah come on. This is a friendly thread. Start by baring your soul as to how you got to be a tennis fan and then slip in the stuff about Sampras. It will be unobtrusive that way.

By the way. I am completely neutral on Sampras. Don't especially like him and certainly don't dislike him. Never saw him play. But have heard a lot about him and have seen clips of some kind of jumping overhead.

 

[BorisBeckerFan]

Would speak about Sampras but won't as it seems to bother the fans of a particular tennis player.

As a Fan of Boris Becker I have the utmost respect for Pete Sampras.
I do not understand the wars between Federer Fans and Sampras Fans.
Everyone should be able to speak freely about the players they like and
dislike. When one tries to diminsh the accomplishments of another player
you end up diminishing the accomplishments of your own player. I would
not say anything negative about Nadal's play other than I do not like the
style he plays. It is not entertaining to me. But he is a great player.
Hopefully Roger Federer will be able to beat him again at some point in a slam. I don't really care if beats him at another big event. For me it has to be a slam. That would be a great victory. If I take a dump on Nadals wins
that would not say much for Federer if he beat him. But if I acknowledge the
fact that Nadal is also a great player then that adds meaning to a hopefully,
future Slam win From Roger over Nadal. You should not be ashamed of liking
Sampras. I think the victories that Becker had over Sampras were very sweet
for me because Pete was such a monster player. I felt like Becker had reached the top of Mount Everest when he had wins over Pete. There 1996
Masters match is legendary. Even with Becker losing I have never enjoyed
as much as that one. My admiration Rogers game grew a lot in the loss at
last years wimbledon not because the quality of tennis was anygood
but because Roger showed fight and clawed his way back into the match.
I wish he could have gotten himself back into the 5th set at the Australian
but he was not able to. If he could somehow recapture his form from
a three years ago he could really give Nadal a run for his money. Nadal has improved every facet of his game. I hope Roger does the same and gets
a couple more wins over Nadal at a slam. That for me would be Roger reaching
the top Mount Everest.

Beating someone who is no good does not say much for you. Beating a worthy
adverasary says a lot about you.

 

[Leublu tennis]

Yes - the Wimby final was indeed an unforgettable experience, because it was held on the Monday, it was just the "real" fans who got in - many Aussies, and many Croats too, but everyone was so friendly.

I envy that experience but have been avoiding Wimbledon because it seems to be so hard to get tickets by internet. And I would have to travel there. Maybe things are better now, so I may try this year.

Shame you didn't understand the TV commentary

Oh it was a satellite broadcast from Turkey not a local station.

- not bring politics into anything here, but as a Brit married to a Serb, I would have been very interested in how the Kosovans reacted to Goran, and who they supported in that match.

I don't know for sure but Kosovans are Albanians and they hate the Serbs, so you can draw your conclusion from there. I was with a group of Americans who were working for the UN to set up a government. We were accepted by the Albanians, but not very closely. They didn't really trust us, I don't think.

As for Djokovic - glad you like him. I admit he's not everyone's cup of tea, but I always try and tell people watching him live for the first time, just to try and forget what they may have read or heard about him before, and just make up their own minds.

But have you noticed, I think some of this furore has died down. He was a kid who won the AO and was on top of the world. But he was expected to act in some form of restrained fashion. No humanity, no warmth, no personality. Just win, win, win.

 

[West Coast Ace]

It obvious to me (based on the public interviewsnot any personal knowledge
or relationship) that Federer is a Class A Jerk with little respect for his
counterparts and does not have his ego under control....Boris Becker is currently my all time favorite player...

LOL! Fed's a jerk - Becker is great. Let's see where to start: Becker signs an exclusive deal with Ford, then gets caught driving a Porsche at high speeds. Becker cheats on his wife and abandons her and their 2 kids to chase models and bimbos and knocks one up in the closet of a London nightclub...maybe cocaine is bad for your brain... still LOL! Can't wait for your next thread!

 

[norbac]

Started watching with my mom when I was like 9. Watched Guga win Roland Garros, draw a heart on clay and fall on it. That's what made me a fan. Watched on and off until the USO 07 when I saw Djokovic and fell in love with the game completely, been a rabid fan since then.

 

[matchmaker]

I became a fan when I was about 14, at 12 I had my first lessons, but it took me about 2 years to really love the sport.

The unforgettable Becker-Edberg rivalry at Wimbledon certainly drew me in. I always rooted for Boris, but man, if you have to lose against anyone, let it be Stefan, such a class act.

Agassi's tennis also strongly impressed me. There was something about him, charisma, let's say.

Then I had a love/hate relationship with Rios. Boy, that man could hit otherwordly shots, but was a giant choker too.

One of the tennis players I most respected was and is Guga Kuerten. Such a heart he put into play. Literally, when he drew the heart on center court at RG.

The Goran saga at Wimby was also unforgettable. When least expected he took the trophy home.

Never really warmed up to Sampras, although obviously he was a great player. I always felt he behaved to much like a simian, to paraphrase the words of Agassi. And had a boring personality outside the field.

I took a few years of, during the Hewitt-Safin era and came back to the future of the Federer era. Fed's great, but I don't like his personality, he seems too full of himself. Boy, just play to enjoy the game, not to break any record. If you do so, let it be a consequence, not a goal in itself.

I love the Nadal/Fed rivalry as it is going on now. It makes things so much more interesting.

 

[veroniquem]

you went to see wimbledon at age 5?! Wow, that must have been incredible. My dream is to see wimbledon live, but being from America, it is far away. It helps that the tournament is played during summer vacation. Although, I'm a nervous wreck watching federer,especially when he plays against nadal, and if I went to see him play live, I think I would just die of a heart attack.

I die of a heart attack every time I go to the USO and watch Nadal play live! I'd much rather go and see him at RG but I live in the US now so that's the way it is. When I lived in France, I was a high school teacher (I taught English) near Paris and every year I took my students to RG, they loved spending the day there but my principal wanted me to justify the trip (you can't take your students anywhere without giving a pedagogical purpose for the outing). I had to somehow make it sound like going to RG had something to do with teaching English! I told the principal that most tennis terms were English, so my students would expand their vocabulary by going there!! He looked very skeptical but never stopped me from going! To me RG is magical, I would have lived there for 2 weeks if I could have: the atmosphere, the setting, the courts... I had a friend who worked there and we spent a lot of time together. I also always took a couple sick days during RG . Officially I was sick, but my students knew I was at RG and they looked for me on TV! They also knew I liked Agassi and after he lost, they would come to class and comfort me with stuff like "don't worry, I'm sure he's gonna win next year". Most of my students were Agassi fans too, he was much more popular in France than Sampras. It all started with his semi-final against Wilander in 1988, the match was so entertaining I became an instant fan. I never really stopped watching tennis after that even though playing it was not my forte. To this day I'm much better at ping-pong! But my husband and my brother are both good players, so I keep trying...

 

[matchmaker]

I die of a heart attack every time I go to the USO and watch Nadal play live! I'd much rather go and see him at RG but I live in the US now so that's the way it is. When I lived in France, I was a high school teacher (I taught English) near Paris and every year I took my students to RG, they loved spending the day there but my principal wanted me to justify the trip (you can't take your students anywhere without giving a pedagogical purpose for the outing). I had to somehow make it sound like going to RG had something to do with teaching English! I told the principal that most tennis terms were English, so my students would expand their vocabulary by going there!! He looked very skeptical but never stopped me from going! To me RG is magical, I would have lived there for 2 weeks if I could have: the atmosphere, the setting, the courts... I had a friend who worked there and we spent a lot of time together. I also always took a couple sick days during RG . Officially I was sick, but my students knew I was at RG and they looked for me on TV! They also knew I liked Agassi and after he lost, they would come to class and comfort me with stuff like "don't worry, I'm sure he's gonna win next year". Most of my students were Agassi fans too, he was much more popular in France than Sampras. It all started with his semi-final against Wilander in 1988, the match was so entertaining I became an instant fan. I never really stopped watching tennis after that even though playing it was not my forte. To this day I'm much better at ping-pong! But my husband and my brother are both good players, so I keep trying...

How I would have loved to have a teacher like you. I am actually a teacher myself now. I teach both English and French to Hispanic students. If it wasn't so far, I would surely take them to a Slam.

 

[icedevil0289]

I die of a heart attack every time I go to the USO and watch Nadal play live! I'd much rather go and see him at RG but I live in the US now so that's the way it is. When I lived in France, I was a high school teacher (I taught English) near Paris and every year I took my students to RG, they loved spending the day there but my principal wanted me to justify the trip (you can't take your students anywhere without giving a pedagogical purpose for the outing). I had to somehow make it sound like going to RG had something to do with teaching English! I told the principal that most tennis terms were English, so my students would expand their vocabulary by going there!! He looked very skeptical but never stopped me from going! To me RG is magical, I would have lived there for 2 weeks if I could have: the atmosphere, the setting, the courts... I had a friend who worked there and we spent a lot of time together. I also always took a couple sick days during RG . Officially I was sick, but my students knew I was at RG and they looked for me on TV! They also knew I liked Agassi and after he lost, they would come to class and comfort me with stuff like "don't worry, I'm sure he's gonna win next year". Most of my students were Agassi fans too, he was much more popular in France than Sampras. It all started with his semi-final against Wilander in 1988, the match was so entertaining I became an instant fan. I never really stopped watching tennis after that even though playing it was not my forte. To this day I'm much better at ping-pong! But my husband and my brother are both good players, so I keep trying...

wow that's amazing! I'm sure your students had so much fun at RG, although I particularly find the event boring. Sorry, don't really like clay, but still to take students to see any kind of event, especially a grandslam event, is amazing. Also, I found out we actually have something in common. We're both agassi fans. I guess it must be wierd for me to like federer and agassi, but I do.

 

[danb]

I used to watch tennis since I was a kid - Pete and Agassi were my heroes. I played a bit with wooden racquets but only once in a while since in Europe soccer is king.
Later on I moved in California and at 32 started taking tennis seriously (local club). Five years later (now) I am a 4.0 USTA player.
I like both Nadal's and Fed's game style. I don't think Nadal is going to last too many years but I like him better. Also, I like him better due to his fighting spirit. Cannot care less about their on court or off court behavior but Fed looks really weak mentally when he faces Nadal. For Nadal every match is a war - I like that.
Other players I like: Tsonga, Murray and Joker (Don't like him when he quits though).

 

[edmondsm]

Man my dad forced me to play soccer....i hated it

Soccer kicks ass. It's just like tennis, you have to play it long enough to get good at it, then it's fun. The rough part is that you don't get to touch the ball very much. In tennis you get to play the ball 50% of the time and you don't have to run until your heart explodes, that's what makes tennis better recreationally.

I started playing tennis when I was 14. My dad and I would go hit and it was sooo much fun. At this point in my life I was kind of hating soccer because I was playing on a team filled with bunch of spoiled ass rich kids. The soccer was good but they looked down on me because I wasn't getting dropped off at soccer practice in a BMW. I almost wish I would have quit soccer at this point and started playing tennis seriously, but I love soccer, always will.

Roger Federer got me into watching tennis. Him winning Wimbledon in 03' turned me into a fanatic. Although later that year I became a huge Nalbandian fan after the USO.

Like the OP I could care less whether a player is classy or not. Although, I have read that Federer is extremely charming when the cameras are off, and the press adore him.

 

[380pistol]

Ah come on. This is a friendly thread. Start by baring your soul as to how you got to be a tennis fan and then slip in the stuff about Sampras. It will be unobtrusive that way.

By the way. I am completely neutral on Sampras. Don't especially like him and certainly don't dislike him. Never saw him play. But have heard a lot about him and have seen clips of some kind of jumping overhead.

Overhead was a beast. But I'm not going to get into how I started watching tennis (though I'll tell you first match I watched live from start to finish was Becker vs. Lendl 1989 US Open final), or Sampras, cuz everything turns into something and I'll let those who wanna say what they want have their moment.

As a Fan of Boris Becker I have the utmost respect for Pete Sampras.
I do not understand the wars between Federer Fans and Sampras Fans.
Everyone should be able to speak freely about the players they like and
dislike. When one tries to diminsh the accomplishments of another player
you end up diminishing the accomplishments of your own player. I would
not say anything negative about Nadal's play other than I do not like the
style he plays. It is not entertaining to me. But he is a great player.
Hopefully Roger Federer will be able to beat him again at some point in a slam. I don't really care if beats him at another big event. For me it has to be a slam. That would be a great victory. If I take a dump on Nadals wins
that would not say much for Federer if he beat him. But if I acknowledge the
fact that Nadal is also a great player then that adds meaning to a hopefully,
future Slam win From Roger over Nadal. You should not be ashamed of liking
Sampras. I think the victories that Becker had over Sampras were very sweet
for me because Pete was such a monster player. I felt like Becker had reached the top of Mount Everest when he had wins over Pete. There 1996
Masters match is legendary. Even with Becker losing I have never enjoyed
as much as that one. My admiration Rogers game grew a lot in the loss at
last years wimbledon not because the quality of tennis was anygood
but because Roger showed fight and clawed his way back into the match.
I wish he could have gotten himself back into the 5th set at the Australian
but he was not able to. If he could somehow recapture his form from
a three years ago he could really give Nadal a run for his money. Nadal has improved every facet of his game. I hope Roger does the same and gets
a couple more wins over Nadal at a slam. That for me would be Roger reaching
the top Mount Everest.

Beating someone who is no good does not say much for you. Beating a worthy
adverasary says a lot about you.

Well said. Federer can beat Nadal but won't ever again unless he changes his appraoch (not necissarily his game). Fed is extremely talented and can beat most on skill alone, but has to understand Nadal is a terrible matchup for him and skill alone won't get it done. When he acknowledges that his talent alone won't beat Rafa, and head to head Rafa has the advantage due to match up problems and works around that, he wil have a better chance vs Nadal.

 

[BorisBeckerFan]

LOL! Fed's a jerk - Becker is great. Let's see where to start: Becker signs an exclusive deal with Ford, then gets caught driving a Porsche at high speeds. Becker cheats on his wife and abandons her and their 2 kids to chase models and bimbos and knocks one up in the closet of a London nightclub...maybe cocaine is bad for your brain... still LOL! Can't wait for your next thread!

The part you chose to quote makes it sound like I am saying Becker is great at at life.

If you read the entire post you would see that I am watching tennis mainly for how its being played. Boris Becker in my mind is a Great Player. Not as Great as Federer who is my second all time favorite player to watch. Becker
is not just a jerk, he's a butthole. I did know Becker had cheated on his wife
and got a model pregnant. I did not know he was no longer supporting his
wife and children. I do not condone adultery but I understand people make
mistakes. Abandoning your wife and kids is something altogether different.
The pain and betrayal of cheating can sometimes be reconciled. Abandonement is well in my mind criminal. You can't just leave your wife and
kids out in the cold. I have no reason to distrust your comments but I will
try and find out if this is true. Thank you for letting me know about this
because I can longer be a fan of Becker if this is the case. I hope Federer
never goes on to do something like this. As long as he doesn't go beyond
being a jerk I'll continue enjoying watching him play. When ever I see Becker
It would be hard not to think about what he did to his wife and kids. I will
continue to post as BorisBeckerFan and hope people on the forum mark
this post to know that I have changed my views on Boris Becker. I am not being fickle. I continued enjoying watching Becker trhough all Sampras defeats but this is something I did not know had happend. Now I know.
I have an uncle who cheated on his wife. It was shameful and disgraceful for
his family but later on when he abandoned them, well that's when the major
damage started happening.

 

[ChuDat]

Because I wanted to play a sport that didn't involve me getting killed(football), trampled(basketball), kicked in the shins(soccer) or a ball thrown at my jewels(baseball).
Most of all I like tennis because its fun to play and watch.

 

[roddickfan90]

i started watchin tennis in 05 (wimbledon final) cuz i was grounded - im a roddick fan cuz he's not the most talented player on the circuit but he has had a good career.

 

[Ringworm]

I was introduced to the game at the age of 8 by my older brother and I absolutely fell in love with the game.

I think Agassi said it best:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O1qS_WFczGU

 

[Leublu tennis]

LOL! Fed's a jerk - Becker is great. Let's see where to start: Becker signs an exclusive deal with Ford, then gets caught driving a Porsche at high speeds. Becker cheats on his wife and abandons her and their 2 kids to chase models and bimbos and knocks one up in the closet of a London nightclub...maybe cocaine is bad for your brain... still LOL! Can't wait for your next thread!

Are you a serious mental case? This thread is a friendly one intended to talk about players you like. Is that really that hard to understand? Oh, kids these days.

 

[Leublu tennis]

Never really warmed up to Sampras, although obviously he was a great player. I always felt he behaved to much like a simian, to paraphrase the words of Agassi. And had a boring personality outside the field.

Fed's great, but I don't like his personality, he seems too full of himself. Boy, just play to enjoy the game, not to break any record. If you do so, let it be a consequence, not a goal in itself.

Agree with you 100%. So well put.

 

[Ruzica]

I envy that experience but have been avoiding Wimbledon because it seems to be so hard to get tickets by internet. And I would have to travel there. Maybe things are better now, so I may try this year.

You still can't buy tickets on the Internet for Wimbledon. You either have to get them months in advance through a postal ballot, queue overnight the night before, - or be lucky enough to live locally and know people who work there (I fall into the latter category of course)

Oh it was a satellite broadcast from Turkey not a local station. I don't know for sure but Kosovans are Albanians and they hate the Serbs, so you can draw your conclusion from there. I was with a group of Americans who were working for the UN to set up a government. We were accepted by the Albanians, but not very closely. They didn't really trust us, I don't think.

Can't deny that one We have many Albanians here in London, who I have to deal with from time to time in my job, and I admit that I have a lot of problems with some of them because I have a Serb surname, even though I was born and bought up in the UK. These things are ingrained so deep in so many people from that region.[/QUOTE]

But have you noticed, I think some of this furore has died down. He was a kid who won the AO and was on top of the world. But he was expected to act in some form of restrained fashion. No humanity, no warmth, no personality. Just win, win, win.

Yes - you're right. Sadly many of the harshest critics of some of thse tennis boys, have never achieved anything in their lives in relation to the things that Novak (and others) have achieved, so they seem completely eaten up with hate, bitterness and jealousy against them. From the way I see it, they all seem to sit by their computers in their bedrooms attacking people out of some kind of spite, instead of understanding their youth and, relative inexperience and making normal, human allowances for them.

 

[veroniquem]

How I would have loved to have a teacher like you. I am actually a teacher myself now. I teach both English and French to Hispanic students. If it wasn't so far, I would surely take them to a Slam.

Yes I feel really lucky that I was able to do it, I'm sure some principals woud have objected to it. I was lucky I could share my passion with others and introduce some kids to tennis. I'm also glad to have a colleague on this board! What is harder for your Hispanic students? French or English?

 

[veroniquem]

wow that's amazing! I'm sure your students had so much fun at RG, although I particularly find the event boring. Sorry, don't really like clay, but still to take students to see any kind of event, especially a grandslam event, is amazing. Also, I found out we actually have something in common. We're both agassi fans. I guess it must be wierd for me to like federer and agassi, but I do.

To me it's weird, but my best friend was a die-hard fan of Agassi and now she 's all over Federer, so I guess they have more in common than I'm able to see! It was funny after AO 2009, I was very happy but I had to comfort her because she was crushed that Fed lost. She's worried that Fed won't beat Nadal again and I was "I'm sure he will!" but I thought: "I hope not!"