A Game Of Emotion
Sportstar|June 17, 2017

These days, CAMARADERIE, rather than conflict, mark the men’s and women’s tours. At the end of matches, hugs and pats on the back have replaced perfunctory handshakes at the net — often even by bitterly disappointed losers.

A Game Of Emotion

All-time great Chris Evertused to quip she spent more time with tour players in the locker room and on the courts than she did with her husband. The globe-trotting pros are competitors but also colleagues. As with any other workplace, friends and enemies co-mingle. Tennis is one of the rare pro sports where opponents share the same locker room.

SOMETIMES IT’S FRIENDLY and fun there; sometimes not so much. Brad Gilbert, who coached Andre Agassi and Andy Roddick, recalled sitting in a 1980s locker room with intense and often antagonistic champions, John Mc Enroe, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker. “I couldn’t believe the electricity in that room. These four guys wouldn’t even look at each other and wouldn’t talk to each other.”

Personalities in this most individual of sports run the gamut  from the surly Lendl and the aloof Maria Sharapova to the cheerful Kim Clijsters and the genial Roger Federer. Sharapova once called the locker room her “least favourite place.” For most players, it’s where they share the latest gossip and let their hair down. It’s where raw emotions and painful injuries are laid bare after matches.

These days, camaraderie, rather than conflict, mark the men’s and women’s tours. Perhaps that’s because the average age of world-class players has increased to nearly 30, and for the first time the Top-5 men are all 30 or older. These mature veterans, especially down-to-earth Federer, humble Rafael Nadal, extroverted Novak Djokovic and a poised Venus Williams, have set the tone with their classy professionalism. At the end of matches, hugs and pats on the back have replaced perfunctory handshakes at the net —often even by bitterly disappointed losers. (Many women prefer a cheek-to-cheek gesture of affection.)

Denne historien er fra June 17, 2017-utgaven av Sportstar.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

Denne historien er fra June 17, 2017-utgaven av Sportstar.

Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.

FLERE HISTORIER FRA SPORTSTARSe alt
Tokyo Marathon Cancelled For Amateurs On Coronavirus Fears
Sportstar

Tokyo Marathon Cancelled For Amateurs On Coronavirus Fears

Organisers in Japan cancelled the amateur portion of the Tokyo marathon, affecting around 38,000 runners, on fears about the spread of the new coronavirus in Japan.

time-read
1 min  |
March 21, 2020
Right Criteria To Pick The Tennis GOAT
Sportstar

Right Criteria To Pick The Tennis GOAT

What should the criteria be? What weight should be attached to each criterion? And what should not be considered as valid criteria?

time-read
10+ mins  |
February 8, 2020
The making of a batting behemoth
Sportstar

The making of a batting behemoth

If Steve Smith dominated the Ashes in England in a dramatic, blockbuster fashion then his like for like a replacement, Marnus Labuschagne, is the Next Big Thing after an exciting summer of run-glut.

time-read
4 mins  |
February 8, 2020
WHEN ACES WERE REWARDED...
Sportstar

WHEN ACES WERE REWARDED...

It was an evening of nostalgia and celebration when the Sportstar Aces awards were given away in Mumbai.

time-read
6 mins  |
February 8, 2020
A question of recognition
Sportstar

A question of recognition

After a week of awards, one wonders if it’s only a departed player that one will be named after.

time-read
2 mins  |
February 8, 2020
Thinking straight, thinking right!
Sportstar

Thinking straight, thinking right!

“A lot depends on when I am bowling and what is required from me. That’s something I do when I play for India and I try to follow the same thing in the domestic circuit,” says Yuzvendra Chahal.

time-read
7 mins  |
December 14, 2019
The Big Three and the Next Gen
Sportstar

The Big Three and the Next Gen

Though the Big Three are very unlikely to retire during the same year, Judy Murray, mother of Andy, echoed the sentiments of many fans worried about the impact of their departures.

time-read
9 mins  |
December 14, 2019
WAKING UP TO MENTAL HEALTH
Sportstar

WAKING UP TO MENTAL HEALTH

Sport at large and cricket specifically has taken an inordinately long time to address the elephant in the room — the dark abyss of depression.

time-read
5 mins  |
December 14, 2019
Like sunshine in a gloomy dressing room
Sportstar

Like sunshine in a gloomy dressing room

Bangladesh quick Abu Jayed Rahi is new in the red-ball arena, but his swing brings back old memories — of James Anderson on green tops.

time-read
6 mins  |
December 14, 2019
The league of the masses
Sportstar

The league of the masses

With traditional clubs locking horns with the hard-working nurseries of the game, the I-League will continue to keep the beating heart of Indian football alive despite official apathy.

time-read
4 mins  |
December 14, 2019