The young and the restless

BY KEVIN TRAN

Throughout the '80s and early '90s, characters like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, and the young Andre Agassi inspired incredible excitement over men's tennis. Through their intense rivalries, on-court displays of emotion, and genuine love of the game, these men provided the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) Tour with a golden age of graceful rallies, artful control of the court, and perfectly timed power shots. But with the new generation of men's tennis players has come an entirely new style of play. Gone are the talented athletes of yesteryear and the captivating back-and-forth rallies they supplied. Fans of men's tennis are now treated to points lasting no more than 15 seconds, where a typical rally consists of a 130 m.p.h. serve, a sloppy return, and a clean winner. And with a group of single-surface players passing through the number-one ranking with each changing season, only the Sampras-Agassi rivalry saves men's tennis fans from complete ennui.

Suddenly the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) Tour, so long the forgotten stepchild of the tennis world, has its chance to shine. Unlike their counterparts from the ATP, the women of the WTA are a young, diverse, vibrant group. Above all, these women are talented—maybe the most talented collection of women's tennis players in history. Venus and Serena, Martina and Jennifer, Lindsay and Monica have all shown they can dominate a tournament, regardless of the season and regardless of the playing surface. Yet with all of their talent and ability to captivate on the court, it is through their off-court antics that these athletes have gained the greatest exposure. For every Grand Slam championship there are far too many family fiascos, temper tantrums, and escapades with members of the opposite sex.

The Williams sisters have used their muscles and well-groomed tennis skills to claim numerous championships, but they will never be thought of as true professionals because of the scandals constantly surrounding their family. From the controversy over his "fixing" a match between Venus and Serena at the U.S. Open several years ago, to his obscene and idiotic tirades around the court, Richard Williams long ago crossed the threshold of acceptable parental behavior. Rather than scorn their father's behavior, his daughters turn a blind eye during his finger-pointing rampages and accusations of racism. In fact, the sisters appear willing to support their father at the expense of the WTA, and their own careers and images.

Martina Hingis, who has for several years enjoyed the number- one position on the WTA tour, has made more headlines this year as a boy-crazy teen than as a tennis player. The public's attention has been focused on Hingis' tenuous relationship with her mother/coach, with whom she has "broken up" more times than I can remember, and on her revolving cast of beaus. Not surprisingly, Hingis has experienced a nearly two-year drought in major championship titles. Rather than improving her performance on the court, she has become a "player" of a different sort.

Of course, it's impossible to talk about an irrational media frenzy without mentioning Anna Kournikova. Though she has never won a tennis tournament and has never been ranked higher than eighth in the world, she has graced the cover of every fashion, fitness, and tennis magazine on earth simply because she is a sex symbol. For the majority of the 2001 season she has been injured, but has found plenty of time for restaurant openings, new clothing lines, and weekend jaunts with hockey player Sergei Federov. She even hobbled on her bad leg through a soon-to-be-released exercise video.

Maybe the most poignant story in women's tennis this year has been the return of a mentally and physically stronger Jennifer Capriati. Despite her two Grand Slam titles, the one commentary that stands out most in my mind was a game-long debate between two commentators on the authenticity of Capriati's new tattoo: "Is it a rub on?"..."No it can't be"..."Are you sure?"

Are a player's body marks and sexual exploits more important than her actual tennis playing ability? Certainly not, and real tennis fans will attest to the fact that they don't care about tattoos or love lives. We simply want to know about tennis. At least the lack of enthusiasm for men's tennis revolves around the sport itself; popular female players simply sacrifice their on-court glory for soap opera and checkout line fame.

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