The Monthly Maestro #3
For some reason, the grass is always greener at Wimbledon Park.
Today marks the beginning of the most prestigious tennis event of the year. With that, this year’s grass season comes to a conclusion in the shape of the most elegant of slams. White-cloaked players attempting to get through to the next round, but even more so, trying to win this month’s Maestro contest in this very newsletter. Maybe I’m the only one who believes that last bit, but still.
Where better to look for and find a true Maestro of the game here on the London grass? The Championships, where time is meticulously tracked by the Rolex timekeeper, present a world-class stage for players to exhibit their serve-and-volley, execute magical racket flicks, and engage in chess-like rally plays. Here, the rich legacy of both past and present champions comes to life, painting a vivid picture with their strokes. It is at Wimbledon where the true symphony of tennis unfolds, skillfully orchestrated by the hands of those who have mastered the art of the game.
Switching directions
Everything seems to come more naturally on the grass, as if tennis is meant to be played on this surface, despite all of its practical disadvantages. One of the most difficult things about playing on grass, is moving well. Especially switching directions is far trickier on the slippery surface compared to playing on clay or hard courts. Defending becomes harder this way, motivating players to try and go for the offense as soon as possible in the rally. For spectators, this is one of the reasons why grass tennis is so enjoyable to watch.
You can learn a thing or two by watching the players’ shot choices on Wimbledon, especially when they’re dictating the rallies. They’ll go for the same corner twice more often when they recognize their opponent is off balance. Next time, when you’re out on court, try this strategy for yourself (particularly when you’re playing on a slippery surface or against a less agile opponent). When executed properly, you’ll hit a lot more clean winners.
This Month’s Maestro
Looking at the two key truths in this newsletter, proposed in the first edition, I try not to get caught up in the debate whoever is the Greatest of All Time. Having won his 23rd grand slam, Djokovic now is unequivocally and undeniably, the BOAT: The Best of All Time. Tennis analyst and commentator Mats Wilander argued, however, to be the Greatest, there is more to it than only defying the numbers. Still, even as a lifelong Federer fan, I see no way around naming the Serb as this month’s Maestro.
It seems like we will have to wait a bit longer for the foreseen dominance of Carlos Alcaraz. What was looking to turn into one of the most epic matches of this decade left tennis fans empty-handed due to his cramps in the third set. Nonetheless, re-experiencing the first two sets through these highlights is a delight, promising great things for their future encounters.
The end of Roland Garros also meant the start of the grass season. Where Djokovic was dominant on the French clay, he skipped all grass tournaments prior to Wimbledon to recover. This resulted in that we could enjoy players like the American Frances Tiafoe winning Stuttgart (be sure to check out the bizarre championship point), or Dutchman Tallon Griekspoor winning his home country’s Rosmalen.
TEDTalk Tip
Now professional athletes are spending proportionally more time on their physique, David Epstein posed the question whether they are in fact getting faster, better, and stronger. This TEDTalk addresses and debunks a great deal about this phenomenon, making it worthwhile to watch if you’re interested in Human Movement Sciences. Although the talk already dates from 2014, its content is still highly relevant to both coaches and players today.
Links worth checking out
Functional Tennis - A very cool Instagram account flooded with valuable tennis content.
A Royal Encounter - The Maestro and Kate Middleton messing around with the ball kids at Wimbledon.
Another Baby Fed - It’s even more awesome if you see who posted it and when.
Best,
Erik