Anti-Inflammatory risks

I'm so old-school that my daily intake was Aspirin before they recommended a daily intake of aspirin for Cardio issues, and now they recommend against it again. I tried the generic Advil but it was tough on the stomach, more so than aspirin for me.  I see that Ibuprofen has cardio risks as well along with other concerns.   Is there no relatively safe way to handle inflammation and pain? 

Novak Djokovic vs Rafa Nadal in Quarter Final - Match Scheduling - Draw Politics

Schedule in Progress

I suppose at least we'll have a face-off between the two best players on this surface.

They put the three strongest players against each other in the top half of the draw, thus leaving the lower half an easier run to the final.  It also means the two or three most likely final players have been forced down to one of them.

Whoever set the draw had a plan, and it turns out much like they hoped I suspect, and it wasn't to get the two best players a chance to reach the final. This will weaken the winner of this contest in the semi-final match, and the final presuming one of them makes it through. 

I've reached the conclusion that they're trying to level the field by forcing them to face each other earlier than they should. Plus, putting the two best against each other earlier means they might be worn down for a final against the younger side of the draw.

 As for Nadal mentioning his time preference for play, it doesn't hurt to ask. I favor Novak in this match-up, but I do understand that Rafa has a preferred time of play. Not mentioning might cost him an edge.

 

Tennis Coaching: Watching your own playing skills decline

Most mechanics neglect the maintenance and repair of their own vehicles because they are so busy working on others. It's the same with tennis Coaches.

Accept it and focus on business or become a tennis player that just coaches to feed the habit.

Goran on Novak Comeback

 Goran discusses the Novak Comeback

Racket Throwing and Umpiring

 Irina Camelia - makes child cry in stands with a flying racket

Where are the Umpires?  Novak would have been tossed for this.

Tennis should be held to a higher standard than other sports. These out-of-control anger displays that we see daily in tennis have become acceptable, so younger players see this and do the same. It needs to stop even if it means hard enforcement via lost matches and big fines Lax umpiring must be punished as well.

 

Novak Booed at French Open - Mac comments

 Novak

It's unfair to receive this type of treatment.   Mac was disgusted with the crowd. It may be that they wanted an underdog to win, but unkind fan behavior often fuels Novak to excellence.

I can think of only one reason a crowd might show anger toward a player who is always respectful to his opponent, officials, and the audience. Like in Australia, much of the French population has been under pressure to submit to experimental vaccines, which has made them angry at those who show some individuality and courage not to surrender their beliefs. If not that, maybe they wanted the underdog to win which makes many of the fans just partisans.

Big 3 statistics on their 35th birthday

 

Wimbledon Ban on Russian Players - is it reduced to an exhibition?

 Wimbledon Exhibition

Does this truly make Wimbledon just an exhibition now? I think not, though I disagree with their ban on Russian players, just as I do with the Australian and American policy to limit travel to play their events to those vaxxed.

Here is an interesting perspective.

 

Nadal Injured Again

 

 

 It's a well-worn strategy. Your opponent may fall for the feigned weakness ploy, plus you get virtue signal points for battling through adversity.

 

Is Nadal's Aura gone?

 

Next Gen Draw at the French Open 2022

 

 This draw appears odd, so I have to assume that someone in charge has an agenda more important than running a great tournament. It seems they want Rafa and Novak out since if they meet early it might also reduce the winner's chances in the next round due to recovery. Tsitsi appears to be the organizer's preference in this draw. It could be that they want to see an Alcaraz vs Tsitisi final. I'll describe this as the NextGen draw.

Novak is he the 2nd best on Clay?

 Novak on Clay

French Open: Novak back in Form - Iga read to Dominate

Novak-Iga

 

 

How should a Tennis Pro/Coach Look and Dress

What do people think of a tennis coach who is carrying an extra forty or fifty pounds?  

What do they think of a poorly dressed coach?

This reminds me of a story Dennis Van Der Meer related when running a Tennis-University back in the '70s. He related that he was on a flight and a stewardess asked him if he was Vic Braden. He said, "No, I'm the skinny one." 🤣

It brought lots of laughs and at the same time, it was a subtle way of saying, your image matters. He was very insistent on that down to the manner of dress. If you are a tennis Pro/Coach, it is best to dress and look like a tennis player, so four or five inner tubes around the mid-line become a hard sell. All that said, it can be tough to maintain that look once you hit your 40s upward. It takes work. Anything you can do to look professional should also add to your bottom line.

I have another example though. I worked for a former Davis Cup player back in the 70s-80s who carried some extra weight, but in his 40s he could easily outplay any ranked students that came for lessons. I never heard a negative word of judgment against him for this, rather, it added to his aura His reputation as a player and skills silenced anyone thinking about it.

 

 

Novak 370 Weeds at #1

 

Rafa Supports Russian Players Banned from Wimbledon

 Rafa Supports Russian Players

I wonder how they decided to go so strong for the Russian players while letting the AO ban Novak and others that thought they had a vax exemption. I see a parallel. They should pull the points for the AO, but of course, that should be retroactive and there's no chance they'd do that. Pulling the points from Wimbledon could penalize Novak on one of only two slam tournaments he's able to play this year risking his #1 status.

Meanwhile, Wimbledon Is asked to Ban Novak instead

Novak back Zverev on Madrid Scheduling

It seems reasonable not to push a player into such a tough spot. Zverev looked off and lethargic even though Alcaraz was clearly playing in top form and was expected to win. The ATP seems unconcerned about the players.

Novak Loses Peugot Sponsorship

 Novak

Raducanu Out in Rome - back injury

 A back injury so early in her career is a bad omen. I fear she may end up with limited future results and early retirement. 

Raducanu out from back injury in Rome

Andreescu to meet Raducanu in Rome - wants to play her and got her wish

 Andreescu to meet Raducanu

Andreescu high ranking #4 with 3 titles and 1 slam- age 21

Raducanu high ranking #11 with 1 title and 1 slam - age 19

 

 

Zverev Rips ATP for Scheduling after Madrid Final Loss

 Zverev

Naomi Osaka - I want to have fun when I play

 "Girls just want to have fun." Cyndi Lauper 

"I really just want to have fun in every match l play because tennis is a game."

-Naomi Osaka…

Osaka has a right to play for whatever reason she chooses.  I'd like to add that with her early financial success, she has the luxury of only playing for fun. Her saying that is also a way to take away any expectations that others may have of her, and also those she places on herself.  She has no reason any longer to even show up on the court if she isn't driven to win,  or in her case just wants to enjoy itIn some sense, she's a victim of her early success and also of the working life that she's probably never known.  

 Danna Nashaat, I agree with what you've written on this, and I'd like to add that with her early financial success, she has the luxury of only playing for fun. Her saying that is also a way to take away any expectations that others may have of her, and also those she places on herself. She has no reason any longer to even show up on the court if she isn't driven to win, or in her case just wants to enjoy playing, she's a victim of her early success and also of the working life that she's probably never known.

If she was reminded of a prior job as a fast-food cashier, or barista she might take this more seriously. Also, say in this case had she taught tennis for a living at some point and learned that it's not all glamour and fun, and is often really hard work, especially after an 8 -12 hour day on the court, she might appreciate any better-paying alternative that is tennis related.

She probably has no experience with any of these things and just simply can't see that her moneyed situation is rare. Most of the other players out there have pressures that she doesn't have which involve making enough income to keep competing. Pro tennis is strange like that where those not that far down the ranking ladder are making a small portion of what the top twenty players can earn.

Whatever emotional constraints she has now when it comes to competition, she is in a position to just walk away from the game and still be financially secure for the rest of her life. Few other players have that option after only two years of competition.

At this stage of the Osaka saga, I hope that the newer faces on the women's tennis scene will allow her to fade into tennis history. Four slams are great, but she's not even in the all-time top ten of women's players and appears unlikely to break into that group unless she changes course.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Macci on Alcaraz - Prediction

 

 

 

Macci on Alcaraz: My own theory is that you're one injury away from also-ran status and early retirement, so predictions of the best ever are always premature until you are within striking distance of the record. Worse yet, is when the player makes that prediction. Alcaraz appears restrained on that unlike some others just starting out.

 

He has all the tools including a great attitude. Making predictions about the future as a best-ever always leaves me cold. Too many superb players have not gone the distance for many reasons. He will probably win some slams, but until he has a stack of slams to his name and is close to the now heralded 20-plus mark, this is pure folly to me. My view is that you're one injury away from also-ran status and early retirement, so predictions of the best ever are always premature until you are within striking distance of the record. Worse yet is when the player makes that prediction. Alcaraz appears restrained on that unlike some others just starting out. Jannik Sinner has also gotten accolades as a future great champ with many slams in his future. We could have a few future-great showing up every year so how many slams could any of these young men accumulate with the unknown of another prodigy on the horizon.

 

There seems to be no doubt that Nadal recognizes that he's facing hard challenges from younger players like Alcaraz. This is a breakthrough, but before it's called a changing of the guard, I think that it has to happen at one of the slams and preferably in the final. The past is littered with seeming upsets from unknowns, yet in most cases, the big names ended up in the finals of the slam events. When Alcaraz takes a big prize away from an expected winner, he's announced a clear changing of the guard. He's banging on the door of the Imperial Palace right now. 

What to expect from Alcaraz, Djoker, and Rafa at the French Open

  Alcaraz vs Djoker today was another superb match with tension throughout. When the French Open comes around, playing five sets is a different challenge. 

 Novak just barely lost today and he still has room to raise his game to 2021 levels and may peak along with Nadal at RG.    Rafa and Djoker won't go down there without a struggle.

 Alcaraz may have his hands full. However it goes, I'd expect to see very high-level tennis.

Opelka Defends Novak

 Opelka

How Boris Becker Ended up in Prison

The road to perdition

Moya hits out at Mouratoglou

 Coach Fight

Novak vs Monfils at Madrid 2022

Novak is looking better, but Monfils isn't at the top of form either. I read that Monfils just set a record for 18 losses in a row to the same player, Novak Djokovic, surpassing Vitas who lost all 17 of his matches against Borg. If Gael ever beats him, he'll have to give the Vitas Gerulatus speech that nobody beats him whatever the number of times in a row that he gave to Jimmy Connors after winning the 17 tries. "Nobody beats Vitas Gerultis 17 times in a row." I guess it was before losing 17 times to Borg. 

  I think Novak is on track to recover his form.

 

 

Pickleball vs Tennis - can they work together?

I see tennis as the Apex racket sport while others lower on the skill chart like pickleball and table tennis still add to the value proposition (allure) of tennis in my view. It's better that they take up pickleball rather than non-racket sports since they can be natural allies and become a source for those wanting to upgrade into tennis. 

Since pickleball is better for lower mobility players it seems like a natural place to go out to pasture.

 

 I don't see the need for an antagonistic relationship between the two sports.

Dealing with a problem Top Player on a Team

Example: The top player may be able to get past fellow team members but let down the team due to whatever psychological limitations and ego issues impede success.  How do you handle it.

Solution: Often a top spot team member needs a reality check to understand their place in the tennis world, and needs to be broken of this spell and rebuilt or sent downward on the ladder. One thing I've done in the past is to find an unlikely nemesis, an older player, that will breezily demolish them in a demo match in front of the team. You can do it yourself if you can and use junkball to finish the job especially if the player feels above dealing with that style of play. If the player won't take direction after that, the ball is in your court as to what you choose to do with their place on the team. *This is just my opinion and may not conform to a soft-touch way of dealing with problem students or team members.* 

*This is just my opinion and may not conform to the current soft-touch way of dealing with problem students or team members.

First Slams and Tallies

 

Novak changes coaching lineup - keeps Goran - Vajda moves on

Vajda moves on amicably.

Players make the coaching decision as well as coaches. Accept it and move on.

Novak makes adjustments to regain focus. 

 It's often best for both the player and the coach to change the lineup. In this case, Novak is streamlining. 

Novak stays with Goran. Good choice. 

 

Early Match Retirement Again - Time to investigate this continual problem

 

Serena Billionaire?

First Female Billionaire Athlete -will it happen?

Of course, I think she married a Billionaire so maybe she's one already.  

Osaka - Is She done?

I thought she had too many distractions unlike some of the long-running players. I think it took away from her training as well and added to her psychological strains. One example was her foray into social issues that backfired. It almost never profits a player to get into these things, especially early in a career. Her early success also gave her access to huge financial sponsorships and I think it actually dropped her motivation causing her to lose focus. Big early success without climbing the ladder can be a curse. Having four slams is still enough for any one player to say they're satisfied.

Coaching now aims for the very young talent - Future Talent?

Next Global Tennis Stars?