Kevin Curren’s new passion
Lungani Zama meets South Africa’s tennis great
Life, they say, begins at 40. In the case of former tennis star Kevin Curren, one could say his second life began once he went beyond 40.
“I guess I did things the wrong way round in some respects,” the 53-year-old smiled as he spoke to the Tribune this week.
“I got married when I was 45. I still have one year left to finish my degree, but it’s been a full life,” he added.
Full, it certainly has been, as the former Glenwood High scholar reached considerable heights in world tennis, maintaining a slot in the top 10 during the hallowed days of Jimmy Connors, Stefan Edberg and the incomparable John Mcenroe.
But these days, Curren has found a new passion.
Happily married to events organiser Deidre, whose company organises the Supersport Shootout, among other projects, they have two young daughters and live in Durban North – an overhit backhand away from Northwood Boys’ High.
“We spend a few weeks of the year down in Knysna, to escape the humidity as much as anything,” Curren said.
Another reason for spending time in that part of the world is his wife’s career, which revolves a lot around golf.
That sport has become Curren’s new passion and he is even playing in the senior amateur ranks.
“I took it up I guess for that competitive aspect of it, and it has been wonderful,” he enthused.
“The seniors push each other really hard and it’s quite nice to have that tennis experience to call on under pressure.”
Curren came second in his first seniors event, the KZN Open held at Durban Country Club, where he is a member.
“I try to play in as many events around the country as possible, and I was very proud to receive my Natal colours,” he beamed.
The next goal, inevitably, is national colours, which he will strive towards once he recovers from his recent shoulder surgery.
“I guess that’s the price you have to eventually pay for serving down all those balls over the years,” he quipped.
Curren, who also serves on the panel that rates the top 100 courses in the country, excitedly revealed further good news with regards to his golf.
“Just before Christmas, I received a letter from the R & A, and I am now a member of St Andrews, the home of golf,” he said, adding that he had been on the waiting list for years.
Curren’s strong affinity towards golf was cultivated during his globe-trotting days as a tennis player, and he even went as far as designing the course at the popular Champagne Resort in the Drakensberg.
“I thought it made sense to have a world-class conference and leisure venue between Durban and Johannesburg,” he reflected.
In a busy life since hanging up his racquet, Curren also served as Davis Cup captain for South Africa and also tried to bring top-level tennis to the country for the SA Open.
“It’s a huge challenge for the sport in this country because the exchange rate makes it too big a commitment for corporate companies,” he admitted.
Elite
Curren said he had tried to develop plans to reinvigorate tennis at grassroots level and also at the highest echelons.
“I think the problem for tennis is that it is still viewed as an elite sport, yet when you drive through the townships there are a remarkable number of tennis courts, even if they are run down.”
Curren says the sport in South Africa needs a hero, to help recapture the imagination of the public – and the corporates.
“Kevin Anderson is trying hard and Chanelle Scheepers is coming through, and that is what the sport needs,” he said.
Currently, Curren is working on a project to try to capture the imagination of the sports world.
“The world is so much faster these days and people want things instantly. I have been working on a concept for a few years, to try to bring the excitement of, for example T20 cricket, to tennis,” he revealed.
Despite the fast and furious pace of the modern game, Curren says Wimbledon, the ancestral home of the game, still holds a special place in his heart.
“I remember when we were playing SA juniors and they showed us a clip of Wimbledon. I was captivated. I mean, they had ivy growing on the walls. When I got there as a player, I had a tingle down my back.”
Curren goes back every year to play in the seniors doubles, as well as to watch the modern greats.
“The guys playing today are unbelievable. I mean Roger Federer is probably the greatest of all time and Rafa Nadal’s record on clay is just unbelievable,” he stated.
Of course, Curren himself played with several Hall of Famers, at a time of wooden racquets and super short shorts.
Having taken the plunge to attend an American university after school, at the insistence of his father, he was taken completely out of his comfort zone.
“I went from being a pretty big fish in South Africa, because tennis wasn’t mainstream, to being a guppy in a big ocean.”
Curren also arrived at the University of Texas midway through the academic year and found the accommodation block in the tennis house full.
“I had to stay with the basketball team,” he recalled.
Having arrived from South Africa under the apartheid regime, Curren had to explain to the African-american dominated squad that the policy was the government’s – and not his personal view.
“It was quite an introduction, but I guess it took me out of my shell. I was very shy and being there meant I had to be more social. All these things build character,” he added.
As an outsider, Curren had to earn respect, and by winning the 1979 national amateur championship, he brought untold prestige to the campus.
“It’s a huge deal over there. I mean, the previous guy from the university had won it 50 years before me. They still send me football tickets and memorabilia every year,” he smiled.
This breakthrough victory was clear confirmation that Curren could make it on the pro circuit, and the lure of endorsements and the chance to travel the world proved too much.
He left university a year short of graduating, a decision he would never regret.
Curren’s time at university coincided with that of Mcenroe’s.
“He was a genius,” Curren said. “Mcenroe was the most remarkable player with a wooden racquet.
“He did things you couldn’t believe.
“But he was also manipulative and would do anything to break your concentration if you were beating him,” he recalled.
Curren took particular joy in beating Mcenroe en route to the Wimbledon final in 1985, during a run that also saw him oust Edberg and Connors, before falling short against a young Boris Becker.
“It’s funny how that has become what most people remember me for, but I guess that’s how society measures success sometimes,” Curren noted.
Career
“It was disappointing that I fell short in the big one, but I had plenty of successes during my 14-year career,” he said.
Five doubles titles in majors, including the men’s and mixed in the same year at the US Open (1982), saw Curren reach a world doubles ranking of No 2.
He also went as high as world No 5 in singles, reaching the Australian Open final in 1984, during a rich vein of form in the early 1980s.
Having started out as a little boy, sneaking out on the court when he couldn’t even see over the net at Montclair Tennis Club, Curren went on to reach considerable heights in the game.
“I’ve had an amazing journey and I consider myself very lucky,” he admitted.
From Durban, to the rest of the world, via Texas, it certainly was quite a ride.