Year of sporting showcases
The year 2018 like the years in the recent past turned out to be another in which Tennis produced some memorable sporting moments. There is an annual calendar in many sports today. If one thinks taking a Tennis or a Golf outfit around the world is complicated, try taking three pedigreed fine-tuned horses per person, Formula one cars or modern Sailing outfit across the globe? Yet these events have become big city symbols, successful in bringing people to mega cities from the remotest part of the world.
Open Tennis- survival and performance
Regardless of the, sport the performances of the best in the field are an amazing experience to witness first hand. In Tennis, the two professional circuits of WTA and ATP stood out in 2018. The professionals are seasoned campaigners and it is not easy to replace the top end of it. The serious threat to the current lot seems to come from within the players themselves rather than from opponents. Injuries and illness have taken a noticeable toll this year. It did shake some events.
In the WTA ranking, Simona Halep is ranked number one for the second year running. One cannot but ask where she was during the year- end finals in Singapore. She had to nurse her body. The most disturbing came from Caroline Wozniacki. She has been detected with a serious type of Arthritis. Very bravely, she has announced that she will cope with it and stay in the circuit. The events are so weighted that even if a player does not play the full circuit, he/she could still be in the top five. Angelique Kerber too, ranked two had to use lower gear to sustain herself in the top five.
Winning a Grand Slam is what that gives a big slice of points needed to be in the top five position. In women Halep is one with French Open title, Kerber won the Wimbledon title. Wozniacki won the Australian Open title. Naomi Osaka is fine with the US Open title. It is a system and most of the players are accepting the ups and down. Regardless of the event, there is money in all?
Men’s ranking
In the men’s ATP ranking, four of the top five, are noted for injuries. One has to admit, Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Del Potro limped through the year to complete the circuit. Even with this, they ended up in the top five of the world. Only Alexander Zverev at 21 is not injured and he is number four. All others in the top five are in the thirties. In my opinion Djokovic, Nadal, Federer and Del Potro are not playing their best. Their experience is permitting them to handle the matches better than the flamboyant NewGen players. Once again, in men’s Tennis too, winning a Grand Slam gives a big slice of points needed to be in top five in men’s ranking.
Popular ‘Universal Tennis Rating’ - UTR
This ranking or better said a rating is catching on in popularity. It is ‘current playing form’ based player rating. It has been around in the USA for a while. The claim is that it is extracted from about 8 million matches, in 200 countries and covers 800,000 players. This takes a while to sink in and even longer to understand its 16-scale rating. It even goes into decimals using logarithms and other not so simple mathematics. Popular opinion is that it is fool proof. It has been the official rating system of the American Intercollegiate Tennis Association. It has gone global in the world junior system. It is considered to be more realistic and reliable than the ITF junior ranking. We are going to have more of it next year.
The spor t s t e a ch i n g ‘Profession’ mainly deals with junior development, emphasising on basic Tennis skills. The system is very oriented to turnover, profit margin and an academy’s marketing status. These, in most developing countries are highly thought of but do not have advertised impact. This leaves many talents high and dry with nowhere to go after going through a good six years at their hands. Tennis is feeling this negative impact very acutely in developing countries. The international bodies really started it and is creating events to suit the business than to make players of repute.
Squad training
Squad training means more players on court at a time. It also means selling more equipment. No good player ever came out of squad training in any part of the world. Unfortunately for the ‘teaching industry’ worldwide it is the most profitable format. Minimum teaching staff, minimum facilities and maximum number of players on monthly payment. One Malaysian parent told me that it is the best cash register. He even added had ‘Had I built a wall at home to hit the ball, my son would have been a better player’. This is true.
The training is to play casual Tennis and not to be a good player. This is true of any sport. Equipment needed to play Tennis or any other sport at this level is very basic. Most of the beginners only wish to be introduced to a racquet, ball and the court. This can be achieved in two months, outside squad training. Why take six years? Very big number walks out of sport disappointed. This was 2018.
George Paldano, Former int. player; Accredited Coach
of German Federation; National coach Sri Lanka & Brunei, Davis-Cup, Federation
Cup captain/coach-contact 94 77 544 8880 geodano2015@gmail.com -