[ARETE] Sport and Society: Tennis in Transition

[richard crepeau]

SPORT AND SOCIETY FOR ARETE

SEPTEMBER 21, 2022



Over the past few months, I have written this column only a few times, the last being late July. This has not been because I have had nothing to comment upon. Rather the summer has been filled with travel, some to escape the heat of Florida. Over the past few days, I have been trying to decide how to restart. Many topics have shot by over the past three months, any number of which could now be subjects for this column. Not the least of these are the passing of two giants of contemporary American sport: Bill Russell in basketball and Vince Scully in baseball. Both left indelible marks on the world of sport and beyond. Both were men of principle and character. Either of them could be the subject of many of these columns.

Instead, I want to focus on the recently concluded U.S. Open Tennis Tournament. Over the years this tournament has inspired a number of columns. Things worthy of comment almost always take place in New York at the end of summer. One of the first columns I wrote in the early 1990s dealt with one of those memorable late-night matches that rolled well past midnight and kept even casual fans across the country transfixed. Over the last three decades, Late Night at the Open has been the place to be.

This year produced more of these epic marathon matches, some into the night, some during the day. The men’s champion had to endure several such matches during the second week of the tournament. At age nineteen, Carlos Alcaraz, had the energy to sustain him through three five set matches prior to the finals, two of which ended after 2 a.m. The quarter final match between Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner went over five hours ending just before 3 a.m. It was filled with long rallies and spectacular shot making.

The men’s side of the draw was without Novak Djokovic who was standing by his right not to be vaccinated. Roger Federer was still recovering from injury, and the defeat of Nadal by Frances Tiafoe in Round 4 left the field devoid of the three men who have dominated Grand Slam play over the last two decades. The absence of the elite trinity did not detract from the appeal of this tournament. Frances Tiafoe’s path to the finals showcased an emerging star, and, for many in American tennis, it was an important reemergence of an American presence in men’s tennis, not to mention an African-American presence.

The final rounds of the men’s draw turned into a showcase for emerging talent and is a sign of the changing of the guard. Alcaraz has been a rising star out of Spain, many seeing him as the heir apparent to Nadal, and he took his game to the highest level. The others who took the spotlight, Frances Tiafoe, Jannik Sinner, and finalist Casper Ruud, offered a refreshing new look to men’s tennis.

Of course, Djokovic is far from the end of his career, but from this point on he will find himself facing younger competition and not the old familiar faces. The announcement by Roger Federer that he is retiring underlines this moment as a point of transition.

For me, Roger Federer is the greatest men’s tennis player I have ever seen. His skill set is extremely well developed, and his style of play a thing of grace and beauty. His shot making is off the charts. Federer’s numbers are among the best, and his public persona impeccable. It is difficult to imagine anyone surpassing his overall greatness, but then, of course, the next great player may be just down the road or a decade or two ahead.

In the first week of the tournament, everything and everybody was overshadowed by what was assumed to be the farewell of Serena Williams, the greatest female tennis player of all time. No longer playing much in the last two years, Serena Williams came to New York to display her greatness one final time.

The attention paid to her by the New York crowd and the media across the globe was something to behold. Serena has never lost a first or second round match at the Open in 42 matches. In the first round she bested Danka Knovinic in straight sets, 6-3,6-3.

It was in the second round that the challenge became formidable as Williams faced Anett Kontaveit from Estonia, the number two ranked player in the world. The stands were full of notables and celebrities, former champions, and maybe even a few ordinary tennis fans. Many were there to see and be seen at Serena’s last match at the Open.

It was not to be a farewell. In a riveting three set match Williams rallied in the third to win 7-6, 2-6, and 6-2 and advance to the third round. During the match the crowd roared and it, no doubt, earned an assist in lifting Serena’s game and energy. At times, the sound was deafening. Anett Kontaveit faced more than just one opponent, and certainly she must have been rattled by the uproar.

It was an amazing performance by both players, and it was a match that proved worthy of being the final win in the career of Serena Williams, who won her first Grand Slam Tournament at age 17 at the U.S. Open in 1999. It mattered not that Serena’s run ended in the third round.

As to the future of Women’s tennis, there is no obvious heir apparent, but there are a large number of excellent young players. What is known is that the next star will have been heavily influenced by Serena Williams who transformed tennis. Her power had never been seen before; her shot making and court coverage were the best ever; her will perhaps never to be matched. And it should not be forgotten that her game, and that of Venus, was developed by her father, Richard Williams, who defied the advice of experts.

Serena Williams had a high profile off the court, as well. She has been described by Matthew Futterman of the New York Times as a “dominant cultural figure, informing debates on gender, race and celebrity.” She and Venus also made their mark in business and in design as they transcended sport.

As Serena Williams departs and Roger Federer follows, this is clearly the end of an era that many of us have been alive to enjoy. The memories will live on.

On Sport and Society this is Dick Crepeau reminding you that you don’t have to be a good sport to be a bad loser.



Copyright 2022 by Richard C. Crepeau



-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <https://lists.ku.edu/pipermail/sport_literature_association/attachments/20220921/f40653a8/attachment-0001.html>