Tennis is known for its great rivalries, but one that still continues to fascinate, inspire, and intrigue fans of the sport was the one between Björn Borg and John McEnroe. The new film “Borg vs. McEnroe” directed by Janus Metz explores this by focusing on the two all-time greats and their volatile personalities and how one kept it hidden from view while the other certainly did not.
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Early on in the Fox Searchlight release “Battle of the Sexes”, former tennis great Bobby Riggs (played to near perfection by Steve Carell) finds himself in a Gamblers Anonymous meeting. As he introduces himself, he stuns those attending by saying “Life’s a gamble. That’s what makes it a thrill”, before proceeding to tell his fellow addicts that what they really need to do is a figure out a way to stop losing, not stop gambling.
That line sums a lot about this very well done film and the actions of its larger than life characters in Riggs and tennis icon Billie Jean King (played by Emma Stone). For indeed King and Riggs were both gamblers, not only for competing in the most publicized tennis match of all time back in 1973, but also in their personal and professional lives.
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Former World No. 4 James Blake wrote about his remarkable comeback from personal and career setbacks in his first book “Breaking Back”. Now Blake, who currently works as a tennis commentator and serves as Chairperson for the USTA Foundation has just released his second book “Ways of Grace: Stories of Activism, Adversity, and How Sports Can Bring Us Together”.
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For someone who appreciates and admire Rafael Nadal’s game, but didn’t know a whole lot about Nadal’s personal life or early career, I actually found “Rafa”, his new book written with well-known sportswriter John Carlin, a worthwhile read if only that it gave me an inside look at the Spaniard’s life before he became a worldwide tennis phenomenon along with a candid take on Nadal’s very successful yet tumultuous relationship with his uncle and coach, Toni Nadal. Continue reading
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"The Wimbledon Final That Never Was..." By Sidney Wood with David Wood.
For those who love all things Wimbledon and want to dive into the history of the sport’s greatest event, you can’t go wrong with checking out “The Wimbledon Final That Never Was” by Sidney Wood with David Wood. Published two years after the death of Sidney Wood, the book is a series of recollections and stories from Sidney Wood who was one of America’s earliest and youngest tennis champions, being only 15 when he played at his first Wimbledon in 1927. Continue reading
Adjusting the Net 