GAME, SET AND MATCH, BUD COLLINS
Reflections on Collins’ Serene Memorial Service Bill Simons BOSTON–Just call it an odd coincidence. But after traveling 3,000 miles to Boston for the memorial service for broadcaster Bud Collins,...
View ArticleMR. EVERYBODY GOES TO WIMBLEDON
Britain’s Marcus Willis Plays a Tennis Match for Everybody Bill Simons WIMBLEDON—Roger Federer should have been shaking in his Nikes. For once Wimbledon’s adoring Centre Court crowd would not be...
View ArticleWIMBLEDON – A WILD AND WACKY DAY AT THE CIRCUS
Wimbledon is supposed to be a gentle garden party – pleasant tennis and good spirits. Today it was a raw, explosive circus with everything: depressing North Sea clouds, inspiring English sunshine,...
View ArticleWIMBLEDON’S MANIC MONDAY AND THE JOY OF DOING WHATEVER YOU WANT
Bill Simons WIMBLEDON ENGLAND— KYRGIOS AND THAT FOOLHARDY JOY OF DOING WHATEVER YOU WANT TO: Is there anyone who’s more fun to psychoanalyze than proud, pouting Nick Krygios? The Aussie is so...
View ArticleVENUS AND SERENA: Inspiring our Hearts, Stoking our Imagination
WIMBLEDON, ENGLAND – Bill Simons It’s a tale beyond belief. And the most implausible, astounding, head-scratching yarn in sports history just got a lot more astounding. Serena and Venus Williams were...
View ArticleROGER FEDERER: The Artist Who Cannot Avoid Beauty, the Athlete Who Cannot...
Wimbledon, England Bill Simons The Duke (of Kent) was nervous. The Chairman (of the All England Club) was glum. The first Lady of the ATP (Mirka Federer) was chewing her nails. Beckham looked like he...
View ArticleTHE PATRICK MOURATOGLOU PRE-FINAL INTERVIEW: Serena’s Coach Says Don’t Think,...
Wimbledon, England— Bill Simons Just 90 minutes before the woman’s final between Serena Williams and German Angelique Kerber, Serena’s celebrated coach Patrick Mouratoglou – who incredibly has led her...
View ArticleCATCH-22: THE INTENSE, PASSIONATE QUEST OF SERENA WILLIAMS
Wimbledon England – Serena couldn’t help gloating. After meeting the Duchess of Cambridge (for us peasants that would be Prince Williams’ main squeeze, Kate Middleton) she tweeted that she was now, “in...
View ArticleHAPPY HEADLINES ARE HERE AGAIN – MURRAY WINS SECOND WIMBLEDON
Wimbledon, England— Bill Simons In the old days, when Andy Murray lost one big match after another, Britain’s papers would rush to print cruel headliness. One read: HUMILIATED AT FOOTIE, RUGBY, NOW...
View ArticleA WORLD WITHOUT FEDERER – REFLECTIONS ON THE MORTALITY OF A TENNIS GOD
ALL THINGS MUST PASS Bill Simons With the exception of a pro-Rafa Nadal monk in a monastery in the Pyrenees and the second vice-president of the Djokovic-You-Rock Fan Club, every tennis lover wants...
View ArticleZEN LIVES MATTER: Eternal Truths, Zen Wisdom and Passionate Pleas
Amidst a summer of tumult and confrontation, poetry repeatedly emerged. No, we’re not talking about the poetic shot-making Roger Federer gave us during his Wimbledon comeback against Marin Cilic....
View ArticleIN DEFENSE OF MONFILS
By Michael Mewshaw There is something sad and exasperating about the reaction to Gael Monfils’ loss to Novak Djokovic in the US Open semi-finals. Spectators booed. Commentators tut-tutted. John...
View ArticleA NEW DAY IN THE WTA
Around the world the whispers were loud: Serena and Venus are great, but it sure would be nice to see some new faces out there. After all, Serena in particular dominated the Slams, winning six of...
View Article26 POINTS OF LIGHT
The passing of the singular Leonard Cohen brought to mind how Inside Tennis used the lyrics of one of his greatest songs in light of a horrendous school shooting in Connecticut. The shooting led to the...
View ArticleGARDNAR MULLOY, AND A BRIEF HISTORY OF TENNIS GARDENS
Man emerged from the ocean, and one could say that tennis emerged from gardens – those Victorian lawns in 19th century Britain. So it’s not surprising that tennis and gardens are intertwined, so to...
View ArticleHALLELUJAH! Tennis and the Visionary Love of Bob Dylan and Leonard Cohen
Two of our greatest bards were recently in the news. Bob Dylan won the Nobel Prize for Literature and Canadian singer Leonard Cohen passed on. Both mused poignantly on love, and yes, there is a tennis...
View ArticleANA IVANOVIC – WHAT WE LOVED MOST
Yes, we loved it when she ran with grace on court and spoke of Freud in the press room. But what will we remember most about the newly retired Ana Ivanovic, the 2008 French Open champ and former No. 1,...
View ArticleREMEMBERING ANA IVANOVIC – TENNIS’ MOST BLESSED AND CURSED PLAYER
By Bill Simons Our piece from last year pretty much catches the triumphs and flaws of the singular Serb who just retired. MELBOURNE, Australia—Could it possibly be? Could Ana Ivanovic be both the most...
View ArticleMURRAY THE KNIGHT – FROM “ABSOLUTE TURNIP” TO SIR ANDREW
Bill Simons His words changed everything. After losing a heartbreaking Wimbledon final in 2012, Andy Murray was asked to say a few words. Shaken and heartbroken, he stepped forward and mumbled, “This...
View ArticleAUSTRALIAN OPEN: ‘I Know That Nick Kyrgios Can Win’
They say history never repeats itself – fair enough. But tonight in Melbourne in Hisense Arena, the singular Nick Kyrgios will once again take on the Italian upset artist Andreas Seppi. It will be an...
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