TND West

In the 1970s tennis was it.  It was a big time trend in sports up until the eighties.  Though still very popular, these years were a high point for the sport.  In the eighties Jimmy Connors conquered most of the people he played against, only to be rivaled by John McEnroe.  Both of these men are known for their tempers, especially McEnroe.  Connors was trying to disprove notions about age and tennis while McEnroe was a young upstart with a disposition to match.  In numerous tournaments, from Wimbledon to the Australian Open, tennis stars like them created legendary stories for this era in tennis.

McEnroe won his reputation for being a great tennis player and for being a brat off the court.  Part of what made him a fantastic player was his left-handedness.  It made the ball go in the opposite direction the opponent was not expecting and therefore throw the opponent off.  It provided him an advantage, along with his velocity and ability to change his angles quickly.

Though he was famous because of his talent, he was not popular.  People liked his edginess, but because he would consistently fight with umpires and other tennis authorities throughout games, it cost him a lot on his reputation.  More often than not, the calls those officials made were justified.  The sulking McEnroe did not help matters either, especially since he claimed to be right because he could “feel” how the ball played.  How bad was his temper?  The British press eventually rechristened him in their media as superbrat.  Other nations, including his home nation of the United States quickly picked up on the term.

McEnroe was known for throwing his racket during tantrums, cursing at refs and other players, and other behaviors that fit his British nickname.  He was a phenomenal player, beating the great Swedish player, Borg, several times, but there were other phenomenal players during and after the heyday of tennis too that had the tact and demeanor that endeared them to the public, and their sport too.  With the upcoming Australian Open, fans wills get to see some of these charming players, though there are still a few bad boys, and girls for that matter, that still give tennis an edginess.

After Rafael Nadal had to pull out of the Wimbledon due to his knee injury, the entire tennis world is wondering if he will be back for the final Grand Slam tennis tournament of the season. Will Rafael Nadal be a factor in this year’s US Open tennis?

Nadal will play in the Montreal Master’s but reports confirm that he is not sure he is ready for the US Open, physically since he has been out of the competitive tennis circuit for at least two months now. He has not been able to train at the level he normally does due to his knee injury.

Nadal has been doing his best to combat his issues with tendonitis that is affecting both of his knees, but he has not played in a competitive match since he was knocked out of the French Open in the fourth round by Swedish player Robin Soderling.

The Montreal Masters could either make or break the chances of seeing Nadal return to the Grand Slam tennis scene. Roger Federer has confirmed he is playing in the event. He just came off winning Wimbledon in story book form, taking down American Andy Roddick in the longest set in Wimbledon history. Despite not playing since the French Open and Federer’s two grand slam title wins, Nadal still sits at second in the world just behind Federer. This begs the question, is Roger Federer ever really going to be better than a healthy Rafael Nadal? Would Federer have been able to claim his tow current crowns if Nadal is part of the field again?

Hopefully Nadal will be able to compete in the US Open, but if his knees aren’t ready he should just bow out for the rest of the season. He’s so young and everyone would like to see him continue to be a dominating force in the tennis world.