Apparently first used by Brazilian
footballer Pelé, the origins of the adage “the beautiful game” are much
debated. What I’d like to seriously
debate is the word “beautiful” to describe a game rife with fouls, red cards,
animalistic fans, drama queens, coach temper tantrums and fractured vertebrae.
I strongly believe tennis to be the most
beautiful sport in the world, and there are a bunch of reasons why. I’ll try to
narrow it down to just a few:
IT’S AN INDIVIDUAL SPORT
Where’s the beauty in that, you may wonder? Well, unlike a big group
of rugby players, cricket players or soccer players on a field, tennis narrows
it down to just two.
In general, we marry one husband or wife. We have just one or two extremely
close friends. Or, we remember just a few teachers that truly impacted our
young lives at school.
That’s how the human mind operates and attains satisfaction. It
needs time and small numbers to absorb detail. When honed in on one person,
we’re able to appreciate the nuances that separate them from someone else.
We’re able to appreciate – or even absolutely loathe – their annoying habits.
And so it follows that tennis allows fans to develop
near-relationships and connections with their favourite players, because we
spend so much time watching them very closely. I know, for example, that Rafael
Nadal’s pre-serve routine involves wiping the hair on either side of his face
just one time. I know that Serena Williams always changes ends on opposite sides
to where the umpire sits. And I know that top 10 player Tomas Berdych has all
the talent in the world, but that his ‘gentle giant’ nature keeps just a little
too much frustration at bay – the kind of frustration that the likes of
Djokovic, Serena and others use to will themselves to tough victories.
When Federer tears up, so do I. When an injured Victoria Azarenka
misses an easy shot because she is rusty after a lengthy injury, I feel her
anguish.
These connections and observations with individual personalities set
tennis apart from virtually all other sports.
SAYING IT AS IT AS: A tweet by journalist Ben Rothenberg after Roger Federer's recent Wimbledon finals loss.
THE STROKES
Unless you’ve picked up a tennis racquet and attained some kind of
ability to guide the ball over the net (instead of into the next court), you’ll
never know what level of skill is involved in playing the game. As an average
club player, we often have a few good shots but a few glaring weaknesses – for
me, those are an inability to volley at the net or to hit a powerful serve.
But for the elite, they can’t get by without a forehand, backhand,
volley, drop shot, serve and a lob. If any of these shots are entirely absent
from their skill set, they probably won’t make the top 20.
Which is why a brilliantly produced stroke is a thing of beauty.
Even when he is losing, Roger Federer is probably the most beautiful player to
watch, with an effortlessness and a distinctive artistry to his game.
Serena Williams, when serving at 100%, strikes you with her
perfectly balanced technique, something that is sadly lacking in the women’s
game. Nadal has a ferocious forehand, Justine Henin had a gorgeous one-handed
backhand and the retired Pete Sampras probably never missed an overhead smash
in his life.
If the tennis racquet were a paint brush, Nadal’s painting would
probably be filled with harsh, hard colours and an abstract effect. Federer’s
would be cleaner, lighter, subtler and more attractive. But both would be able
to bag a spot in the world’s finest art galleries.
THE MOVEMENT
The fittest of tennis players make watching
the game a great experience. Tennis coaches always stress the importance of
footwork in this sport, where small, precise steps are encouraged over long,
ungainly strides.
On clay, being able to slide into a shot is essential, and some
players have incredible anticipation, being able to read their opponents’
patterns of play and react to them timeously.
At their peak, Venus and Serena were simply way faster than all the
other girls around them. Kim Clijsters, Caroline Wozniacki and Jelena Jankovic
are other great movers. On the men’s side, the top 2 – Djokovic and Nadal –
have taken athleticism in the sport to new heights.
Beyond speed and strength, it’s the added element of handling your
tennis racquet when on the move that makes this sport really special to watch.
Your body truly needs to be lean, balanced and co-ordinated to make it at the
top of this sport.
THE HERITAGE/TRADITIONS/MAJESTY OF IT ALL
Dubbed one of the ‘gentlemen sports’, tennis is known for attracting
kings, queens and other authoritative figures, who appreciate that despite the
intense battles happening down on court, the game can be enjoyed without fear
of being trampled upon or getting your eardrums blown by vuvuzelas.
Wimbledon and its grass courts is at the centre of many tennis
traditions, and the respect meted out to ball boys, umpires and everyone
involved makes for a respectful, reverent atmosphere to post-match ceremonies.
THE COURTS/VENUES
Be it Rod Laver Arena in Australia, Centre Court at Wimbledon, Arthe
Ashe Stadium at Flushing Meadows or Court Phillipe Chatrier at the French Open,
each offers a very different experience and vibe to the next, and because of
differences in surface, a different style of match on the courts too.
Because tennis courts are smaller than cricket/rugby/soccer fields,
crowd capacities are fewer and there is a resulting sense of greater intimacy
with the players on court.
So yes, I believe tennis is the most beautiful sport in the world. I
also think the game is as strategic and physical as it is artistic, with an incredibly wide
range of different styles, skills and executions that can be called upon to achieve the same result - the victory. All hail the real beautiful game!
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