A Celebration of Hot Tennis Part 1: A British Perspective

“You who were born with the sun above your shoulder.” (Greek Song, Rufus Wainwright)

Who else but Rafael Nadal?

Born under the hot sun of the Mediterranean, and epitomizing the tennis of early summer.

He made his mark in the European cauldrons, as always, but suffered the anguish of injury just as the grass season opened.

It was a bitter pill for both him and his fans.

“You who were born where the sun she keeps her distance.” (Greek Song, Rufus Wainwright)

And in vivid contrast to the Latin Nadal is the cool Swiss from Basel, Roger Federer.

His trajectory since the spring has been the reverse of Nadal’s, swinging upwards as the temperatures rose into high summer.

With his own injuries behind him, he has been able to take the tour by the throat.

"Some Like It Hot" (Robert Palmer)

The first days at London’s Queen’s Club took a little while to warm up.

Marat Safin glows a deep chestnut whatever the weather, but he seemed to search constantly for a glimmer of sunshine on a chilly and damp Tuesday morning.

He failed to find even a ray of hope throughout his stay in London.

“I need to laugh, and when the sun is out
I’ve got something I can laugh about.” (Good Day Sunshine, The Beatles)

Marat’s little sister, Dinara Safina, had more to laugh about than her brother at Wimbledon. She made it all the way to the semifinals, while Marat went out in the first round.

She has one of the biggest, most natural smiles in the women’s game when things are going well, but the storm clouds gather when they aren’t. It must run in the family.

For a while at least, she was in love with Wimbledon, and the tournament lit up.

“Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty and gritty.” (Summer in the City, The Lovin' Spoonful)

Rome in May was sweaty and stormy, and hot and steamy. The baking clay was one minute dry dust, and the next under water as thunder and lightning cracked overhead.

Novak Djokovic managed to look cool throughout, long and lean in brilliant blue and white.

The talking point was his matching blue shoes. Love them or hate them, they complemented the orange grit perfectly.

"Heat Wave" (Holland, Dozier and Holland)

The Wimbledon courts became so hot that the ball kids were pressed into sun—umbrella duty.

The youngsters are the most perfectly drilled, efficient, and unobtrusive squad on the tennis tour. They stand to attention during change—over, wait precisely at the baseline to relieve the players of their towels, and hold a mean umbrella.

One or two exhibited pretty nifty tennis on occasion too. Yet they seemed totally unaffected by the searing sunshine on their backs while on duty.

"Sunshine on my Shoulder" (John Denver)

And what broad and shapely shoulders Maria Sharapova has, and they were performing admirably well following her comeback from injury. They give her a huge wingspan that powers an enormous forehand.

But on Wimbledon’s first Wednesday she went out to another tennis beauty, who quickly became the new pin—up of the media.

(If you are one of that fickle band, jump to slide 11!)

“I was too, too hot, too hot to handle.” (UFO)

Tommy Haas has become too hot to handle for a good many players who are good deal younger. Fresh from beating Djokovic in Halle, Haas repeated the treatment in the quarterfinals at Wimbledon.

He is getting hotter with each passing month, and has broken into the top 20 for the first time in a year and half.

Keep burning up those youngsters, Tommy!

“Fever…in the mornin’, fever all through the night.” (Davenport and Cooley)

The voice of Peggy Lee caressing the words of “Fever” is enough to make anyone break into a sweat.

Nadal, though, will always be dripping well before everyone else. The intensity with which he simply walks onto court puts others in the shade.

At the exhibition event at Hurlingham in June, even his crisp whites could not disguise the extent of his exertions in the glorious sunshine.

He may have been testing the state of his knees, but he worked like a Trojan.

“Never saw the sun shining so bright, never saw things going so right.” (Blue Skies, Irving Berlin)

Andy Roddick will still be ruing the day that he met Federer in yet another Wimbledon final.

There is little need to repeat the praise heaped on this American hero: His heart, his work ethic, and the superb tennis he has played this year.

Things were indeed going so right, until the very last point of that very last match.

But there will be more blue skies for Roddick this summer.

"Walking On Sunshine" (Kimberley Rew)

The infectious joy of Katrina and Waves summed up perfectly the delight of Argentinian Gisela Dulko after she beat Sharapova in the second round.

Lovely face, glorious smile, and charming exuberance. Sad that she succumbed in the next round—she brought a beam of sunlight to Wimbledon.

“Sun, sun, sun, here it comes.” (Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles)

The combination of red clay, brilliant sunshine and Nadal’s tennis generated more heat in Rome than any other player.

Sun multiplied by three.

The accumulation of grit on his shoes and socks even suggested his feet are melting into the court. To complete the picture, his shadow followed him like a deep flame.

"Hot Fun in the Summertime" (Sly and the Family Stone)

Lleyton Hewitt has mellowed into a relaxed and happy character in recent years—perhaps the effect of family life.

His former brashness, almost surliness, was not on display during practice with his mates at Queen’s.

He was the most free and easy player on the outside courts, and then also found some of the old heat in his tennis during Wimbledon.

“Summertime, and the living is easy.” (George and Ira Gershwin)

And Wimbledon makes it easy to revel in summertime.

As the temperature rose, the ice cream slid down, followed by the Pimms.

But even these cooling aids were not up to the task of reducing the heat from some quarters.

"Too Darn Hot" (Cole Porter)

By special request No. 1: Roger Federer at change-over.....

"Sunshine Superman" (Donovan)

By special request No. 2: Nadal slips into something comfortable.

“Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone,
It’s not warm when she’s away,
Ain’t no sunshine when she’s gone
And she’s always gone too long anytime she goes away.” (Bill Withers)

In the interests of balance, Maria Sharapova serves up a storm, before bidding a premature farewell from Wimbledon 2009.

“Golden brown, texture like sun.” (The Stranglers)

As is so often the case, a gold-tinted, gold-monographed Federer has the appropriate comment:
Phew, a hot summer of tennis indeed.

The playlist:
Each slide shows who wrote the song. Here, though, is a suggeted list of performers (though in many cases, they are the same).

See which ones, from now on, bring tennis to mind when you hear them.

1. Greek Song, Rufus Wainwright
2. Some Like It Hot, Robert Palmer
3. Good Day Sunshine, The Beatles
4. Summer in the City, The Lovin' Spoonful
5. Heat Wave, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
6. Sunshine on my Shoulder, John Denver
7. Too Hot To Handle, UFO
8. Fever, Peggy Lee
9. Blue Skies, Frank Sinatra
10. Walking On Sunshine, Katrina and the Waves
11. Here Comes the Sun, The Beatles
12. Hot Fun in the Summertime, Sly and the Family Stone
13. Summertime, Ella Fitzgerald
14. Too Darn Hot, Cole Porter
15. Sunshine Superman, Donovan
16. Ain’t No Sunshine, Bill Withers
17. Golden Brown, The Stranglers

Don't forget to visit Claudia Celestial Girl's companion piece, "A Celebration of Hot Tennis Part 2: An American Tale"