We have a couple of American men in the top 10—Andy Roddick and James Blake. But Americans don’t rule the sport and haven’t really since Sampras hung up his racket in 2002, although Roddick enjoyed the No. 1 ranking for a brief time at the end of 2003. When Pete won his last major in 2002, he was not ranked in the top 10.
Unfortunately for tennis fans living in the States, as far as U.S. television networks are concerned, if there are no Americans playing we will not be airing…at least not in the early rounds. We remain blocked at the source.
For tennis fans the epitome of this obfuscation occurred on June 16, 2008 when Bill Simmons, The Sports Guy, published an article in ESPN the Magazine entitled Wimbledon? I wouldn't miss it. And I don't mean that in a good way.
Tennis aficionados were appalled and perplexed by the attack. The article appeared prior to the epic Wimbledon championship match in July of 2008 between Roger Federer and Raphael Nadal—a five-set, five-hour masterpiece that Nadal won 9-7 in the final set. The players endured rain delays and darkness in a roller coaster match of considerable quality.
Tellingly the championship finale generated a seismic sensation swelling to a perfect 10 in the press. Simmons was roasted by his critics who pointed out that Wimbledon deserved attention and that tennis was relevant. For a short time afterward interest in tennis stirred within U.S. boundaries like leaves buoyed on a brief north wind.
Now the leaves are dropping, soon to be trampled underfoot as U.S. sports fans settle comfortably in front of mammoth HD screens supplemented with surround sound to watch college and professional football, the conclusion of Major League Baseball, all the while anticipating the onset of basketball and hockey of all levels, flavors, and genders.
For now, tennis has faded far into the recesses of the U.S. subconscious, perhaps to be revived at Wimbledon or the U.S. Open in 2009—maybe.
Tennis as a spectator sport and, more particularly one that can draw a respectable television audience in a U.S. market, has less appeal than reruns of the 2004 Bush-Kerry Debates, according to the networks.
16 Comments
Loading more comments...
This comment and all replies have been deleted This comment has been deleted Undo delete