A little “green” tennis wisdom

The Little Green Book of Tennis Wisdom, edited by Julie Ganz, is a breezy quick read of great quotes about tennis. Here are my the ones I found most interesting.

From the section on the history of the game:

• The word “tenes” went through 24 transformations before it became the word “tennis.”
• Henry VIII was a world-class player.
• Before the Open Era in the U.S., tennis was “hidden away from the great unwashed behind Ivy-covered walls,” according to Bud Collins.
• Rod Laver had no show of emotion. He was “like a good plumber.” He won all four majors in one year - an almost-impossible accomplishment.
• Bjorn Borg was bigger than the game. He was like Elvis.
• The optic yellow ball of the early 1970s “helped transform tennis from a country club pastime to a billion-dollar sports enterprise.”
• Andre Agassi brought in the MTV generation and the Hollywood elite.
• France dominated tennis from 1925-1935, Australia in the 1960s, the U.S. In the 1990s, and Spain around the early 2010s.

From the section on advice:

• John McEnroe says the most important quality of a winner is desire and the ability to keep at it when not playing that well.
• Martina Navratilova says she prefers creative players way more than cookie-cutter players.
• Lleyton Hewitt said many matches are won and lost in the locker room.
• Rod Laver said the best volley is a short stiff jab, with almost no backstroke. “You’re blocking the ball, not stroking it.”
• Serena Williams said she had never met a tennis player who hates sushi.
• Author Timothy Gallwey noted that tennis can help you learn to trust yourself, which is far more valuable than learning how to hit a forceful forehand.
• Tennis can be a little dull unless there is some pizzazz, Nick Bollettieri said.
• Author David Foster Wallace called the sport the most beautiful one and the most demanding.

From the section on the Grand Slams:

• It’s not right to compare the four slams. That’s why you don’t see pundits doing it. They are all great and valuable in their own ways.
• Roger Federer said he thought players were the most inspired at the Australian Open, perhaps because it’s the start of a new year.
• Navratilova said winning Wimbledon is like a drug that you just want to do again. Andre Agassi also said something along those lines. 
• Andy Roddick said his footwork on the French Open clay was awful.
• Novak Djokovic rightly noted that the U.S. Open is about the night session with the rowdy crowds interacting with the players.
• Roddick said the adrenaline rush of the first 30 seconds after winning a match is like no other he experienced before starting to play tennis or that he expects he’ll ever feel again. 
• Nadal said he plays every point like his life depends upon it.
• Jim Courier said the dumber you are on court, the better you’ll play. 

In the section on doubles:

• The masters make others feel foolish or simply tempt them to beat themselves.
• It’s a game of subtlety, touch, and deft hands at the net.
• One doctor said that you can tell if a couple should stay together when you watch them play mixed doubles.
• Mixed double and regular doubles can make you better because you learn to relax a little. It’s  also a great way to polish net skills.

A worthy ending inspiration comes from the ping pong section: Keanu Reeves is, of course, apparently really good at it.