On Sunday, July 6, 2008, we were treated to one of the greatest tennis matches ever played. In what was NBC’s highest rated Wimbledon in eight years, Spaniard Raphael Nadal defeated Roger Federer, stopping the Swiss from capturing his sixth straight Wimbledon title. Without a doubt, this is the sport’s most exciting rivalry, what John McEnroe called the shot in the arm that tennis has needed. Given this historical match, and the fact that tennis’ top female players are both talented and gorgeous, a recent survey still shows America’s neglect towards the sport, as it garners just 2% of the U.S. sports-watching audience.
Why Americans Should Watch
FEDERER AND NADAL: The budding rivalry between Federer and Nadal has the makings of a Sampras/Agassi or McEnroe/Connors affair. After witnessing the athleticism and intensity these two displayed earlier this month, it will be difficult to find a matchup more worthy of one’s time. And don’t forget, Federer is on pace to break Sampras’ record of 14 Grand Slam victories. (Nadal is on pace to break that same record!)
VENUS AND SERENA: The American sisters still have it. Their current meeting at Wimbledon was the most watched women’s match in America since 2005. Both sisters are ranked in the top ten in the world and collectively, they have recently won numerous Grand Slam singles (and doubles) titles.
THE WTA TOUR: The athletes on the Women’s Tennis Association Tour showcase some of the world’s most gifted and passionate talent. (And they’re not hard on the eyes, either.) With demonstrably capable newcomers such as Ana Ivanovic and Jelena Jankovic, coupled with the legends-in-the-making Maria Sharapova and the aforementioned Williams sisters, watching the women’s matches at Wimbledon became a guided tour of beauty and athleticism.
No question about it, tennis is at its sexiest. With the Ana Ivanovic spread in FHM and American Ashley Harkleroad on the cover of this month’s Playboy, it can’t hurt that the current face of women’s tennis is a pretty one.
Why Americans Won’t Watch
NO DRAMA FOR OUR MAMAS: Even the most casual of sports fans could cite a few of tennis’ most important players and events of the last thirty years. Though what’s unique about these examples is they all contain a certain flare for the histrionic that captures the public’s attention: the “Battle of the Sexes” match between Billie Jean King and Bobby Riggs; the argumentative and brash Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe; Martina Navratilova’s sexual orientation; the stabbing of Monica Seles by an erratic Steffi Graf fan; Andre Agassi’s persona and his relationship with Brooke Shields. Today, these off-the-court issues are nonexistent. Roger Federer isn’t cavorting with aging pop music icons, Maria Sharapova isn’t holding cockfighting tournaments back at home in Russia (well, at least we don’t hear about them), and James Blake isn’t pumping himself full of anabolic steroids before each match. Tennis’ top athletes have largely remained out of America’s spotlight primarily because they’re not surrounded by controversy. Nadal and Federer are handling their rivalry with grace and mutual respect, and all of the women champions are humble. The American media doesn’t want this; these athletes aren’t “celebrities.” It’ll be some time before we see Andy Roddick playing “Will It Float” on Letterman.
LACK OF A #1 AMERICAN: For the past fifty years professional tennis has produced a select group of players whose records and participation in unforgettable matches have placed them in the pantheon of the sport. Yet, while each decade has been witness to international greats such as Bjorn Borg, Boris Becker, and Steffi Graf, their fiercest rival, respectively, has always been American. Connors, McEnroe, Sampras, King, Austin, and Evert were all, in their era, a #1 ranked tennis player from America. However, as we slip slowly towards the end of this decade, it’s unlikely we’ll see one. Yes, both Roddick and Blake are ranked in the top ten, but in all their years of playing, they only have one Grand Slam win between them. If we look at a “second-tier” sport such as golf, Americans will wildly support their countrymen if they are a dominant player. (13.5 million Americans recently watched Tiger Woods at the U.S. Open.)
THE EMERGENCE OF OTHER SPORTS: Before this begins to sound like a eulogy, it must be said that American participation in playing tennis has been steadily increasing in the new millennium. Each year, more and more parents are encouraging their kids to pick up a racket. The Federer/Nadal final grabbed more American viewers than any other match that didn’t contain an American since 1991. Perhaps this boost will help, though only time will tell just how much it helps. In America, sports such as mixed martial arts and soccer are beginning to overshadow tennis. MLS attendance is up and UFC viewership is at an all-time high, as it’s bolstered by its reality shows and devoted fans. Tennis seems to be struggling for airtime and promotion, and it appears to be becoming an ESPN2 mainstay like bowling or Texas Hold ‘Em. This represents a tremendous drop for a sport that was once a national spectacle.
What We Can Do
REPLAY THAT MATCH: Some say it was the greatest match every played. Let’s see it again. Nadal narrowly fends off Federer in that 4 hour and 48 minute epic—perfect fodder for the next Ridley Scott blockbuster. By emphasizing its importance and Nadal and Federer’s place amongst tennis’ rich history, viewers will be more inclined to follow their futures.
LOOK TO ANA: Buy yourself or your buddy this month’s copy of FHM. Ana Ivanovic’s photos are enough to instantly convert the sport’s most belligerent naysayer into an upstanding sweater-vest-wearing supporter.
