Music and sports often go hand-in-hand, such as through skating (most people only discovered it through Torvill and Dean dancing to Ravel’s Bolero) or synchronised swimming, or in certain sports subcultures like snowboarding surfing; music plays an integral role.
Netflix’s docuseries about Naomi Osaka offers a vivid snapshot of her life as an athlete – press conferences, training sessions and matches are interspersed with detours into her parents’ struggles as biracial couples.
Tennis and Literature
Tennis, as a sport that attracts an intellectual, literate and sophisticated person, has also garnered literary treatment in an interesting way. Its elegance combined with high-minded social ideals make the game the ideal metaphor for all manner of human endeavor, from professional musician etiquette-conscious lifestyles to 1920s flapper crowd flirtations (portrayed later by authors such as Lolita or Infinite Jest).
An individual’s personality and technique often collide on the court, giving rise to many novels featuring tennis as a major theme. Given its immense popularity in English-speaking nations, tennis has generated an incredible body of literature on all aspects of its game: rules and technique; histories of its development; biographies/autobiographies of players; psychological approaches for improving one’s game; advice for physical conditioning/racquet selection/injury prevention/court construction maintenance, as well as funny tennis jokes!
As is true of other forms of writing, tennis writing styles have evolved with time. Three distinct eras can be identified that represent key trends reflected in writing styles:
From 1930 until 1945, sports writing witnessed its initial Romantic wave with the rise of elite sports journalists who approached their subject with academic precision while also possessing poetic imagery in their descriptions of matches. Allison Danzig of the New York Times was one such writer; other examples include Fred Tupper of Britain and Will Grimsley who covered Wimbledon for Associated Press during this era.
Tennis writing degenerated into an embarrassing farce during the latter half of the 20th century, with self-indulgent pretensions to erotic prose and wide-mouthed praise of genius. A recent ode to Roger Federer in NYT Magazine features, among other things, references to “tanned,” “tuned,” and “groomed” bodies; lavish descriptions of thighs and shoulders; as well as bizarre similes such as “his eyes seem like blueberries in a tureen of borscht.” It serves as an excellent illustration of why contemporary literary journalism should change drastically;
Tennis and Music
Tennis has long been an influencer on music genres across genres and has inspired musicians across genres to write songs about this timeless sport. Artists have found innovative ways to use tennis-related imagery into their works; here are some great songs about tennis that may spark inspiration for you!
Many of today’s greatest tennis players appreciate the power of music to boost performance and put themselves into their zone. Serena Williams frequently listens to “Maniac” by Flashdance before her matches, while Rafael Nadal listens to Spanish flamenco music before his matches. John McEnroe was known to listen to classic rock before his matches as well. These athletes understand that listening to certain tunes can help reach peak performance levels quickly.
Musicians have also drawn inspiration from tennis to create songs about it. Some use its metaphoric qualities as an allegory for life while others focus on its more playful aspects – Lorde’s “Tennis Court” being one such song; its setting on a tennis court serves to show that no matter what is lost in life there will always be something positive from each experience.
Henry VIII of Tudor England was an avid tennis enthusiast, which may have had more to do with his habit of lamenting after losing games than any actual skill on his part. It’s estimated that Henry played tennis at least once every week and often spent his free time outside playing with a tennis ball in his garden.
New Zealand group Dragonette recently made headlines for their hit song “Tennis Anyone.” Although this summertime classic doesn’t explicitly reference tennis, it does use tennis courts as a metaphor to express yourself and release emotions freely.
General Strike has created an entertaining tennis-themed song called “Hairy Tennis Match.” This high-energy punk rock track plays on stereotypes associated with tennis while celebrating punk music’s unbridled spirit and offbeat production methods to produce an eccentric yet engaging musical composition. The offbeat production and unique vocal riffs produce a quirky yet amusing experiment in sound that both resonates with listeners.
Tennis and Film
Tennis has long been featured in movies ranging from romantic comedies to dramatic thrillers, offering an ideal setting for stories about family struggles, competition and rivalry, success and failure – as well as famous players depicted within these flicks.
Citizen Ashe is a 2015 biographical drama about Arthur Ashe, an American tennis player who became one of the greatest athletes ever. This inspiring tale illustrates determination and the ability of one person’s dreams.
Woody Allen’s 2005 movie Match Point offers an entertaining look into professional tennis. Jonathan Rhys Meyers stars as Chris Wilton, an ex-pro who finds it difficult to navigate life on and off the court. After making friends with Tom (Matthew Goode), an underprivileged student from a wealthy family, Chris begins dating Tom’s sister’s fiancee; but Chris quickly discovers that his newfound wealth comes with steep consequences.
Borg vs McEnroe is an amazing film that delves deep into the heated rivalry between tennis icons Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe, chronicling their careers while exploring their competing personalities and styles of play. Critical and commercial success followed.
7 Days in Hell is another renowned tennis movie and should not be missed by fans of this sport! A mockumentary that follows Aaron Williams and Charles Poole as they compete in an intense seven-day tennis match is sure to delight! Definitely check this movie out if you appreciate tennis as much as we do!
Challengers is an upcoming tennis movie directed by Luca Guadagnino featuring Zendaya as its star and sure to please audiences of all ages.
Tennis and Television
Tennis is one of the world’s most widely played and recognized sports, enjoying worldwide fanfare through televised championships and cups held each year. Many viewers can enjoy high-quality tennis action right from their homes thanks to television coverage of these events.
Television was an indispensible factor in tennis’ evolution. Prior to its advent, tennis tournaments typically drew small audiences, but television changed all that by providing worldwide visibility for players and sponsors as well as increasing tournament dollar values. Increased TV coverage also led to changes in rules by permitting electronic sensors to judge whether a ball had crossed a certain line.
Joseph F. Cullman, Chairman of the United States Lawn Tennis Association, began negotiating television contracts during the 1970s in an effort to transform tennis from being perceived as “country club, white-shoe sport” into something accessible for a wider audience. Cullman secured an early deal with CBS worth $100,000.
Tennis has quickly become one of the most-watched sports on TV in recent years, with major broadcasters like NBC and ESPN providing extensive coverage at all levels of competition. Furthermore, other channels like Tennis Channel, Fox Sports, and Sky Sports also provide live matches and other content related to this popular pastime.
Due to the ever-increasing popularity of golf, an increase in books about this sport has occurred. From strategy guides and biographies of prominent players, to books exploring psychological and philosophical dimensions of this game – readers interested in this type of writing will find these books captivating.
There are also several tennis blogs online, providing commentary, interviews, photos from a wide variety of people involved with tennis as well as live streams from major events in this sport. Even if one is not particularly fond of this particular game, reading these blogs is a great way to stay abreast of its latest happenings and to keep informed.