#116 - Notes on Tennis, Grand Slams and Tours
Education Coffee is a 2x Weekly Newsletter on People, Ideas and Culture.
In each edition of this newsletter, I share five inspiring web resources that I have curated after hours of research to ensure that you have the best education coffee in your inbox. In upcoming editions, I will focus on sharing insights, notes and realizations that I gather from people, ideas, books, films and podcasts.
1. Learning from People
Daniil Medvedev and Frances Tiafoe talk about when they fell in love with tennis in this video from the Association of Tennis Professionals. It is a touching tribute to the stories that make these world class athletes who they are.
2. Learning from Ideas and Questions
Tennis is considered an expensive sport primarily because of the cost associated with court rentals, coaching fees, high-quality equipment like rackets and strings that need regular replacements, travel expenses for tournaments, and the need to maintain a high level of fitness which can add to dietary costs, particularly for competitive players. Families have to invest a considerable amount in a player to allow them to access courts, equipment and large tournaments. Here is a glimpse of the financial pressures that these athletes face as professionals.
3. Learning from Books, Websites and Blog
Levels of the Game is a 1969 book by John McPhee, nominally about tennis and tennis players, but exploring deeper issues as well. You need to read this book because it is the profile of two great tennis players, historical account of grand slams and is a detailed break down of a professional tennis match. It helps you understand tennis but also teaches you about history, politics, economics, psychology, sociology and development.
4. Learning from Films, Videos and Shows
The calendar focuses on the four Grand Slams – the Australian Open, Roland Garros, Wimbledon, and the US Open. But there’s more to life than the majors – in fact, tennis has one of the longest seasons in professional sport, with top players having just four weeks off a year. The men’s (ATP) and women’s (WTA) tours usually take in 31 countries worldwide during a tightly packed schedule, with several mandatory events. This is an excellent summary video of the professional tennis landscape from Baseline Tennis that helps you understand tournaments players need to play to maintain their status as professional tennis players.
5. Learning from Podcasts and Music
Served is a weekly podcast with the former World No. 1, Andy Roddick for all things tennis and more! I really enjoy listening to this podcast because it gives you in depth analysis of tennis tournaments, interviews with players, insight into the psychology of players, the role of training for athletes and more. Here is a glimpse of the podcast with an episode with Aryna Sabalenka.
Thank you for reading this edition of #EducationCoffee. I look forward to writing weekly editions of this newsletter this year. I hope to continue to share resources that will add value to your life. You can also review the archive of Education Coffee for free at this link (100+ newsletters here). You can email your thoughts, feedback or recommendations to abhishekashokshetty@gmail.com. I love connecting with other writers and learners on the Internet.
Abhishek