“I had to make a decision, which became evident in the last few months and weeks. When you grew older, it’s more difficult to stay at the top.”

This was taken from a press confrence (one filled with tears) held in France when Amelie Mauresmo announced her retirement to the tennis world.

She had a glorious ten year career, and I admired her as a player, but i'm glad she finally decided to announce her retirement.

Because after her amazing 2006 season everything just went down-the-hill.

“Even if I’ve learned to never say never,” the Frenchwoman said. “The players you are thinking about stopped earlier than me before coming back.”..her remarks on a possible comeback if ever..

As to why I'm glad that she announced her retirement.. she's thirty years old, the average age of the women's top ten is 23.8..seven years is a big difference in age in my opinion..

But best wishes to Amelie on her future endevors.


While we've lost one of the greats on tour....2010 brings the return of the great Justine Henin.

The pair, who are both 22, announced they were breaking up on Sunday, after Sears failed to show up at the O2 Arena to watch Murray playing in the ATP Tour Finals.

Murray’s agent said at the time that the split had been “amicable” and “mutually agreed”.

However, sources close to Sears said one of the causes was the world number four’s long hours playing video tennis and PlayStation 3 games such as the best selling Call of Duty sequel.

Brad Gilbert, Murray’s former coach, has said in the past that Murray spends “seven hours a day” playing video games.

The source told The Sun: “He would spend all his time glued to them. In the end she just got fed up with it. She wanted more out of the relationship.”

However, the player’s agent told the paper that Murray “doesn’t play computer games any more than any other 22 year-old”.

The pair relationship lasted for nearly four years. Murray met Sears, the daughter of British Fed Cup captain Nigel Sears, through his former coach Mark Petchey.

According to reports, Sears has left Murray’s mansion in Oxted, Surrey and moved back in with her parents in Barcombe, West Sussex.

She is studying for a degree in English Literature at the University of Sussex and is pursuing a career in publishing.

The above is the article from the Telegraph UK website, when I read it I couldn't believe it... but then I thought about my own experience after purchasing Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2 for my Playstation 3.

The minute I brought it home from my local Gamestop I knew there was something special about this game.

It was about 7:30 in the evening when I brought it home to play, I immediately dashed up the stairs and commandeered the big screen television that occupies our game room at home. Before I knew it, I looked at the clock and it read 2:30 am. I didn’t even get to go to the gym…

Seven hours had passed in what had seemed like the blink of an eye, I had a bio test the next morning at 9:30 I needed to finish studying for, usually I study from about 10-1 everyday after coming home from the gym. Never has my PS3 been on this long since I had completed Metal Gear Solid 4: Guns of the Patriots (another great game)

Since finals are around the corner I’ve put my PS3 in the attic to refrain from playing anymore.

But did Sears go too far? I mean Andy is only 22, he’d be just like any other normal college-age kid, except he’s one of the top tennis players in the world.

 

It is that time of year again, it's snowing outside and you want to play tennis, so what do you do?

Luckily 2K Sports long running Top Spin Tennis simulation series (now in it's 3rd installment) is available to cure your tennis fix, even when the weather outside isn't in your favor.

Upon popping the disc into my Playstation 3 (Topspin is available for all major consoles!) I was greeted by an introduction featuring the virtual version of some of my favorite players,Roger Federer, Andy Roddick, Maria Sharapova and many more!

If you don't want to play a career and just have a quick match, Top Spin provides that, select a player, opponent, and venue and length of the match and you're free to play!

The career mode however, is very vast, as you create your own player from scratch and work your way to the top of the tennis world from the bottom, and along the way you can upgrade shoes, racquets, clothes, socks, and many more available from all your favorite brands like Babolat, Wilson, Adidas and more!

When I'd reached the US Open Finals after 5 long virtual seasons (and some bad beats along the way I knew I could have won) and finally defeated Roger Federer in the 4th set, my virtual self had never been more satisfied!

And when I want to connect with other players around the world, Top Spin's Online mode allows you to do so! Playing with people in Canada, Japan, and even New York..there's no limit to whom you might come across while playing online.

Definately a must play for all tennis fans, hit up your local electronics retailer and get a copy today!!

As another decade comes to a close the AP gets together to pick the best athlete of the decade, and of course the ATP's
Roger Federer is one of the front runners to represent for the tennis community. Just a bit of what Federer has done in the past decade.

-Won 15 Grand Slam titles
-17 of the last 18 grand slam finals have featured the superstar, he's been in 21 overall (think if he'd won them all)
-He's sat at the top of the men's tennis rankings for 237 weeks, which translates to about 4.5 years. (This is consecutive)
-Appeared in all 40 grand slams from 2000-2009. Only one other person has done this, ever.


If that's not enough to take the title, I don't know what else he'd have to do, in my opinion tennis is one of the most physically grueling sports today. Players trek around the world weekly, and are barely home.

What do you think? Should he win it? Other possible contenders could be Tiger Woods (but we know he's out due to recent events..)...and well nobody else has really done anything amazing besides Lance Armstrong and Usain Bolt..

12/18 Update

So the AP released the athlete of the decade..

1. Tiger Woods
2. Lance Armstrong
3. Roger Federer

Now by all means, I don't think Tiger should have won, neither should Roger. But Lance Armstrong should have been at the top of this list. How many people can say they've won the Tour de France 7 times, bounced back from testicular cancer that'd spread to the brain and lungs, and have a foundation for which hundreds of thousands of people (one of them being my own boss) sporting a wristband for?

 

I'm gonna go with none.

 

What would your list look like? Some are dissapointed of the exclusion of American swimmer Michael Phelps from the top three.

I found this an interesting read on the ATP website, and thought to share it with the Tennis Now Community to see if you guys had a different moment that would take the place of any particular ones the ATP staff provided.

The top ten defining moments as compiled by ATP Staff.


1. Roger Federer's dominance at Grand Slam level was the most significant achievement of the first decade of the new century. During the decade Federer became the only player in history to win five straight titles at two Grand Slam tournaments, dominating Wimbledon from 2003-07 and the US Open between 2004-08. The Swiss also became the only man to reach all four Slam finals in the same year three times. When Federer won the 2009 Roland Garros title he became just the sixth man in history to complete a career Grand Slam. Federer has reached 22 consecutive Grand Slam semi-finals, more than double the length of the next-best Open Era streak (Ivan Lendl’s 10 straight semi-finals).

2. Federer was crowned ATP World Tour Champion five times during the decade, tying Jimmy Connors’ five finishes as year-end No. 1 in the South African Airways ATP Rankings and edging to within one of Pete Sampras’ six (consecutive) No. 1 finishes. Federer set a record for most consecutive weeks at No. 1 (237) and will end 2009 on 263 (non consecutive) weeks in the top spot, within 23 weeks of Sampras’ all-time record of 286 weeks.

3. Rafael Nadal’s four consecutive Roland Garros titles is a stunning feat. The Spaniard won on debut in 2005 and won 31 consecutive matches before big-hitting Swede Robin Soderling upset him in a fourth-set tie-break in the fourth round this year.
4. Roger Federer’s 24 consecutive victories in finals he played between late 2003 and late 2005 is a record that is likely to stand the test of time. Federer’s streak was finally broken by David Nalbandian in the final of Tennis Masters Cup in 2005, when Nalbandian rallied from two sets down to beat Federer in a fifth-set tie-break.

5. Rafael Nadal became the first man since Bjorn Borg 28 years before him to claim the elusive Roland Garros-Wimbledon double in 2008. (Federer repeated the feat in 2009). In a banner year Nadal also won Olympic gold that season.

6. Andre Agassi, at 33, became the oldest player to hold the No. 1 South African Airways ATP Ranking in 2003. Agassi’s feats of longevity were an inspiration during the decade. In the decade he won 16 titles, including three Australian Opens (at age 29, 30 and 32) and a 17th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title in Cincinnati as a 34 year old.

7. Roger Federer’s 173-9 match record in 2005-06 makes our Top 10 list. Federer produced unrivaled back-to-back seasons of brilliance in the middle of the decade. He went 81-4 in 2005 and 92-5 in ’06, winning 23 titles during that span, including five Grand slam titles and eight ATP World Tour Masters 1000 crowns.\
8. Rafael Nadal’s imposing clay-court streak during the decade was breathtaking. Nadal, who owns a 181-16 career win-loss record on clay, won more than 11 matches for each one he lost on the surface. He amassed an 81-match winning streak between 2005-07. His record in best-of-five-set matches on clay is 49-1 and he has won 24 of 26 finals on the surface.

9. Lleyton Hewitt is the only man other than Federer to be crowned ATP World Tour Champion two straight years during the decade: in 2001 when he won the US Open and Tennis Masters Cup (now Barclays ATP World Tour Finals) and in 2002 when he Wimbledon and Tennis Masters Cup. Hewitt held the No.1 South African Airways ATP Ranking for 75 consecutive weeks – including for the entire 2002 season – and 80 weeks in total. Hewitt remains the youngest player (at 20 years, 8 months) to be crowned ATP World Tour Champion.

10. Rafael Nadal‘s record at ATP World Tour Masters 1000 tournaments is astonishing. Before turning 23 in June, Nadal had won 15 of the ATP World Tour’s premier tournaments between 2005-09. He trails Federer by just one and all-time leader Agassi by two titles. (Agassi won his record 17th ATP World Tour Masters 1000 title as a 34 year old.)
 
Honorable Mentions

Gustavo Kuerten became the first Brazilian to be crowned ATP World Tour Champion at a dramatic Tennis Masters Cup in Lisbon in 2000. Kuerten did what no other player had previously done – beaten Agassi and Sampras back-to-back in the semi-finals and final – to win the title and lock up the year-end No. 1 South African Airways ATP Ranking.

Nicolas Massu winning singles and doubles gold at the 2004 Olympics.

Roger Federer’s 65-match grass-court winning streak beginning in Halle in 2003 and ending with his 2008 Wimbledon final loss to Nadal may never be equaled, given the short grass-court season.

Rafael Nadal reaching 400 match wins faster than any other active player is worthy of note. Nadal reached his 400th win from 491 matches, topping Federer and Hewitt, who both needed 520 matches to register their 400th wins.

What do you guys think? Is this list pretty accurate? What would you change?

20 year old WTA star Yanina Wickmayer and 2002 Wimbledon semi-finalist Xaiver Malisse had both their one year suspensions lifted by ITF officials earlier today.

Wickmayer was suspended for violating the WADA's "whereabouts" rule where elite players must make themselves available for out-of-competition testing for one hour a day, 365 days a year. They must give three months’ notice of where they will be so they can be tested.

“The ITF has removed both Mr. Malisse and Ms. Wickmayer from the list of suspended players, and both are eligible to participate with immediate effect,” the International Tennis Federation said in a statement.

Neither Wickmayer or Malisse ever failed a doping test, Wickmayer claimed that she wasn't properly informed of how the online login system worked.

Many athletes like Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer have spoken against the rule and how it invades player's privacy.

WADA director general David Howman has said the rule will be reviewed at the end of the year.



Finally the WADA has decided to remove their heads from their rear end and review this absurd "whereabouts" rule. Thoughts, comments..let me hear 'em!

The Court of Arbitration for Sport accepted Richard Gasquet's claim that he'd ingested trace amounts of cocaine through physical contact with a female clubgoer this past March after withdrawing from Key Biscayne with an injury.

CAS dismissed appeals from the WADA and ITF that called for Gasquet to be banned for up to two years.

“It was impossible for the player, even when exercising the utmost caution, to know that in kissing a woman who he had met in a totally unsuspicious environment, he could be contaminated with cocaine,” the court said in a statement.

A CAS Panel of three lawyers said that the amount of cocaine found in Gasquet's system was "minute" and he was "clearly not a regular cocaine user."

Gasquet can now prepare for the Australian Open in January. He missed the French Open and Wimbledon while suspended, and in his first main-draw match after returning lost in straight sets to top-seeded Rafael Nadal at the U.S. Open.

It's good to hear that even in the light of Wickmayer's and Malisse's suspensions, and the admitted Crystal meth use of Andre Agassi, the CAS still is still able to try cases with a clear conscience and serve the correct rulings in cases heard.

Thoughts? Comments, let's hear 'em!

Soon it will be the year 2010 and with every new year there are new changes. Wilson, Head, etc will be coming out with their line of racquets and apparel, players will be retiring or coming out of retirement e.g. Justin Henin, while other players will be changing sponsors.

Today, I found out that Jo-Wilfried Tsonga will be leaving Prince and joining the Babalot team in Janurary and the Bryan Bros are leaving Adidas and switching over to K-Swiss.

Djokovic is also leaving Adidas to join Sergio Tacchini. I wonder if all these changes will reign in an exciting new year. Even though I don't agree with some of these new changes, e.g. Djokovic what is he thinking? Why leave such a big brand like Adidas for a lesser known one?,  I belive they are necessary to keep the game alive, fresh and exciting.

Even though some of these changes are more business related, for those of us hardcore fans of tennis, it's exciting to follow these moves.

New sponorships means new apparel which can be pretty cool while new equipment means new racquets and new discussions.

I think these changes will make things fun for TennisNow and our thriving community of tennis lovers.

Do you know other changes happening in 2010? Let me know what you think the next year will bring.

 

Rafael Nadal will be Quely’s New Ambassador starting on January 2010 for their international expansion plans.

Nadal will be the face of Quely throughout the world, thanks to an agreement that the tennis player and Quely presented in public at their bakery.

Quely, a family run company that manufactures biscuits, bakery and chocolate coated products, is proud to be able to count with Rafael Nadal in a new stage in which they hope to publicise their products. Nadal has consumed their products ever since he was a little kid.

Congratulation to Rafael Nadal for starting the 2001 season with this new deal!!

What do you guys think of this move? What childhood food or company would you represent if you were Pro?

In an effort to raise awareness of Sony Ericsson tennis events around the world, the company has created night tennis.

Set at night clubs in tour spots like Miami, the exhibition uses UV lights, glowing tennis balls with comet trails, neon lines, new fashions and DJ booths to reinvent tennis for a younger audience. It's TRON meets Jersey Shore meets Andre Agassi's wardrobe circa 1989. Yet, despite that description, it's still pretty awesome: