By Scoop Malinowski
Ht: 6-1 Wt: 170
Age: 18 From: Florida via New Jersey and North Carolina
Tennis Inspirations: Andy Roddick – straight up, favorite player.
First Tennis Memory: Probably at the Athletic Club Courtside in Greenshoro, NC where I grew up, I saw all the old people out there playing doubles. I was like, all right, I’m gonna get out there and do that. And then I remember trying to play out there – it didn’t really go too great the first time (age six).
Nicknames: Tommy, T-Paul.
Greatest Sports Moment: French Open, I would say between the French Open (won junior boys this year) and the past three days (US Open qualifying, where Tommy won three matches and earned a spot in the main draw).
Most Painful Moment: Two years ago in Orange Bowl. I lost first round. Just had a bad streak of tournaments I played really bad throughout the whole tournaments.
First Famous Player You Met Or Encountered: Paul Goldstein, right here at qualifying at US Open.
Last Book Read: Oh, I don’t read much. No clue.
Funniest Players Encountered: All my friends are really funny – Frances Tiafoe, Reilly Opelka, Taylor Fritz, Nathan Ponwith, all my friends that we hang out with.
Fiercest Competitors Encountered: I have no clue [smiles], really no clue Strangest Match: I played Denis Kudla and we played a three set match – 62 06 60 – pretty strange match.
Why Do You Love Playing Tennis: I’ve always loved it since I was little. I’ve loved how competitive it is and one versus one, gotta find a way to win.
Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: Vanilla.
Funny Tennis Memory: We have fun on court in practice, I can’t really name one time.
Embarrassing Tennis Memory: Obviously, we’ve swung and missed at a couple of balls. Probably swinging and missing at a ball and got really embarrassed.
Favorite Sport Outside Tennis: Watching? NFL football, play- basketball.
Three Athletes You Like To Watch & Follow: Now I have to like Demarco Murray, he’s my Eagles running back. I like Russell Westbrook just because I love the way he plays basketball. And you gotta love Usain Bolt for what he did (winning the 100 and 200 meter sprints at the World Championships in August in Beijing).
People Qualities Most Admired: Funny, (I) like funny people, sarcastic. I think sarcasm is so funny. And also, I like when they can be serious (at this moment of the interview Alexander Zverev walks by and silently sticks his hand out to shake Paul’s hand after his second US Open quali win) when they need to be and also can go in there and not be crazy all the time.
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Scoop Malinowski · October 2, 2015 at 3:47 pm
Paul really exploded this year, I saw him at Eddie Herr in Nov last year as non factor in the tournament but this year has been his year, winning the French Open boys and finaling at US Open boys, and playing a good match vs Seppi in the US Open main draw (had two break points to go up 4-0 in the first set), as well as winning several futures and challenger matches, including a top hundred win vs Bemelmans in Savannah — really impressive player with some dangerous weapons and a humble classy intensity on court —
Dan Markowitz · October 3, 2015 at 5:56 am
I always find it sad when these players say they have no clue as to what the last book they read was. Also, how can his nickname be Tommy when that’s actually his real first name?
Dan Markowitz · October 3, 2015 at 6:09 am
Happy to see Mac Mac in the semis in Tiburon. This kid shocked the world two years ago qualifying and winning a match in Cincy and he’s been lost in the shuffle with all the Paul, Tiafoe, JD talk, but I think he’s very good.
Don’t know anything about this French 18 year old, Halys, but he’s in the semis too.
Scoop Malinowski · October 3, 2015 at 8:32 am
I think it’s harder to read books in this modern age with the phones and everything, plus these guys are training like animals to make it in ATP, we live in a visual world now, books could grow toward extinction or lose immense popularity- as has happened to many newspapers —
Dan Markowitz · October 3, 2015 at 1:10 pm
I don’t believe that. We’re interested in stories and books are a great forum for that. It shows a intellectual lack of curiosity not to read.
Scoop Malinowski · October 3, 2015 at 1:25 pm
People read on their phones and laptops and there’s net flix — this all takes away time to read a book Dan — I do a lot of Biofiles with young pro athletes and I’d estimate about half say they are not avid book readers — times they are a changing – at least my books are still selling – sold copies of all six of my books last month on amazon 🙂
Dan Markowitz · October 3, 2015 at 3:14 pm
I know people read on their devices, but if they’re not reading books it show a lack of ignorance on their parts and that’s why I’d never let my son turn pro out of high school (even if he has the opportunity to) because by going to college, you become more learned and have an interest in reading books. There are a lot of other tennis pros who travel with books. Courier was reading a book on a changeover once.
Scoop Malinowski · October 3, 2015 at 6:18 pm
Courier is a very intelligent guy obviously, hopefully he read and enjoyed the copy of Facing Hewitt I gave him in DC, not sure if book reading makes people smarter, Agassi didn’t strike one as a book reader yet there’s no questioning his intelligence — reading books is not the only source to gain knowledge, Dan, truth and wisdom in this world is not always found in books —
Andrew Miller · October 3, 2015 at 8:12 pm
Agassi came to books late. He credits his co-author for OPEN , his biographer, for helping him, with his other book, at a rough point in Agassis life.
Agassi reveres books.
Dan Markowitz · October 4, 2015 at 8:24 am
It show a lack of intellectual capability and curiosity not to read books, especially when you’re 18 years old. I’m not saying reading books is the only sign of intelligence, but it is an excellent way of gaining insight into the world and human behavior and these young men and women while they travel a lot, live pretty sheltered lives. So reading with all the free time they have is a great way of expanding their horizons.
How about McDonald taking a set off Kudla and then losing 4 in the third. He’s supposed to be a junior at UCLA this fall, but I imagine this result might change his mind and he will turn pro.
Andrew Miller · October 4, 2015 at 12:17 pm
Kudla-Smyczek for the V in Tiburon. Smy capping another good year. Kudla capping his best year. I’d assume Kudla gets invited to the Challenger Tour Finals?
Dan Markowitz · October 4, 2015 at 5:51 pm
Is that something you want to get invited to? The Challenger Tour Finals. You call having a 5=13 record a good year, Andrew, for Smee? I mean, he lost last week to Harry 6-1 in the third. Andrew, Smy has had a pretty crappy year, besides beating Muller and Stakhovsky in a Challenger in Texas, he hasn’t beaten a decent player all year long. I mean seriously, the guy didn’t have a good year, he had a terrible year and one good week making the finals of Irving Ch, but losing to Ram badly.
At 27, if Smee has a couple of more years like he had this year, he’ll far below his No. 112 ranking.
Scoop Malinowski · October 4, 2015 at 7:09 pm
Smee got to around 65 last year so this year was a drop off, but remember he had the nice run in Australia and the memorable five setter vs Rafa, which made him a household name in tennis households — so it’s been an good and down year for Smee — he’s still in striking range of one good tourney and getting his ranking back up to 75 range —