Status: Winner of nine career singles titles. Career high singles ranking was no. 17.
Ht: 6-6 Wt: 200
DOB: Oct. 7, 1987 In: San Francisco, CA
Childhood Heroes: “I never had a certain hero. I always watched Agassi and Sampras growing up, those are the two guys I sort of idolized.”
Nicknames: “I’m called Sammy The Bull – I don’t know how I got that one. And all those guys on the Challenger Tour called me Q Ball.”
First Memory Of Tennis: “Would be when I lived in Las Vegas, I was eight, taking a lesson from my old coach Owen, inside in an indoor court. I think that was my first serious lesson with a coach.”
First Car: “’74 VW Vanagon, blue and white. It’s all re-done, there’s a bean bag in the back. Stereo system. It’s cool.”
First Job: “This job right now, professional tennis player.”
Greatest Career Moment: “I don’t know if there’s been one greatest moment. There’s been a few. Winning my first title in Vegas. Also winning Queens before Wimbledon. The prestigious event. And I think the third one would be I guess playing at the US Open against Nadal in the fourth round. Davis Cup has been a highlight. There’s not one for me, there’s really been a few.”
Most Painful Moment: “Worst moment…probably losing in Davis Cup.”
Closest Tennis Friends: “Isner is one of my best friends. I’m good friends with Mardy, James, the Bryans, all the Americans, I mean we’re all pretty close.”
Funniest Players Encountered: “Isner’s funny. Mardy’s pretty funny. Bob and Mike Bryan I think. I don’t interact a whole lot with the guys from Europe, I’m sure some of them are funny.”
Toughest Competitors Encountered: “Probably Rafa.”
Which Match Were You At Your Best: “Against Marcos Baghdatis, second round Memphis (2009). I won 61 62 and everything felt perfect. Pretty much playing every ball perfectly.”
Favorite Meal: “Chicken parmigian.”
Favorite Movie: “Happy Gilmore.”
Funny Tennis Memory: “I was playing a match and I went back for a lob – my foot got caught back in between the fence and the concrete. My shoe fell off so I played the rest of the point with just like my sock on [smiles]. At Southern California sectionals when I was fourteen.”
Interesting Fact: Sam holds the ATP record for consecutive aces – when he made ten aces in a row against James Blake in 2007 on an outdoor hardcourt.
People Qualities Most Admired: “A positive attitude, a good outlook on life, outgoing, fun, generous, all those things.”
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Dan markowitz · March 6, 2017 at 7:55 pm
Sitting in press pass seating st Garde for World Tennis Day. Starts with doubles: Sock and Riddick v Krygios and Hewitt. Hewitt looks ultra serious. At 3-3 receiver’s choice, Sock returned on ad court and Hewitt served hard to his backhand and he hit it down the line into the net. They just showed an “aww” picture on scoreboard of the very young Roddick with maybe the 10 year old Sock. Roddick’ serve is still a bomb, bigger than Kyrgios’s or Sock’s. I thought in warmups since Roddick’s been retired longer than Hewitt, he’d be weak link, but he’s playing very well, especially at net and his forehand is big again. NK”a serve is just too big. I think he served better than Dock and has better backhand too.
NK is most athletic guy on court. Just amazing racquet skills and hands; he’s hit two balls between his legs with his back to court. Real good crowd here. I don’t know if NK or Sock or Delpo or Venus is the draw. But the tennis is good; seems like both teams want to win. And Arod does have biggest serve. Hewitt just mis-hit backhand return winner, but seeing Arod serve I’m reminded what a potent shot it was and still is.
4-all in games and NK double-faults to start breaker and the flubs mid court fh because he thought Hewitt was going to take it. Hewitt is a fine doubles player; just real solid, probably the best volleyer of all the great baseline players, much better than Chang, Borg even Connors and I’d say Nadal and Murray too. The Roddick bh is a good shot. Sock just crunched overhead to make it 5-all. Sock and LH just went back and forth w big forehands and Sock won. NK has all physical tools. He just saved match w stretch overhead winner. Roddick ultimately lost breaker by hitting two forehands in net and a backhand volley into net.
Roddick and Hewitt up next. These guys want to win. Roddick contested a close serve in breaker and he looked serious bringing a wry smile to Hewitt’s face like he was saying “Is he serious?”
Dan markowitz · March 6, 2017 at 8:33 pm
Hewitt just beat Roddick. Roddick had a match point at 3-4 and he brought Sock in to play the point for him as did Hewitt with Kyrgios. NK served on ad court to Sock’s forehand and he chipped it in net. Arod looked disappointed to lose, but Hewitt was a little sharper.
Scoop Malinowski · March 6, 2017 at 10:22 pm
Hewitt’s competitive fire has not burnt out in the least in fact it’s still as hot as ever – I’m not there or watching this but I can imagine Hewitt’s intensity is as if this was a Grand Slam match – it’s been ages since Hewitt last competed in a live event (over a year ago) and so this is perfect for Hewitt to release his pent up competitive juices – I’m sure this is a great event with a very interesting mixture of players – Dan can you tell that Nick and Sock are very very close good friends?
Dan markowitz · March 6, 2017 at 10:23 pm
After the drivel of having to watch Venus vs Garbinr we’re seeing some fine tennis w NK v Sock. Kyrgios and his mate are firing some heavy artillery but it seems Krygios’s forehand is the more versatile. Now midway through the 5-game set they’re getting cute and while it’s not NBA style all star game fare, it’s so much more fun to watch them really go after each other because it’s high octane stuff.
Dan markowitz · March 6, 2017 at 10:35 pm
Sock always thinks he’s getting bad calls. He’s always shaking his head and pointing his index finger–even in an exbo with his good friend Kyrgios–as to missed ball marks. It’s a bit much. Krygios won.
Chazz · March 6, 2017 at 10:58 pm
I’m as much of a Sock fan as anyone, but you’re right, it is a bit much at times. It seems like he gets distracted and unfocused at times by these things and I really hope it doesn’t limit how high his game can go.
Dan Markowitz · March 7, 2017 at 12:39 am
At one point, the umpire called a let and Sock refused to play a let. He just walked to the other side of the court and stood there even though the umpire repeated there was a let. Kyrgios didn’t give him any flak about it, but it was really strange this happening in an exbo.
catherine bell · March 7, 2017 at 2:57 am
Dan-
I know you don’t like women’s tennis (I don’t like a lot of it either)but you really needn’t be insulting about Venus and Garbine.
Presumably you didn’t pay to watch that ‘drivel’. Why didn’t you just take break for however long it lasted ?
Scoop malinowski · March 7, 2017 at 7:42 am
These players like to jab at and needle chair umps any way they can. McEnroe opened the floodgates. The Venus Garby set sounds like it was a bore with every point basically identical to the other. Any net forays? Interesting Hewitt was wearing nike and not athletic dna. Still wearing the old yonex power cushion 308 shoes.
Scoop malinowski · March 7, 2017 at 7:44 am
Chazz; Sock definitely allows himself to be distracted by outside factors and injury timeouts. Its a flaw that must be fixed.
Dan Markowitz · March 7, 2017 at 7:52 am
I did exactly that, Catherine. I went into the press room and got some tea and then did some stretching. My problem with the night is that they started with doubles, Roddick and Hewitt, Sock and Kyrgios, not in thise teams and that was fun, and then they went with Roddick/Hewitt and that was probably the most competitive match of the night where both guys didn’t try to entertain, except Roddick who’s always saying something, but then it went Mxd and then its like the sizzle went out of the arena with Murguruza and Venus. I’m sorry, that’s not just my opinion, I don’t think. I mean the Spaniard is amazing to see up close, she’s all arms and legs, and big teeth smiling, and Venus can still rocket the ball, but neither has much flair and I couldn’t care who won or lost.
So they saved Sock v Kyrgios and Delp v Nishikori for the last two matches when it would’ve been nice to see those two matches first. Kei is incredibly fast and it’s just electrifying to be sitting close and seeing the pace and foot speed of these guys. But I had to leave at 10:30, after being there 3.5 hours, and Delpo and Kei hadn’t even gone on yet. It’s too long and if you’re going to have the women play, el drago, I know, get a couple who are exciting, maybe Giorgio v I don’t know, Barty.
It’s like my son said the other night when they put him on the court with the older girls, who are good players, but he said, “But they’re not good athletes, dad. They just have good strokes and they know how to play baseline tennis.” And watching two women trading baseline shots, without the flair and athleticism and awesome physical skills, is just el boring in an exhibition match.
Scoop Malinowski · March 7, 2017 at 8:21 am
Dan you are being politically incorrect by criticizing women’s tennis – if you persist in this we may have to send you for a week to cover the WTA Charleston Open where you will have to watch and write about women’s tennis for seven straight days 🙂
catherine bell · March 7, 2017 at 8:38 am
Dan-
As you know I generally agree with you (and your son) about women’s tennis. Really good players, attractive (tennis-wise), to watch are rare because like it or not women in general are not as athletic as men or as attacking-minded.
The problem in NY is that I imagine the best women and most crowd pleasing didn’t want to come, so they had to go with what they’d got. Probably it’s best not to have women at all with that team of men. I’m not quite sure what the whole thing’s about anyway.
Scoop – Myself, I couldn’t care less about being PC. I suppose it was Dan’s use of the word ‘drivel’ that riled me slightly.
In the past I did cover women only tournaments but I have to admit I often only paid attention in the later rounds. There was usually more interesting conversation in the bar 🙂
Scoop Malinowski · March 7, 2017 at 9:00 am
Catherine: I think it was a mistake to showcase Venus and Garby who despite being marquee name players they are dull to watch now – The promoters should have introduced new fresh young talent last night such as Cici Bellis against a stunner like Giorgi or Kiki mladenovic – I guess they invited Venus to attract the black demographic – Dan was there a significant black % in the audience last night?
Dan Markowitz · March 7, 2017 at 9:17 am
You’re right, Catherine, in the statement, what is the night for anyway? World v USA? I don’t know, that theme didn’t compel me much. Did Venus attract a black crowd? Maybe a little bit, there was a black couple right next to me, but for the most part, it’s a white well-heeled crowd at these events as at most tennis events.
I agree with you, Scoop, getting a Bellis or a Keys vs some young exciting international player would’ve been the way to go. I don’t know what kind of press coverage there was. I saw Bodo there, Andrew Friedman, but initially I tried to sit right behind the court, but this big security guy told me I had to go to the press box and when I did, there wasn’t only one, but the one I went to had zero people sitting there. I was the only press person.
Exbos though, since there isn’t the element of who’s going to win so much, should be about entertainment and Sock v Kyrgios provided a lot of it because even though they were laughing and joking with each other and playing some trick shots, you sense that these guys wanted to beat each other too and there’s lots of hype and expectations on both of them. It was interesting to see how much Hewitt and Nick got along seemingly, sitting next to each other on the World bench and talking quite a bit. I didn’t see the same rapport between Roddick and Sock. Maybe Sock sees Roddick as a Harry guy.
Interestingly, Sock and Nick have never played each other, but now they sit two spots apart in the rankings and although Sock is 2.5 years older than Nick, he’s looking up to Kyrgios who obviously recently beat Djoko. There’s a good rivalry there because one of these two guys will most likely be the next big breakout star (Zverev is Russian-German, hard to sell and Raonic, Dimitrov and Thiem are more robotic, not so colorful.
Andrew Miller · March 7, 2017 at 9:24 am
I like tennis players – it’s as much chess as it is checkers! Agassi wasn’t a marvelous athlete, he was a masterful technician, a Houdini of tennis who knew the tricks and backdoors etc, and the mental plumbing part of the sport.
The best matches don’t feature two superb athletes, but a player in the role of expert versus super athlete. Those are showdowns. There’s a reason Robredo dismantled Kyrgios several years back after being destroyed in the first set. Robredo played the role of plumber. Kyrgios played the role of acrobat. The plumber beat the acrobat.
Scoop Malinowski · March 7, 2017 at 9:44 am
Dan: Sock and Nick are very good close friends – they did play once in Hopman Cup this year and Sock won it 6262 – They were supposed to play in Davis Cup last year but Nick mysteriously baled out of the tie with an injury that Tomic regarded as suspect – I saw Sock and Nick practice at US Open last year and they are about as friendly and close as any two ATP players I have ever seen – So close that I think one of them might even pull out of the next Davis Cup tie so they don’t have to play each other and potentially ruin the friendship – that’s how close they seem – Sock and Roddick did play each other at US Open a few years ago on Ashe at night and Roddick won it pretty easily though Sock was hanging in there well in the first half of the first set – I wouldn’t be surprised of Roddick tried his bully tactics before that match and Sock is not one to easily forget (Roddick is known for bully intimidation tactics – Spadea/Kei/Federer/Djokovic) – Sock is a pretty guarded guy and is selective about his inner circle –
Scoop Malinowski · March 7, 2017 at 9:47 am
That’s the first and only time “tennis and plumbing” will be in the same sentence 🙂 Somewhere Bud Collins is smiling at this most original analogy –
catherine bell · March 7, 2017 at 10:09 am
Talking about entertainment – apart I think from Serena, who really does know the meaning of the word, many of the top women players strike me as a rather introverted, conventionally inclined bunch who aren’t nearly as expressive on court as many of the men. And I don’t mean whining and moaning either.
So they’re not really good choices for exhos. Maybe it’s a cultural thing, I don’t know. Maybe there are some jolly japers out there and I haven’t seen them, or they don’t go in for exhos so much because they’re not so much in demand.
And you all go on about friendships between men players – do women have any ? I’ve no idea . Big differences in men and women’s circuits – always have been. (I know this has come up before)
Scoop Malinowski · March 7, 2017 at 10:19 am
There are no senior women’s tournaments or exos either Catherine – except for some play during some of the GS second weeks – There are some interesting WTA friendships like Wozniacki and Serena – mladenovic and Bencic – Stosur and Shuai Zhang – Ivanovic had a lot of friends also – As did Clijsters –
Andrew Miller · March 7, 2017 at 11:29 am
I know some wta players like other wta players or appreciate and admire them. People seem to like Kvitova a lot and the tribute to Pennetta from her peers was quite nice. Serena and Wozniaki seemed to fly together for a while as buds. And Bouchard seems to like other players too, though she is quick to snap a photo with ATP players and post away on the twitter. This is nothing out of the ordinary. It depends on the player. I saw tons of wta players hitting around with others. I also saw some refusals, like Giorgi opting for her boyfriend as hitting partner rather than play with a closely ranked competitor.
I think some of the beliefs about players are outdated – Bouchard certainly did stir up the pot with Robson and her statement to press about not having friends on tour. And this same Bouchard a few years later was practicing with every female partner she could in dc which brought together both the wta and ATP tours at the same time, ao she would have had no lack of male hitting partners, though practiced with Broady and Mladenovic and I’m sure someone else too. She was still with her old coach here, very same coach Saviano who she was with when she made her famous statement on the no friends thing.
Some of this stuff was blown way out of proportion. My guess is as Bouchard dropped in the rankings and in popularity around other tour players she was smart to wisen up and decided to be on good terms with everyone she could, praising Serena Williams too. Whether because of circumstances or not, she decided to play nice.
Anyways, the line about wta players hating each other or being frenemies, I don’t think it holds for the most part. I think they don’t enjoy playing one another ) that shows that some players have collegial relationships.
catherine bell · March 7, 2017 at 11:58 am
Andrew –
I think women players get along alright, when you consider their different ages, backgrounds etc. Probably some have their closest friends away from tennis – and I wouldn’t believe everything that goes out on Twitter – refuge of the chronically vain and/or self-obsessed.
What struck me was the chat about male buddies, expressed on court etc as though it’s a big deal. But I suppose it’s good publicity.
Close friends, male or female, wouldn’t enjoy playing each other, no, but if it does happen there’s probably a way of rationalising. Kerber and Radwanska have this girly type of chum thing revolving around shopping etc (according to their selfies)and that seems to have survived Angie’s present dominance.
Chazz · March 7, 2017 at 1:02 pm
Kyrgios seems like a pretty likable dude off the court. After he beat Djoker, the post match interviewer asked him about his next match with Querrey and he said he had a good time hanging with him so he gets along with him pretty well.
Andrew Miller · March 7, 2017 at 1:11 pm
Catherine maybe wta players more circumspect. Generally my sense is folks stick to their own cliques as in American high school 🙂
catherine bell · March 7, 2017 at 1:21 pm
Scoop –
You’re probably right. Much Ado About Nothing probably.
People tend to stick to their own cliques in life generally I find.
IW – everybody’s in the prediction mode now draw’s out. Mine: Serena for women, maybe Andy for men – but men’s is more open than for a while it seems.
Angie will fall before semis – so will Djokovic.
Simona has been training at Agassi’s I hear but will also be gone by semis.
Federer will not win 🙂
catherine bell · March 7, 2017 at 1:22 pm
Sorry Scoop – as usual I meant Andrew. Can’t read.
Hartt · March 7, 2017 at 1:47 pm
I wonder if the real question about friendships among tennis players comes down to “close friendships.” It is a very different thing to be friendly with other players, practice with them, even socialize to a degree, and quite another to be truly close friends. Kohlschreiber talked about this recently. He said that over the years players see one another frequently at tournaments, practice together, play cards, etc. But he said is was difficult to have close friendships on the tour and his good friends were outside tennis.
That is not to say that there aren’t any close friendships on both tours, just that it is difficult.
catherine bell · March 7, 2017 at 2:00 pm
Hartt-
Yes I would think that’s true. Having a close friend outside tennis would be a real relief I imagine. Those friends could be there for life, sharing your background, your language etc.
Moving around the world all the time must make friendships, as you say, difficult.
Andrew Miller · March 7, 2017 at 4:05 pm
Querrey doing well because Isner isn’t? Sometimes there’s an effect, like Wawrinka doing well because Federer wasn’t winning slams or beating Djokovic. Maybe this same thing is happening, where due to Isner’s notable slippage Querrey has stepped it up. They are friends themselves and if your friend is no longer competing as well, could be a permission of sorts for Querrey to take over. Like Roddick slowing down and Fish stepping up.
US players fortunes on men’s tour work in strange ways.
Hartt · March 7, 2017 at 4:47 pm
Serena has withdrawn from IW, so it looks like Kerber will regain the No. 1 spot no matter how she plays in this tourney.
Scoop Malinowski · March 7, 2017 at 5:54 pm
Sharapova has a few enemies and her return to action will be very interesting especially when she will play the couple of players who sharply criticized her for the doping ban (Cibulkova and Stosur come to mind) –
Scoop Malinowski · March 7, 2017 at 5:56 pm
Kyrgios is well liked by several players such as Sock and Andy murray – Im sure there are a few who dislike him also such as Wawrinka – Querrey is one of those guys who I think would never disrespect or annoy anybody so surely he is universally well liked by all –
catherine bell · March 8, 2017 at 2:53 am
Hartt
Yes just saw Serena’s withdrawn from IW and Miami. She certainly left it late to wd from IW. And I don’t expect Angie wanted the No 1 back that way.
Leaves the door wide open I’d say. Or maybe slightly ajar 🙂
Now we just need a big name on the men’s side to say no thanks.
Hartt · March 8, 2017 at 7:26 am
The WTA site has a list of the top women at IW and their records in the tourney. Without Azarenka in the mix, the records aren’t very good, with a couple exceptions. Halep is 16-5 and won in 2015. Radwanska also has a good winning record, 28-10, and was RU in 2014. Kerber’s record there was even worse than I’d realized, 8-7, and her best results were SFs back in 2012 and 2013.
So I am going with Karolina Pliskova for the win. This is just her 4th appearance at IW and she is at 8-3, making the SF last year.
catherine bell · March 8, 2017 at 7:47 am
Hartt –
Interesting WTA form. I looked at Richard P’s piece on Tennis Now and he did a much more realistic run down than Steve T on tennis.com which I’ve really stopped looking at these days.
Kerber’s record there is really poor – maybe the surface isn’t right or something. Simona won in ’15 but that was something to do with Serena pulling out – anyway not a clear cut victory as I recall. A big ask for her now after time out. Radwanska is struggling these days.
Your choice of Pliskova seems as good as any 🙂
I gather the surface is slowish which should suit her I think.
Andrew Miller · March 8, 2017 at 8:09 am
These two tournaments are unpredictable because they pull together the whole tour and everyone’s playing at parity. Wozniaki is playing with a newfound belief.
catherine bell · March 8, 2017 at 8:26 am
More that’s occurred to me about Kerber –
I used to see Angie as someone who was rather cool and laid back but now I tend to think that’s not the case at all. At times, looking at her on court and then at her twitter and listening to what she says I’m beginning to wonder if she really knows who she is, at least for now. She pictures herself, literally, in different ways – the dressed up lipsticked model-type and then the athletic player and then the ordinary nice looking, modestly dressed, blue eyed German girl, everyone’s favourite daughter.
And emotionally quite vulnerable.
Maybe it’s all come from the ambitions she had as a young teenager, the years she spent making no particular mark, and then things happening so quickly,
suddenly a personality in demand and celebrated and all these aspects have got confused and created a kind of logjam.
Anyway – whatever – I hope she can get things together and do better at IW – an event she claims to like although it’s hard to see why in strictly tennis terms.
Chazz · March 8, 2017 at 8:30 am
Tennis channel had 3 people in the studio make their picks, James Blake and I don’t remember who the other two were. For the men, one picked Nadal, one picked Djokovic and one picked Murray. For the women, one picked Pliskova, one picked Wozniacki, and I don’t remember who the other one picked.
My picks are Murray with Tsonga as a dark horse. Pliskova with Svitolina as a dark horse.
Hartt · March 8, 2017 at 12:55 pm
Despite Murray not doing all that well at IW in the past I am going with him on the men’s side. Have my doubts about Tsonga; it is rare for him to have great results consistently and wonder if the current fairy tale period is coming to an end.
Anyway, it should be a terrific tournament, despite no Milos for me to root for.
Andrew Miller · March 8, 2017 at 1:53 pm
Catherine, fame has a way of mixing a life up. A lot of players complain about lack of press, but for top players it’s drinking from a fire hose of attention. No one deals with it well at all, and over time they adjust. And there are also conflicting interests even from the same management agency, one probably wants to ramp up the press and endorsement cash while the getting is good, and probably have outrageous conversations like well Angie isn’t going to have a repeat year and she’s older and isn’t getting any younger blah blah blah lets take advantage of her looks today and get the oil ofnolaynendorsement while we can!
It’s the cynical side of the sport. And is a player going to know to say no to that if they’ve been honestly a mom and pop operation up to that point and if expectations from the talent mangers was zilch? Nahe these guys and companies expect payment. The price is Kerber’s worse year for now.
Andrew Miller · March 8, 2017 at 1:55 pm
I pick Tsonga or another non big four.
catherine bell · March 8, 2017 at 2:57 pm
Andrew –
You’ve summed it up pretty well. I could probably have been franker about the extent which Angie’s (Caucasian) attractiveness is the engine driving her publicity.
I think she’s too aware of things to be ‘exploited’ but the sheer relentless pressure must take its toll. The German press can be unbelievably intrusive.
And yes, the price being paid is out there on the court.
Scoop Malinowski · March 8, 2017 at 6:07 pm
I pick Andy or Sock to win the title in IW – and still thinking about the ladies side –
Andrew Miller · March 8, 2017 at 7:08 pm
Catherine, I think Angie’s a good looking player, and Germany has been hurting for a lady champ since Graf’s retirement. I am always worried about the wta emphasis on glam – it’s funny how the ATP men’s site is all game faces and looking tough, and the wta is all make up and lipstick! I loved the old nike commercials , not too old but now a few years old, that emphasize the athlete versus other aspects of female players looks etc. But that was a wta decision. Wrong one to me.
Andrew Miller · March 8, 2017 at 7:11 pm
Wow Scoop you have hedged your bet on IW so to speak, with either a big four or Sock the world moment coming!
Scoop Malinowski · March 8, 2017 at 7:56 pm
Andy; It’s tough to pick against your namesake! But I am a believer in Sock and have strong belief that his big breakout is very very near – I think Nadal could go into a mini slump now after that tough loss to Querrey – Federer just hit with Tommy Paul – very curious to see where Fed’s game is at following that loss to Donskoy –
catherine bell · March 9, 2017 at 2:57 am
Andrew
Yes I remember the Nike Commercials, and some other ones too, that emphasised athletics. They were good.
I suppose we could discuss this glamour thing forever but it won’t change the WTA’s emphasis.I think it’s backward looking and innappropriate but then who am I ?
It takes a very strong personality to deal with all the conflicts around sport, femininity etc if you are a player. Men don’t have that problem 🙂
As you say they just put their game faces on and glare.