The views by the authors published at this web site will study, chronicle and profile the range of characters and issues that make the great sport of tennis.
Geez, Philip Bester, finally a Canuck, I hope that’s not an anti-Canadian phrase as I don’t mean it to be, but I like the ring of Canuck, who hasn’t made it big on the tennis scene.. What interests me is it seems so many famous pro athlete progeny from Jim Kiick to Bob McAdoo to Sloane Stephens dad, play serious tennis. Probably none of these dads play much tennis or are any good at it, but there seems to be a feeling that if you’re the daughter of a pro athlete, because it’s only daughters of pro athletes who seem to be playing the game seriously, that with training and dedication, they can make it big. So far only Stephens has.
Dan, Canuck is just fine, we Canucks use it all the time. And of course there is the hockey team, the Vancouver Canucks.
Poor Bester, he was a contemporary of Peter Polansky and although Peter is not setting the tennis world on fire, he was more successful than Philip, and is managing to hang in there.
But I wonder how players like Polansky and even Pospisil, who is languishing outside the top 100, feel when they see these 2 kids, Denis and Felix, tearing through the rankings.
So many pro athletes from other sports have kids or had kids trying tennis:
Anna Brylin – daughter of NHL player Sergei Brylin
Figure skater Victor Petrenko’s daughter played high school tennis at Dwight Englewood School
Mike Tyson’s daughter Milan is playing serious tennis
Dan Majerle’s daughter McKenzie plays USTA
Sergei Bubka’s son played pro tennis
Giants O lineman Luke Petitgout told me years ago he was interested to send his daughter to NBTA
David Beckham’s son Romeo is a pretty serious player, if you see his instagram
Andrew Golota, the heavyweight boxer’s son and daughter played USTA
I think it’s impressive to get in the main draw at this tournament, I know some kids who play qualies and they are awesome players so main draw you are talking college scholarship at the least.
Dan – not sure about ‘it’s only the daughters of pro athletes who seem to be playing the game seriously’. Maybe that’s so in North America but in other parts of the world ?
It helps to come from an athletic family I imagine – whatever sport. Several players are or have been daughters of pro tennis coaches, eg Carina Withoeft, who won Luxembourg this year, has parents who are both coaches.
I would guess most elite players had a parent who was a tennis coach instructor or pro. Very few do not come from a tennis oriented family or a tennis obsessed parent.
Most players did not come from parents who were athletes. Look at John McEnroe or Sampras or Justin Gimelstob’s parents. None of these parents to star players, I’m throwing Gimel a bone here, were noted athletes or seemed to have athletic ability.
Hartt · December 1, 2017 at 5:15 pm
So that is what Philip Bester is up to these days. Am looking forward to hearing more Eddie Herr results.
dan markowitz · December 1, 2017 at 5:28 pm
Geez, Philip Bester, finally a Canuck, I hope that’s not an anti-Canadian phrase as I don’t mean it to be, but I like the ring of Canuck, who hasn’t made it big on the tennis scene.. What interests me is it seems so many famous pro athlete progeny from Jim Kiick to Bob McAdoo to Sloane Stephens dad, play serious tennis. Probably none of these dads play much tennis or are any good at it, but there seems to be a feeling that if you’re the daughter of a pro athlete, because it’s only daughters of pro athletes who seem to be playing the game seriously, that with training and dedication, they can make it big. So far only Stephens has.
Hartt · December 1, 2017 at 6:25 pm
Dan, Canuck is just fine, we Canucks use it all the time. And of course there is the hockey team, the Vancouver Canucks.
Poor Bester, he was a contemporary of Peter Polansky and although Peter is not setting the tennis world on fire, he was more successful than Philip, and is managing to hang in there.
But I wonder how players like Polansky and even Pospisil, who is languishing outside the top 100, feel when they see these 2 kids, Denis and Felix, tearing through the rankings.
Scoop Malinowski · December 1, 2017 at 7:02 pm
So many pro athletes from other sports have kids or had kids trying tennis:
Anna Brylin – daughter of NHL player Sergei Brylin
Figure skater Victor Petrenko’s daughter played high school tennis at Dwight Englewood School
Mike Tyson’s daughter Milan is playing serious tennis
Dan Majerle’s daughter McKenzie plays USTA
Sergei Bubka’s son played pro tennis
Giants O lineman Luke Petitgout told me years ago he was interested to send his daughter to NBTA
David Beckham’s son Romeo is a pretty serious player, if you see his instagram
Andrew Golota, the heavyweight boxer’s son and daughter played USTA
jg · December 1, 2017 at 7:59 pm
I think it’s impressive to get in the main draw at this tournament, I know some kids who play qualies and they are awesome players so main draw you are talking college scholarship at the least.
Ken · December 1, 2017 at 9:57 pm
Don’t forgot Caroline Price, daughter of Mark Price, played at North Carolina.
catherine · December 2, 2017 at 2:01 am
Dan – not sure about ‘it’s only the daughters of pro athletes who seem to be playing the game seriously’. Maybe that’s so in North America but in other parts of the world ?
It helps to come from an athletic family I imagine – whatever sport. Several players are or have been daughters of pro tennis coaches, eg Carina Withoeft, who won Luxembourg this year, has parents who are both coaches.
scoopmalinowski · December 2, 2017 at 8:48 am
I would guess most elite players had a parent who was a tennis coach instructor or pro. Very few do not come from a tennis oriented family or a tennis obsessed parent.
catherine · December 2, 2017 at 9:50 am
Interesting Scoop – I’ll now try to think of a top player who did not come from some kind of tennis background 🙂
catherine · December 2, 2017 at 9:51 am
Billie Jean King ?
Scoop Malinowski · December 2, 2017 at 11:29 am
BJK?? LOL. No.
Scoop Malinowski · December 3, 2017 at 9:30 am
Thanks Ken for that addendum, I never knew that.
Dan Markowitz · December 5, 2017 at 1:32 pm
Heard of Mark Price, sweet-shooting Cleveland Cavs guard, but never Caroline Price.
Dan Markowitz · December 5, 2017 at 1:34 pm
Most players did not come from parents who were athletes. Look at John McEnroe or Sampras or Justin Gimelstob’s parents. None of these parents to star players, I’m throwing Gimel a bone here, were noted athletes or seemed to have athletic ability.