The great Jimmy Cannon used to have a semi-regular newspaper column titled Nobody Asked Me But… where he would say things like, “People in bus terminals look tired even before they begin their trip.”
“Ever notice how shy a name-dropper pretends to be when he identifies himself with an important person?”
“England produces the best fat actors.”
“Even when I’m late for an appointment, I’ll stop to read the chalk-writing on the sidewalk.”
“I never heard a funny ventriloquist.”
‘I can’t remember the last time I saw anyone whittling.”
“Hot dogs should be served on hot rolls.”
“Airline hostesses seem to be thinking about something else when they talk to me.”
Okay, here’s a few of my tennis observations…
Tennis pros ranked outside the top 100 or 200 are just as interesting as anyone in the top ten.
I think tennis players are over-interviewed and it’s painful to see them have to answer the same questions every week.
Instead of fining a player for breaking a racquet/bad behavior on court, how about punish him or her by assigning them to ballboy a match?
I still haven’t met a single Sinner fan but I know ardent loyal fans of Mannarino, Gasquet, Cuevas, Malisse and Kozlov.
Can you imagine how crowded the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport will be when Federer, Del Potro and most likely Kuznetsova will be inducted?
For a guy that once claimed he hated tennis, Andre Agassi sure seems to love it more than any great ex player today.
I miss those old 70s 80s white adidas, Sergio Tacchini, and Mizuno outfits with abstract colorful designs the players like Becker, Edberg, Sampras and Wilander used to wear.
Andre Agassi · Jimmy Cannon · Mizuno · Newport · Roger Federer
Steve · October 16, 2025 at 2:36 pm
Great quotes.
Don’t bother asking us rec players how long we’ve been on a public court. The answer is always the same. “We just got here. Those people at the end court have been here for hours, ask them.”
Matt Segel · October 16, 2025 at 3:05 pm
I am a Sinner fan, even voted for him in the ATP favorite player…so there.
What do I resonate with, the power and the clutch performance. Also the grit, in the FO most players would have folded, but he fought back to a tie break.
Also love that he only started playing tennis everyday when he was 13. Love the desire to be the best, and he seems like a very nice person, have not heard negative stories of his interactions with people or players.
Scoop Malinowski · October 16, 2025 at 3:32 pm
Hey that’s a good one Steve, gotta try that scam )
Scoop Malinowski · October 16, 2025 at 3:36 pm
Nice words Matt, you are right about everything, he is a nice person, phenomenal player and there are no negative stories about him that I have ever heard or read. Cahill does not associate with bad people. I find him to be very dull, maybe with more years in public he will find a way to show his personality better.
Matt Segel · October 17, 2025 at 3:17 pm
But if I do have a criticism, it’s the hat. I like to see the face of players.
Scoop Malinowski · October 17, 2025 at 8:52 pm
I remember photographers didn’t like shooting Isner because his cap was so low, couldn’t see his face. Roddick and Courier always wore hats too. Hewitt still the only backwards cap guy to win a major title in singles – US Open. At Wimb when he won he wore the headband.
Scoop Malinowski · October 18, 2025 at 9:34 am
Really enjoyed doing this podcast with David Hipkin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8nQkWSbI9pM
Sam · October 23, 2025 at 4:02 am
Tennis pros ranked outside the top 100 or 200 are just as interesting as anyone in the top ten.
Do you mean personality-wise, Scoop?
he is a nice person, phenomenal player and there are no negative stories about him that I have ever heard or read.
Well, last time I checked, “nice” people don’t normally lie and cheat about illegal drug use to gain an advantage over their competitors. 😏 And if that weren’t enough, he even lies about other things. For example, about a year ago, he was trying to con us into believing he isn’t playing tennis for the money. But now he’s being called out for finally showing us his true colors: 🤑
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/tennis/2122254/Jannik-Sinner-Six-Kings-Slam-prize-money
Scoop Malinowski · October 23, 2025 at 8:22 am
Sinner is a phony indeed. Now he’s skipping Davis Cup saying he needs rest but then just signed for an exo in Jan in Korea vs Carlos. Remember he had 3 months off in spring due to the ban vacation. Even Italian media is turning against their phony hero now for ducking Davis Cup which many suspect is due to the independent and stricter drug testing controls. Many people still suspect he’s using PEDs and clostebol. Sinner has become a liability for tennis at this point.
Sam · November 2, 2025 at 4:08 am
Just curious—do you have any feel for how the current crop of ATP players feel about Sinner? I don’t mean publicly, but privately.
Many people still suspect he’s using PEDs and clostebol. Sinner has become a liability for tennis at this point.
Well, if he ever needs more sponsors, it sounds like he’d be an excellent candidate to endorse Ban roll-on. 🤣
Scoop Malinowski · November 2, 2025 at 7:54 am
The sense is most players resent him and all the special privileges he gets but have been censored from saying anything. Brooksby should be Sinner’s loudest critic but has never said a word of the injustice. The Ymer brother made a mention of it but instantly silenced himself and said he feared getting suspended again for talking about it. Outside the Italian players, I see no evidence any player likes him. Carlos just fakes it IMO, he has said they are not friendly but he fakes it for image reasons.
Sam · November 11, 2025 at 3:21 am
Well, what you wrote confirms what I suspected. And it’s hard to blame the players for keeping their cards close to their vest. 🃏
Sam · November 11, 2025 at 3:51 am
Tennis pros ranked outside the top 100 or 200 are just as interesting as anyone in the top ten.
So you are you referring to their actual tennis here, or their personalities?
I think tennis players are over-interviewed and it’s painful to see them have to answer the same questions every week.
I think so too. If I were a pro tennis player, I think I would dread all the tedious interviews more than actually losing a match! 😲
Scoop Malinowski · November 11, 2025 at 8:20 am
Becker and Courier both alleged in press conferences when they were active players that Nike controlled the sport and got special privileges and advantages for Agassi and Sampras. No player would dare to make such an allegation today.
Scoop Malinowski · November 11, 2025 at 8:29 am
Sam, well they all play the same baseline style anyway, so yes I mean personalities. Maria Sharapova once said she got the same questions at every tournament and she didn’t even have to think abut how to answer, she would just go on some kind of verbal auto pilot and answer without thinking. I did a Biofile early in my career with Chris Evert and mid interview during “Favorite athletes to watch” question she said to me, “You ask great questions.” Nobody had ever asked her the Biofile questions I asked her. Richard Williams said at the end of our Biofile inteview, “That’s the best interview I ever did.” Pittsburgh Steelers star Troy Polamalu said the same thing after our Biofile at Giants Stadium. Also at the NASCAR season ending press event at Waldorf Astoria I did a Biofile with Tony Stewart with other reporters around and this one woman mocked my questions and he defended me and said he loved my questions. He said after she rudely interrupted, “I’m loving this deal, these are the best questions I’ve been asked all day.” Here it is… https://mrbiofile.com/2023/02/20/biofile-tony-stewart-interview/
I have done around 1000 Biofiles with tennis pros and all were positive experiences, they all enjoyed it. I can’t remember one negative experience but a lot of good ones with McEnroe, Wilander, Lendl, Vilas, Evert, Court, Venus, Vesnina, Kirilenko, Mirza, Hsieh, Federer, Nadal, Murray, Djokovic, Connors…