akeslo – Behind The Racquet

Mark Booras

June 4, 2023

Mark Booras, head tennis coach at Tulane University in New Orleans, needs the help of the larger tennis community. Mark has played tennis for virtually all of his 52 years. He played college tennis at the University of West Virginia. He began his collegiate career for legendary coach Terry Deremer at West Virginia in 1989 and was a four-year letterman for the Mountaineers from 1989-93. He twice served as team captain, and was the Atlantic-10 Conference Player of the Year and the school’s senior player of the year in 1993. In each of his final three seasons at West Virginia, Booras competed in both the NCAA singles and doubles championship tournaments. He was a top-20 singles and doubles player throughout his college career. Following his collegiate career, Booras joined the ATP tour and continued his success, ranking as high as No. 267 in the world in doubles and 797 in singles. After a three-year career from 1994-96, he retired and decided to further his education. While earning his master’s degree at West Virginia, he was also the volunteer assistant men’s tennis coach and a private tennis instructor. Mark went to Tulane in 2008 to rebuild a team from scratch, after Tulane had to (more…)

Is it better to choose a partner who compliments you or complements your game?

April 12, 2021

Although the majority of tennis reporters focus on singles, doubles is a unique and complex art within the game of tennis. Doubles matches offer fast-paced, entertaining points and rely on teamwork during critical moments. The Bryan brothers, consisting of Mike and Bob Bryan, were the most dominant and high-profile doubles team on tour. Over 26 seasons, they captured 119 doubles titles that include all four Grand Slams and all nine ATP Masters 1000s events. The Bryan brothers are mirror twins, meaning that Mike is right-handed while Bob is left-handed. Their physical advantage yielded superior court coverage while their celebratory chest bump revealed their unquestionable chemistry. On the women’s side, the iconic duo of Serena and Venus Williams remained at the top of the doubles game for nearly two decades. With 14 Grand Slams and three Olympic gold medals, the Williams sisters have an incredible doubles resume despite having different game styles. While Serena is known for her impressive power, Venus combines power and finesse. Not everyone has a sibling who can serve as a teammate on the court. Thus, there are many considerations when selecting a doubles partner. Many believe athletic compatibility is the most important component of a successful (more…)

Why does tennis repeatedly get bageled at the movies?

January 23, 2021

Tennis courts have long been used for iconic photoshoots. Since its inception in 1976, the Tennis Girl poster sold over two million copies and became a pop-culture classic. The image is credited with helping to increase global awareness of the sport. Over time, the concrete space with white lines served as the backdrop for photographs featuring well-known names in sports fashion. Even Kylie Jenner took to the court for a recent shoot featuring a black Chanel workout set matched with a Chanel tennis racquet. The tennis court, however, has not enjoyed as much success in the movies. Wimbledon stars appealing leads Kirsten Dunst and Paul Bettany yet the film loses credibility as soon as the actors swing a racket. Match Point stars Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Rhys Meyers. The film was nominated for an Oscar yet once again, the on-court scenes feature bad tennis. There has been a recent resurgence of tennis movies in Hollywood. Yet these practice and competition scenes are still plagued by an inauthentic portrayal of tennis action. I am left to consider…. Why does tennis repeatedly get bageled at the movies? (more…)

What is the most important trait in selecting a favorite player?

November 29, 2020

As long as professional tennis has existed, fans have followed top players on and off the court. Some select a favorite player who looks like them. Others select a favorite player who plays like them. Roger Federer and Serena Williams are often top choices for both fans and fellow players. For some, personality influences which athlete fans idolize. An SB Nation article took the liberty to characterize personas based on favorite players. Some descriptions were harsh. A fan was labeled as a “complete failure” for selecting Jo-Wilfred Tsonga and another was stamped as a “brat” for choosing Serena Williams. Yet the fan who followed Federer was “charming.” For others, game style can be a factor in the selection of a favorite competitor. An all-court player may choose Roger Federer while a defensive specialist may side with Rafael Nadal. On the women’s circuit, offensive players often associate with Serena Williams while Simona Halep is popular among many counterpunchers. Other attributes, such as fashion sense and country of origin, may also influence this choice. The process of selecting an on-court idol is more complex than we may realize. I am left to consider… What is the most important trait in selecting a (more…)

Is it possible to respect your opponent too much?

October 18, 2020

Tennis players have searched the ends of the earth for any advantage on the court. From the newest training routines to the latest gear, we are quick to adopt strategies that promise success. In competition, we strive to play our best tennis. We strive, of course, to win. We have also been warned to never underestimate our opponents. After all, our opponents push us to raise our game. Yet in order to achieve success on the court, we find ways to minimize the opposition to convince ourselves that our opponent is not invincible. But what if the opponent is too accomplished to be diminished? During this year’s French Open, current world No. 131 Sebastian Korda reached the fourth round of the tournament where he faced none other than the king of clay, Rafael Nadal. Korda, who named his cat ‘Rafa’ after the 13-time French Open champion, was delighted to face his tennis hero. Before the match, Korda called Nadal his “biggest idol” and said he would be “the happiest person on planet earth” if he saw Nadal on the other side of the net. Korda lost in straight sets by a score of 6-1, 6-1, 6-2. After the match, he asked Nadal for an (more…)

When did the rules stop applying to everyone?

September 22, 2020

As we reach the end of an unusual US Open, it is difficult to ignore one of the most dramatic events of the past two weeks. For world number one Novak Djokovic, a moment of frustration resulted in a tournament-ending consequence. In the blink of an eye, Djokovic went from the undisputed favorite to capture the title to a spectator exiting the gates of Flushing Meadows in silence. Down 5-6 in the first set against Pablo Carreno Busta in the Round of 16, Djokovic flicked a ball behind him after losing game point… and turned around to the sound of a line judge gagging. The ball had hit her in the throat. After ten minutes of tense discussion between Djokovic and multiple officials, the 17-time Grand Slam champion was defaulted from the US Open. The USTA based this decision on the well-known rule that any Grand Slam competitor caught “hitting a ball with negligent disregard of the consequences” is subject to default. These are the facts. Yet countless members of the tennis community came to the defense of the top seed. Former Top 5 ranked player and Tennis Channel commentator Brad Gilbert was quick to commiserate with Djokovic. Instead of (more…)

Will We Always Judge Professional Athletes for Changes in Body Weight?

August 30, 2020

As the summer months come to a close, the pandemic continues to highlight the divide between privileged and underprivileged communities. This socioeconomic partition yields unequal access to the social determinants of health, conditions that promote healthy living. Economic disadvantage often results in food instability and limited access to healthy foods. Without proper nutrition, it is difficult to maintain ideal body weight. For some, a lack of mental health resources can also present an obstacle to establishing healthy routines with food. Athletes frequently suffer from mental health struggles that lead to disordered eating. In addition, food security does not guarantee a healthy eating plan. In fact, elite athletes are often intensely focused on diet and exercise and thus are very susceptible to disordered eating patterns. These athletes are subject to both internal and external pressures to maintain the ideal body conditions traditionally correlated with peak performance in sport. The past six months have interrupted plans and disrupted routines of professional athletes as well as the greater population. Madison Keys, who achieved a career high ranking of world number 7 in 2016, has been open about her mental health struggles since revealing her journey with disordered eating on Behind The Racquet last (more…)

Andreas Seppi

August 13, 2020

My toughest time was the year after I broke into the Top 100. In 2005, I was 21 years old and had a breakthrough on tour. I started the year as number 140 and four months later, I was in the Top 75. You have higher expectations and put more pressure on yourself. The next year, I struggled to defend the points from the previous year and fell outside the Top 100 for several weeks. This was the only time I left the Top 100 for another 12 years. In 2010, I retired from a match because of nothing. I won the first set and lost the second set in a tiebreaker. I was losing in the third set and just retired. I was always a player who liked fighting until the end of a match so to retire out of nothing was really strange for me. During a changeover, I told my coach, “If I lose the next game, I’m done.” Then it happened. I just retired. I told the umpire that my leg hurt so I couldn’t play anymore. After the match, I went into the locker room and my coach came in. I thought he would be (more…)

Nadia Petrova

August 6, 2020

”I was born to an athletic family. My mom was a bronze medalist in the 1976 Montreal Olympics in the 4 x 400 relay. My dad coached an Olympic medalist in the hammer throw. I have sport in my genes. My parents introduced me to tennis and I had success right away. At age 14, I won my first ITF Junior event and realized I wanted to play professionally. That same year, I played my first WTA event. The transition from juniors to the professional circuit was difficult because I had to raise my physical and mental level. I slowly got to that level and at age 17, I turned professional. In 2005, I broke into the Top 10. In 2006, I climbed to number 3 in the world. I won tournament after tournament on clay and was one of the favorites heading into the 2006 French Open. But the rest of the ride was not as smooth. A couple days before the 2006 French Open, I injured my left hip. That injury threw me off and I was never able to return to the same level of tennis. I came back and played the 2006 US Open Series but (more…)

Stefanos Tsitsipas

July 30, 2020

“In 2018, I broke into the Top 15 and was seeded in Grand Slams. That’s when I understood my potential. In the beginning, I traveled with only my dad. Now, I travel with my dad, mom, and three siblings. I’m the main source of income for my family. I have hobbies that keep me interested in different aspects of life. These activities keep me creative and are reflected in my tennis game and presence on court. Sometimes, I post things on my social media that not many people understand. These posts express my inner creativity. I’m just trying to be different from the rest. I put Stefanos’ twist on life. I am philosophical, I come from a country with a history of philosophy and I don’t know if I was Pythagoras or Socrates in my previous life, but I wouldn’t mind being either one. There was a time when I wasn’t doing well. I started to play futures and was doubting myself. I wasn’t sure if I was good enough to play professional tennis. My country was going through hard times. Greece was on the verge of bankruptcy. The entire population was suffering. My father’s siblings were unemployed and couldn’t (more…)