Author: akeslo

July 8, 2019

July 8, 2019 “I knew the moment I snuck onto the ‘Tonight Show’ set when I was 12-years old, pulled off the sheet from Johnny Carson’s desk and ‘interviewed’ my late friend Della Barris, I would talk to people for a living and hopefully make them laugh and smile at the same time. To be able to combine that passion with my love for tennis has provided me a dream life for which I am grateful for every single day. I am an announcer, a host on Tennis Channel, an emcee, a husband, a son, brother and a friend. I also suffer from anxiety. I believe being open and honest about having anxiety was my first step towards my recovery. Secrets haunt you. Secondly, understanding I wasn’t alone helped me a great deal. Thank you Mardy Fish. And finally, dedicating myself to living a happy, healthy, drama-free life was what sent me towards my trajectory of success and more importantly, good mental health and harmony. We have to lift the vail and stigma of mental illness in our society. We take Advil for a headache, ice an injury, or pop an antacid in an instant….but for a myriad of reasons, (more…)

July 6, 2019

July 6, 2019 “Between 2006 and 2010, I was Canada’s top junior, winning Nationals U14 & U18, and being the 1st Canadian to win Les Petits As and the 2nd to win the U18 Orange Bowl. My skills, talents and success were largely the product of my first ever coach, my dad, and my training at Saddlebrook in Florida. I wasn’t developed by our Federation, Tennis Canada, nor their National Training Centre. In fact, anytime I did try working with their coaches and fitness trainers, I got injured, missed vital tournaments/matches and became borderline anemic due to their negligence. I also had to tolerate inappropriate comments, and was called a liar when I reported the incidences. Further, in my transition year from being a #5 Junior on the ITF rankings to the professional tour, my Federation promised me a “world class coach” to further develop my game, and then reneged on that promise and wouldn’t support or fund me unless I did everything their way. Their way included sharing a Tennis Canada coach with another girl, and not allowing my dad or Saddlebrook or any other training base to be in the picture at all. I couldn’t accept these terms (more…)

June 19, 2019

June 19, 2019 “I started playing professionally in the summer 2010, after finishing university and turning 20. I didn’t have any family member pushing me or traveling with me, this was my own choice because I loved tennis so much. I finally had more time to train and travel and went up pretty fast to around 280 WTA. I thought ‘great this is going to go fast’. Two years later I was still in the exact same spot. I was traveling alone every week, struggling to improve as I had no one to watch my matches and tell me what to work on. The academy I trained at was charging 1500€ for one week of coach salary on tour, meaning 6k a month, plus expenses. There was no way I would ask my parents to pay that. My boyfriend at the time was top 30 ATP and told me those words I will never forget, ‘Alizé, no one can make it alone, and if I’d been alone, I would still be playing National tournaments by now.’ He fought for me and found a sponsor so I could finally travel with the coach he thought was best for me. I was (more…)

June 16, 2019

June 16, 2019 “I was the first black professional tennis player & today I turn 99. I say it is no big deal, no cause for celebration, just another year. There are many things I can not do now, but I accept that. I enjoy doing what I can do. I have played tennis all my life: Played on my high school team in Chicago and was a finalist in state singles. Played at Wayne State in Detroit and was one of the first black players to compete in the NCAA Championships and the first to reach the quarterfinals. In college I wasn’t allowed to eat in restaurants with my teammates. They would bring me my food on the bus, where I sometimes would sleep. I wasn’t bitter, all I wanted was to play tennis. After winning the American Tennis Association Mens’ title I was given a wild card to play at the USLTA Nationals (US Open) at Forest Hills in 1955, as one of the first few African Americans to play there. In 1959 I was invited to join Jack March’s World Pro Tennis Championships, becoming the first black pro player. When he was a kid, Arthur Ashe said (more…)

June 15, 2019

June 15, 2019 “It’s truly difficult to become a professional tennis from a small country like Israel. I didn’t have to deal with the army since I was an athlete, but most do. My family was always surrounded by this sport. My brother, who is thirteen years older than me played on tour. My parents were both working in a tennis club, where my father was a coach and my mother was a secretary. I loved every moment playing as a child. In the beginning it was a lot of fun, especially since I was successful from a young age. Each age group I played in, I proved I was the best in Israel. When I started to play ITF events I fortunately continued my success by becoming one of the best juniors in the world. I was one of the first juniors my age to become top 200 in the world. After the jump, I faced some issues. There were financial problems where my parents couldn’t afford the sport and we weren’t receiving help from the Israeli Federation. Combining the lack of money, I had a couple injuries that made it difficult. At this time I was around 20-21 (more…)

June 8, 2019

June 8, 2019 “Ever since I was 12 I remember playing tennis with some kind of pain in my elbow. In order to continue my career I was taking painkillers until one doctor suggested surgery. After finishing a successful junior career at 16, I had to put my professional career on hold for rehab. It actually went well and I was pain free for 3.5 years. Other injuries were holding me back in the meantime, such as a herniated disc in my back and a twisted ankle. These were nowhere near the problems my sister faced. She had some kind of brain inflammation where they weren’t sure if she would pull through, but with a miracle she did. During this difficult time tennis kept me going. Little did I know the problems with my elbow were just starting. I was at a career high of 20 in the world in 2017 and maybe things were going too well. I woke up one morning during a tournament in Canada and couldn’t extend my right arm. After returning home, I found out I needed another surgery where they would shave the bone down and clean the joint. My positivity kept me going (more…)

May 31, 2019

May 31, 2019 “We need to normalize it. We can’t make people feel as if they have some kind of disease just because they are seeking help and talking to a psychologist. You have all these people telling you things, but you need to find that one person, who you truly connect to, that can give you the tools to overcome your issues. Many obstacles I faced were not only on the court. During a tournament I was at with my coach last year in Spain, he got some awful news. His five-year-old son went through a glass window and had his throat cut on the glass. His son thankfully went through life saving surgery. I, of course, understood when my coach had to be home with his family but it left me trying to find my way at the beginning of the grass season. I had some help from my other coach to fill in a few weeks, but he was dealing with his wife sadly battling cancer, who succumbed to this disease at the end of last year. On top of all the devastating events my team and I had to deal with, my boyfriend returned home from (more…)

May 29, 2019

May 29, 2019 “I believe when players dont make the cut, when they dont become real professionals or crack the top 100, they leave the game with a lot of resentment. This is one of the reasons the sport is where it is today. It’s interesting that after finishing my college career and thinking I was done with tennis, I started experimenting with a racquet and ball. From the start it was a project and I knew what I was doing. I still try to remember why I started it all and the impact that it will have in the long run. At first I didn’t realize it, but with each practice, my love for the actual sport of tennis was coming back. It was really pure and innocent, just like when we were kids. My project brought me back to the sport that I used to love, but was lost somewhere along the way. Now that it’s back again and although I am coming at it from a new angle, I realized the impact this whole journey had on me was extremely underestimated. I have many ideas for the world of tennis, and with each day I’m trying to (more…)

May 26, 2019

May 26, 2019 “Woke up this morning to your familiar touchAs I stretch my elbow above my head, the pain is just as muchMy body is sore and empty, my soul wary and incompleteIt’s day number 363.—Eighteen needle marks on my bodyDoctors say this time is the last, I feel crazyTo side with hope, to take your pain and uncertainty And now there’s a hole in my knee, we were almost ready—Sometimes I feel like giving up, but my brain won’t let meJust hold on a little longer, keep it steadySometimes I feel like letting go, but my heart won’t let meIf you wanted these words, set me free I’m ready—Been to the sides of the universe to find a cureBurning leaves, blue blankets, hanging off a tree and moreI run for the keys but you hide the locks in the floorYou’re the toughest villain I’ve met, of that I’m sure— I feel as though I’ve crawled this mile beforeI’m showing up again on my knees at your doorI’m doing all I can, two thousand hours by the shoreNothing is enough for you, is it anymore—Sometimes I feel like giving up, but my brain won’t let meJust hold on a (more…)

May 24, 2019

May 24, 2019 “Tennis is a sport I fell in love with at the age of seven. It kept me out of trouble, and helped me form my dreams. With education, and decent tennis ability, I received a scholarship, for hitting a fuzzy yellow ball out of all things! I’ve traveled the world, coached on the tour and met some of my idols, like Arthur Ashe and Zina Garrison. Out of everything there is one thing I never imagined tennis would do, save my life. On October 17th of 2018 I woke up early with a bad headache. I told my wife I didn’t feel well and that something just wasn’t right. She told me to lay down and not work that morning, which I did. She also had practice that morning, but decided to not go. I thank God for her decision. I woke up with this unexplainable pain in my head and confusion. I tried to get up, but my body wouldn’t allow me. I tried to call for my wife but no response. I began to panic. My phone was on my left side and I summoned the strength to to send a text. No clue what (more…)