Top 10 List | Top Ten Lists

Tennis is a game that requires great skill. If one does not master the skills, they lose confidence in themselves and quit. If one is committing themselves to playing the game, they must understand the following difficulties people face and be willing to learn.

1. Eye Coordination:

Eye co-ordination is really important in the game of tennis. Every second counts in this game. If you are not paying attention, you may lose track of the ball and where you are hitting it.

2. Timing:

Timing and precision are important, especially when hitting your racquet. You may swing too early and miss the ball. As a student who was learning to play tennis, the coach had to constantly nag about the timing. Many students kept hitting the ball too early or too late.

3. Grip:

The grip needs to be firm, but relaxed at the same time. You cannot be too light on the hit and never too hard. It’s just like the game of volleyball…if you hit too light you do not go over the net. If you hit too hard you may go out of bounds. This all has to do with the way you hold your racquet. Interestingly enough, I see a number of people holding their tennis racquets as if they were playing badminton.

4. Demanding Job:

The sport is demanding both mentally and physically. There are no time-outs or time for breaks, unless authorized.

5. Fit:

Most of all, the players must be fit. There is a lot of moving around in the game. One who is not fit may easily be tired and restless.

The following is a list of popular tennis tournaments which are famously shown around the world. The revenues for these events are in the tens of millions of dollars; some garnering 100s of millions.

1. Wimbledon:

Originating in 1877, Wimbledon is the oldest tennis tournament in the world. It is also one of 4 grand slam tournaments to be held. Interestingly enough it is still played on grass rather than pavement.

2. French Open:

The tournament was named after a famous aviator, Roland Garros, and is one of 4 grand slam tournaments. It usually is held between late May and early June of every year. The tournaments originated in 1891.

3. US Open:

Held in August and September, the tournament is the final grand slam competition. The tournament was first held in 1881 and only included men. Women were allowed to play since 1887.

4. Australian Open:

Originating in 1905, it is one of 4 grand slam tournaments. It is held in Melbourne in the crux of Australian summer. The 2010 tournament had 653,860 attendees.

5. Rogers Cup:

This is a tennis tournament that is held in Toronto and Montreal alternatively every year. Competitions are held every August since 1881 for men and 1892 for women.

When buying a tennis racquet, people look for power, stability, control, grip and weight. Utilizing these categories and the preferences and successes of professional players, I’ve compiled a list. Here are the top 10 tennis racquets.

1. Wilson Khamsin Five BLX 4

I use this one when playing tennis. I admire the racquet for its smooth grip, powerful stroke and its very light weight. Additionally, power and plush work well together in this product.

2. Yonex V-Con X 18 Tennis Racquet:

This is a racquet that is made for all court games and offers a unique combination of power, playability, control, and comfort. It is perfect for someone who is not the average size and is not quick (tweener).

3. Wilson BLX Blade Team

These are the racquets that champions Venus and Serena Williams use. They are good with precision and for power. The large head size provides an excellent sweet spot. The racquet is also easily navigable because of its stringed makes.

4. Head Youtek Six Star

This racquet is powerful, soft and plush. Additionally, it is lightweight and easily mobile. It has Quadface technology which lengthens the string bed and increases the sweet spot for steady power.

5. Babolat 2010 AeroPro Drive GT PLUS

Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi and John McEnroe and Rafael Nadal have all supported this racquet. It is one of the best racquets which bring more power, more control and stability. Rafael Nadal would not be Spain’s No.1, if it were not for this racquet.

US Open is one of the two oldest grand slam tennis tournaments in the entire game’s history. Originally, the men’s singles event was referred to as the U.S. National Championship. Since its inception in 1881, the US Open has had several great players. On the basis of their achievement in the US Open, the following are the greatest male tennis players of all time:

1. Bill Tilden (7 titles: 1920-25, 1929)

Bill Tilden is the all time greatest male tennis player. He is one among only three players in the history to possess 7 US Open titles. Throughout the 1920s, he dominated world tennis and was mostly ranked 1 during this period. He was also part of US Davis Cup team that won Davis Cup titles seven times continuously.

2. Roger Federer (5 titles: 2004-08)

Roger Federer, a living legend, is number two on this list. He is considered a great player in the history of male tennis because of his consistent performance and the number of titles he has won. Hence he can match only with the greatest players like Bill Tilden. He has won 5 US Open titles and is the only player in Open Era who has won 5 consecutive US Open titles.

3. Richard Dudley “Dick” Sears (7 titles: 1881-1887)

Richard Sears held 7 consecutive US Open titles in the period between 1881 and 1887. He was just a student at Harvard when he won the first of his 7 titles. Moreover, he won 6 consecutive doubles title from 1882 to 1887. Hence he will be remembered as a great champion when it comes to US Open.

4. William “Bill” Augustus Larned (7 titles: 1901-02, 1907-11)

Bill Larned or William Larned won 7 titles in the span of 11 years. He also holds 7 US Open titles to his credit. Larned is a versatile sportsman who showed admirable talent even in sports such as golf, shooting and horseracing. In 1956, William Larned was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

5. Pete Sampras (5 titles: 1990, 1993, 1995, 1996, 2002)

In 1988, Pete Sampras started playing professional tennis and retired in 2003. He was truly successful in the US open and won the title 5 times. He had great rivalry with Andre Agassi. He was a gentle player which earned him a lot of fans around the world.

Tennis has produced some of the world’s best known sports heroes and icons. Here are 10 of the most unforgettable matches played by them.

1. Bjorn Borg vs. McEnroe:  1980 : Wimbledon Final

When  Bjorn Borg faced John McEnroe, a cocky 21 year old, at Wimbledon, few people realized that they were about to watch an epic match. It lasted 3 hours and 53 minutes and is considered to be one of the finest finals ever played. Borg eventually won the title, but only after playing Wimbledon’s longest tie breaker during the 4^th set at 18-16.

2. Nadal vs. Federer  :  July 7, 2008 : Wimbledon Final

There is one more Wimbledon Final which can compete to be among the best finals ever played. The last set of this match was played in near darkness and the umpires had to be given night goggles in order to be able to see the ball clearly. Even though Nadal went on to win this title, it was a match which at any point could have gone to the other way.

3. Venus Williams vs. Lindsay Davenport :  2005 : Wimbledon Women’s Final

In 2005 Davenport was the top seed and sailed to the finals with fairly easy victories. However in Venus Williams she met her match, and in the longest ever Wimbledon final she was defeated 4-6, 7-6, 9-7. Twice during this game she had match points or was serving for the match, but as she said later, Venus was mentally the far superior player.

4. Bjorn Borg vs. Jimmy Connors: 1977: Wimbledon Final

This match was the confirmation of the Borg era. The five setter final was a touch and go match throughout, and it was a pleasure to watch the advent of Borg’s classy style of tennis. This was his fourth Wimbledon title and he went on to rule the tennis scene for years.

5. Novak Djokovic vs.  Rafael Nadal:  2009: Madrid Semi Finals

In the semi finals of the Madrid Open in 2009, Rafael Nadal came back from a break in the third set to winning the tie breaker at 11-9. He saved three match points during this clay court match, which was a best of three games. The match lasted 4 hours 2 minutes and was the highlight of the tournament.

1. Boris Becker (Germany)

Known to many as the youngest player to conquer Wimbledon, Boris Becker was a gifted player. Six Grand Slam wins include three Wimbledon singles titles, one U.S. Open title, and two Australian Open titles.

2. Billie Jean King (USA)

By the end of her career, Billie Jean King had won 39 Grand Slam victories (12 Singles, 16 Ladies’ Doubles and 11 Mixed Doubles). King’s contribution to Tennis did not end with her incredible achievements on the court. King is well remembered for defeating Bobby King 6-4, 6-4, 6-3 in the match now popularly referred to as the “Battle of the Sexes”.

3. Steffi Graf (Germany)

Steffi Graf is an acknowledged legend, and several believe her to be the greatest female player of the 20th Century. Steffi ranked as the No. 1 for 377 weeks, won an unbelievable 22 Grand Slam tournaments, including all four Grand Slams in a single year (1988), 2 Olympic Gold medals. Unrelenting knee problems caused her to retire at just 30.

4. Bjorn Borg (Sweden)

Bjorn Borg was a genius on both grass and clay. Having won only two of the four Grand Slams, he contributed to the sport in terms of style and dedication. So it came as a major shock to fans and followers when he retired at just 26. Some are of the opinion that he might have won those two too.

5. Jimmy Connors (USA)

One of the most enduring players, Jimmy Connors held the No. 1 seed for 160 straight weeks, out of the full 268 career weeks. He won 8 Grand Slams – 2 Wimbledon titles, 5 U.S. Open titles and 1 Australian Open title. Unfortunately, the French Open eluded him too.