Isn’t tennis ‘off season’ far more than any other sport?
Posted by tennisplanet on July 13, 2010
Here are months (not days) that the top players – who appear to be screaming the most about the ‘gruelling’ schedule – take a colossal break smack in the middle of the season, forget about the ‘official’ hiatus after November.
February.
July.
September.
There are other months (like January) too with mostly 250 events but due to upcoming ‘major’ tournament they are used for tune ups. But these three months have very little activity – tune up or no tune up. Can an athlete at another sport even imagine taking a looooooooooong vacation with the family on a secluded beach like Federer in on currently in the dead center of the season? Then there’s that break for people who don’t like clay. And that’s only taking the top ten crying babies into account. The rest are just having a ball.
For someone to have the kind of injuries Haas or Keifer or even Nadal have suffered, you have to be some kind of grand softie on this pace. NBA players play every other day – with contact – through diagnosed serious injuries – the entire freaking season. Can any tennis player agree to play the entire season with a broken finger? Kobe did that. And did you know that due to his refusal to rest and undergo surgery, his finger is now broken for the rest of his life? OK, bad example, but still take that you pussies on the tour!!!!!!!!!!!!
It has to be primarily your own doing if you are not able to ‘manage’ this lax a schedule year after year. Wonder why none of the previous greats never complained about it. Sure some of it has to be because of technology, court surfaces, steroids etc. but the progression is too insignificant to warrant this vociferous a hype, don’t you think?
Take any other ‘major’ sport and it will crumble before this joke.
Tennis Planet 
Sarah said
Relax and take a deep breath, TP. They will be back in action soon. Let them enjoy their well earned vacations.
M said
Hear hear, Sarah. 🙂
Jenny said
I know nothing about NBA, but football [soccer] has an off season]. Tennis is about a 10 month season, TP, and not all the players have the luxury of taking long holidays, lesser lights have to keep up and tend to play more tourneys. IMHO, Tennis is bigger than the top four/five players, if they play it’s great, if they don’t, I don’t freak out, I can easily find matches and players I want to watch [other than challenger events] no matter the status of the tourney. Infact there are times I will choose to watch other players [streams permitting] even if the top guns are competing in the big tourneys.
Jenny said
‘Kobe did that. And did you know that due to his refusal to rest and undergo surgery, his finger is now broken for the rest of his life?’
—————————————————–
His choice, TP.
Sarah said
Kobe is a warrior; he is very competitive and very good. I don’t like the man; but love the player.
Jenny said
I don’t know the guy, but I’m sure you’re right about his qualities as an athlete. However, I would question the wisdom of any athlete who chooses not to take medical advice, in this case Kobe ends up with a dodgy finger which will outlast his career.
Ricke said
We will see if Kobe’s career suffers because he refused treatment on his finger. He did get that championship ring though.
Claire said
What sport requires one player to play continuously during game/match and have that game last up to 5 hours??? Oh, yes there is golf! I think it may take more time for a tennis player to mentally/physically recover – therefore the vacation time can be justified! Also add to the fact that tennis players travel the world – away from home how many moths? The players don’t get time to visit family, etc. So, I understand why players complain about a “grueling” season!
During basketball games, does Kobe play the whole game most games? Or does he play a little bit if his finger really hurts! Also don’t most sports change players occasionally? Football, first string quarterbacks are in whole game, but I don’t see them doing much running!
Jenny said
I know in our football, substitutes are used during a match. Our top footie stars don’t continuously travel the world as tennis players do and they’re probably paid more money than tennis stars, they get a salary from the big UK clubs.
M said
Also, just because we don’t see current thunder from bigger guns, it doesn’t mean tenistas aren’t playing.
Aren’t there at least four tournaments going on the next few weeks (Stuttgart, Sweden, Hamburg, and Atlanta)?
Jenny said
Too true M. I’ve just watched Ferru beat Fognini in Sweden, Soderling playing later. I’ll link in to the Juanqui/Simon match in Stuttgart. Both clay tourneys. It’s just Bastad and Stuttgart this week.
M said
“I’ve just watched Ferru beat Fognini in Sweden”
\o/ \o/ \o/
Jenny said
Ferru was painting the lines, they were in, checked and cleared by Layhani. Ferru even scored a winner from the ground when he fell, it was the point of the match. Fognini got very cranky when he lost his challenges and was arguing pointlessly with the umpire, it was a very cool handshake at the net.