Throughout my 16-year career, I've played in hundreds of tennis stadiums. I've slid on the grass on Centre Court at the All-England Club. I've gazed at the Mediterranean Sea from the red clay of the Monte-Carlo Country Club. In Indian Wells, I've lost track of time staring at the Palm Desert mountains while in town for the BNP Paribas Open. But nowhere, including the many indoor tournaments we play annually, prepared me for playing at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals. To put it simply, everything is different at The O2. Let's start with the lights. For about 10 months of the year, we play our matches outside. Sometimes the sun blocks your vision of your ball toss. Other days,...
Gardnar Mulloy, who passed away on 14 November aged 102, was one of the last links to the pre-Second World War tennis circuit. The American rubbed shoulders with royalty – including Queen Elizabeth II, President Bill Clinton and movie stars, but lived his entire life in a modest three-bedroom Miami home. The remains of the original family court can still be seen in the backyard. ATPWorldTour.com paid tribute to Mulloy on the occasion of his 100th birthday in November 2013, and reproduces the piece below. Gardnar Mulloy is celebrating his 100th birthday today. He’s the first International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee to reach the age milestone and shuffles around now using a walking frame, much to his frustration. But...
Before arriving in London on Wednesday evening, I had heard about how nice the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals was and how well the players were treated at the season finale. But this nice? I walked into my hotel room at the London Marriott Hotel County Hall, close to Big Ben and the London Eye, and couldn't believe what I was seeing: Barclays ATP World Tour Finals T-shirts and hats with the tournament logo emblazoned on the apparel; a new Ted Baker suit, which I wore to the Official Launch; a new electric toothbrush, which is always nice; and maybe the most impressive gift, a new set of Ping golf clubs with my name on the bag and the clubs....
By John Peers Our 2016 Barclays ATP World Tour Finals has certainly gotten off to a good start. We've already beaten new World No. 1 Andy Murray in the all-important “Gong Challenge”. Standing on centre court, Murray tossed the ball up six times but couldn't hit the 14-inch gong, which sat about 20 metres away in the stands. (For the record, he was using someone else's racquet). My doubles partner, Henri Kontinen, had also tried to peg the gong six times but he, too, couldn't connect. But I grabbed my Prince racquet, tossed the ball up and hit the gong on my first attempt. I'll admit, it was luck, but I won't be testing that theory. I've never done it since...
Even elite tennis players, and Officers of the British Empire, sometimes take the Tube. Anyone riding the Jubilee line to North Greenwich station this week could find themselves looking across the carriage at Jamie Murray, who this year became the first Briton in singles or doubles to be the World No. 1 in the Emirates ATP Rankings (he got there before his brother). For all that he has accomplished – including winning the Davis Cup last year, scoring his first two men’s doubles Grand Slam titles at this year’s Australian and US Opens, and being awarded the OBE – the older of the Murray brothers has been known to travel around London with an Oyster card. Last November, when he...