The Great Turnover In Tennis And The Evolution Of The Game

The future of American tennis as tennis goes global.

Joy in Britain yesterday, as Andy Murray ended a 77-year drought for British men’s tennis on the championship court at Wimbledon.

The week before, it was the early fall of global tennis greats Roger Federer, Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal that made headlines.

For the United States it was a tough year. Doubles joy with the Bryan twins again, but no American making it into even Wimbledon’s third round for men’s singles for the first time in 101 years.

Every sport has its day.  America’s top young athletes are going to the NFL, the NBA.

This hour, On Point:  The evolution of a game.
-- Tom Ashbrook

Chris Clarey, chief sports correspondent and regular columnist for The International Herald Tribune. He has been covering Wimbledon for the paper. (@christophclarey)

Pete Bodo, senior editor of Tennis Magazine and author of: "A Champion's Mind: Lessons From A Life In Tennis, with Pete Sampras." (@ptbodo)

Todd Martin, ranked No. 4 in the world, he retired from professional tennis in 1994. From August 2009 to April 2010 he coached Novak Djokovic. He now runs Todd Martin Tennis (@toddmartinTMT), a junior development tennis program in North Florida.

CNN: U.S. Grand Slam Drought: Is The NFL Killing American Tennis? — "So what's gone wrong? A nation that dominated tennis from the mid-1970s is struggling to repeat those past glories — and there is no quick solution in sight."

Sports Illustrated: American Men Fail To Reach Wimbledon’s Third Round For First Time Since 1912 — "Wimbledon’s main draw featured 11 American men; four days later, none remain in the tournament. Novak Djokovic’s comfortable Centre Court win over 156th-ranked qualifier Bobby Reynolds on Thursday signaled a new era: For the first time since 1912, no American men have advanced to Wimbledon’s third round."

The Wall Street Journal: One Kid's Personal Tennis Academy — "'It's a Disneyland for tennis players,' said Peter Carnello, a Swedish entertainment executive whose son, Lancelot, trains full-time at the Neff facility."