I always loved watching tennis growing up, and like every other kid who watched sports, I would try to emulate my heroes on TV. I had a Prince Jr. racquet and thought it was the same one that Michael Chang would use. I actively told people this lie with immense enthusiasm. I would go to my elementary school down the road and hit balls against the wall for hours pretending I was either Andre Agassi, Michael Chang or Boris Becker. Whoever I was on that particular day would always win, usually defeating Jim Courier or Ivan Lendl or whoever I thought was the enemy of my favourite players.
But for me, my fascination kicked into high gear the first time I watched Pete Sampras hit a serve. It was so effortless, so precise, and had so much pop to it. I would constantly try to emulate it, right down to the pre-toss hand-snap, to the toe lift, to the hellacious wrist pronation. My bomb of an ace down the T didn't look quite like his - mine was usually a line drive into the back fence, but it inspired me to constantly play tennis with anyone that would indulge me.
Perhaps for you it wasn't watching, it was playing. There's something addictive about sports, and even if you're downright horrendous, you're going to improve the more you do it. Once you have a good shot, a good point, or a good match, you start to get the itch. It's strange that hitting a ball in the middle of your strings can have such a cathartic effect on your day.
This whole brand is built on that concept. The sound of a ball bouncing on a hard court, the pristine grass on the first day of Wimbledon, the bright colours of the US Open, the smell of new tennis balls, the feeling of hitting a clean winner, the days when you can't miss your serve, finally making a breakthrough on a shot you've been working on, a new grip on your racquet, playing a point that's so good you don't care if you lose, a freshly swept clay court, new strings and about a thousand others.
Yeah, we get it. We're obsessed too.
So what got you hooked on this game? Let us know in the comments and keep getting out on the court! You just might inspire the next kid who lies about his racquet.
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At 30 years old, I met my husband in London at Greenhills on court 6. We were both beginners but competitive beginners!! We played a lot to practice and also to beat each other. I love the scoring system at tennis, you can lose the first set 6-0 but still win the match. There is no clock to run the time down, you have to make every shot. I think that’s what I like the most about the game. I was hooked on a new game I could play with the man I love. 20 years later, I still play against my husband and want to win really badly! I do relax more and enjoy the better shots we make but losing still hurts so I leave everything on the court when I play. Winning never gets old!