Introduction What is the best tennis match of all time? This question sent me down a rabbit hole to a surprisingly definitive conclusion. Short Memory Syndrome I don’t remember when this was, or who said it, but it definitely happened. A tennis commentator said “this is one of the greatest matches of all time” to which the person sitting next to me rolled their eyes (not in the fun way) and said “how can he possibly say that!? Think of all the tennis matches that have been played, all the amazing greats of the past, people have such short memories!” During their mini rant this person also uttered the title of this article.
Out of the few matches I've watched with my grandmother - I am pleased Rafael Nadal was mentioned. As I was watching around the time he was popular. Prior Lleyton Hewitt was swooned by women in Australia with his bad-boy bad-sportsmanship. Logic is always nice to see Nathan :).
Personally, I don’t believe in imposed standards of measuring greatness. I get the norm that society sets and most people buying into it, yet my mind refuses such arbitrary concepts. Not everyone gets to Wimbledon and we can’t know the exact reasons as to why. They might be great tennis players, ambitious, hardworking, with their own personal style when it comes to playing yet still not get to check in that box of stadium greatness. Which leads me to this: How much of one’s perception is influenced by a standard measured in magnitude when it comes to audience and stadium? You can be as great of a tennis player playing for small to no audience and in a small tennis court because you choose to do so. I don’t think that every person out there in this world has an interest in hypnotizing crowds and flaunting medals. That isn’t necessarily something that is ingrained in all of us.
Out of the few matches I've watched with my grandmother - I am pleased Rafael Nadal was mentioned. As I was watching around the time he was popular. Prior Lleyton Hewitt was swooned by women in Australia with his bad-boy bad-sportsmanship. Logic is always nice to see Nathan :).
Personally, I don’t believe in imposed standards of measuring greatness. I get the norm that society sets and most people buying into it, yet my mind refuses such arbitrary concepts. Not everyone gets to Wimbledon and we can’t know the exact reasons as to why. They might be great tennis players, ambitious, hardworking, with their own personal style when it comes to playing yet still not get to check in that box of stadium greatness. Which leads me to this: How much of one’s perception is influenced by a standard measured in magnitude when it comes to audience and stadium? You can be as great of a tennis player playing for small to no audience and in a small tennis court because you choose to do so. I don’t think that every person out there in this world has an interest in hypnotizing crowds and flaunting medals. That isn’t necessarily something that is ingrained in all of us.