Like an Artist

A popular topic in tennis is style of play. There are big hitters and crafty old men who will slice you off the court like a piece of Swiss cheese. Some recreational players never find their style because they are too busy trying to remember the rhythm of each stroke as if the game can be played by memorizing a couple of patterns from a textbook. 

I’ve felt like an artist in a couple of tennis matches. The court felt like a stage, and the opponent was more of a puppet. My job was to try different things and see where I could get the appropriate reaction.

I was Jim Henson, and the opponent was Kermit. 

These matches were close, so it wasn’t like I was destroying my opponent, but for some reason, I felt like I was in control. It was as if I was taking the audience through a journey where the puppet could potentially beat me just for dramatic effect. In the end, though, I knew it was me who would throw the final dagger. 

Each point was a scene in a play, a stroke on a canvas, or a metaphor in a literary essay, and I enjoyed each one. 

So what style of tennis do I want to play?

I want to be creative and fun. I want to be free to try and light up the court but aware enough to pull it back if the opponent decides he wants to inflict his own pain. 

I want to feel like an artist, not in aesthetics but in feel. 

To feel like I am the one creating the plot.