Judy Murray: Hosting Olympics in China was a Gamechanger for Tennis in Asia
Tennis - Judy Murray says hosting the Olympics in China in 2008 in the city of Beijing was a gamechanger for tennis in the continent and hopes other sports like cricket will follow suit and try to get into the Olympics.
In a column for The Telegraph, Murray writes, "When I started travelling to junior tournaments across the world, around 25 years ago, Asian players were conspicuous by their absence. But having the Olympics in Beijing in 2008 was a gamechanger. That brought tennis into Asia in a big way, and when the Chinese do something, they really go for it. They have grown the game from the top-down, building some huge complexes, and now fund 25 WTA and ATP events. If the winner in Shenzhen this week wins all her round-robin matches, she could walk away with $4.75m (£3.7m). That would be the biggest single payday in the sport, even outstripping the grand slams. When I think about what has happened with tennis in Asia, I’m amazed that some other sports – cricket, for example – have shown no interest in becoming part of the Olympics. That fortnight is the single biggest global showcase that any sport can have."
Murray noted that the coaching system in schools is much different as compared to the concept of public courts that they have in Britain. "The culture here is so different from what I am used to. The concept of public courts in parks doesn’t really exist. Nor do recreational clubs and competitions. The whole system of player development is based around identifying talent early and hothousing the most promising kids in academies. It seems to be working. You just have to look at the rankings to see that. When I went to work with the WTA last year in Wuhan and Beijing, I discovered that the schools have 50 kids in each class. They marched onto the court and immediately stood in lines of ten, shoulder to shoulder. The discipline is as impressive as the concentration. I have an interpreter with me but the children are so good at repeating and copying that all I have to do is a short demo of each exercise or game. The challenge with this approach is that it doesn’t leave room for much individuality and creativity. I hope that my coaching method – which focuses on fun skill-building activities – inspires the kids. I bring a variety of brightly coloured pieces of play equipment – from balloons to bean bags to water bombs – and they seem to take a lot of enjoyment out of things we think are relatively simple. I encourage them to think out of the box. Tennis is a very cerebral sport, after all."
Speaking about the WTA Finals in Shenzhen this week and the players there, Murray says, "Still, I have a really good feeling about the women’s game at this end-of-season finale. It’s great to see so many different game-styles, personalities, match-ups and back-stories. Last week I walked the Great Wall of China with Ashleigh Barty, who is one of my favourites. Whenever I have the opportunity to ask the WTA for a player to help with a coaching clinic, I always ask for Ash. She has great people skills and is so down-to-earth. I’m also excited this week to watch the young Canadian, Bianca Andreescu, in person for the first time. Andreescu is only 19 but I love her firepower and gritty, never-say-die attitude. She is young and ballsy, has the ability to vary the pace and shape of her shots, and isn’t afraid of anybody. It’s very easy for young players to bow down in face of Serena Williams, for example, but she maintained her poise and self-belief so well in the US Open final to win her first major. I like following Andreescu on Twitter too. As with 15-year-old Coco Gauff, who won her first title in Linz a fortnight ago, she is part of the social-media generation. If we want to have more personalities in our sport, we need ways to engage with them, and social media – for all its failings – offers that chance."
from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/332cdJW
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