Steve Flink On The Decline Of American Men’s Tennis: “We Need To Start Attracting The Best Athletes Again” - UBITENNIS
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Steve Flink On The Decline Of American Men’s Tennis: “We Need To Start Attracting The Best Athletes Again”

UbiTennis CEO Ubaldo Scanagatta is back with a new video to talk about the crisis hitting the country that used to dominate the game until less than 20 years ago.

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After Mark Winters’ contribution, here is a new entry in our website’s enquiry into US tennis. This time another American, the Hall-of-Famer Steve Flink, tries to answer some recurring questions? Why are there no US players left at the top of the ATP Rankings? Could the trend be bucked? This and more in the following video:

00:00 – “The best American player is 35 and outside the Top 20, and the only up-and-coming standout appears to be 19-year-old Brandon Nakashima.” Is this the lowest point for US tennis?  

02:30 – “In 1973, there were 23 Americans in the world Top 100, six in the Top 20 and three in the Top 10.” What happened? Flink: “We had perhaps our greatest decade in the 1990s, and that is probably when things went awry…”

06:10 – Could this be a financial stability issue? “There aren’t many tennis players with a huge income, while in basketball, football, ice hockey or baseball the situation is different.”

07:40 – “The road to success and wealth in individual sports is certainly tougher, but Europe has the same issue vis-à-vis football, so what could be another factor in the decline?” The role of private investments: “The USTA federal programme was created in the late 1980s, but I do not think that an emphasis on public spending is the problem.” Could this be just a cyclical fluke?

14:00 – What if the issue was commitment? “You need to really want to succeed in tennis.”  

18:42 – Mark Winters’ theory revolves around this last theme, that there is no drive to reach the top of the game: “I’m not sure I agree, but he is an insider and certainly knows what he’s talking about.”

20:40 – “Tennis players now start to make real money between 23 and 25 years of age, how many can afford to wait that long while relying almost exclusively on prize money?”

24:15 – “There might be a continuity issue, because the USTA changes its president every four years, and that doesn’t allow the creation of a stable system.” The role of deputy chiefs.

27:45 – How much money is devoted to the development of youths in the US?

30:27 – “Over the years, I’ve noticed that coaches who are on a federal payroll tend to lack a little bit of that hunger…” Can a national movement rely on the investments of young players’ parents?

35:15 – Why is women’s tennis doing so much better in the US than the male counterpart? “Nobody really believed in Sampras, Agassi and their generation, so there is still hope for a sudden comeback…”

39:10 – The changing role of the college game in the US: “Does it still work as a preparation for high-level tennis, and do the players have the patience to wait before they start making money by turning pro?” Flink: “I think that the shifting towards success at an older age might help in this sense.”

42: 20 – The raging debate of American sports – should university athlete receive financial support besides scholarship money?

44:15 – “Could we interview Stacey Allaster, the USTA’s president, on these issues?”

47:00 – Is it be important for the game to have a successful player from a country hosting a Major?

48:15 – “It’s a shame that American and Australian tennis are lagging this far behind, but we need to recognise that the game wasn’t as global and globalised when they used to dominate…”

Transcript by Filippo Ambrosi; translation and editing by Tommaso Villa

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(VIDEO) New No.3 Jannik Sinner Emulates Hewitt With Latest Win

Ubitennis founder Ubaldo Scanagatta reflects on Sinner’s latest success at the Rotterdam Open.

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Jannik Sinner’s dream start to the 2024 season is continuing after he captured his 12th Tour title at the Rotterdam Open on Sunday.

The 22-year-old overcame Alex de Minaur in two sets to claim his second consecutive trophy and extend his unbeaten start to the year to 12 matches. After becoming the first singles player from his country to win the Australian Open last month, on Monday Sinner also became the first to break into the top three on the ATP Pepperstone Rankings. Furthermore, he has also become the first player since Lleyton Hewitt in 2002 to win their next tournament after claiming their first Grand Slam title.

Watching Sinner’s latest triumph in Rotterdam was Ubitennis chief Ubaldo who provies his insight into the star of Italian tennis.

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VIDEO: Jacco Eltingh And Paul Haarhuis Praise Jannik Sinner’s Recent Rise

Ubitennis speaks to Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis about Jannik Sinner’s rise and potential.

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(@RelevantTennis - Twitter)

Jannik Sinner’s rise to Grand Slam glory continues to be the talk amongst the tennis world.

The Italian has the chance to become the new world number three this week should he win the title in Rotterdam.

Sinner has made a great start to his bid with two victories over Botic Van De Zandschulp and Gael Monfils as he looks ahead to a quarter-final with Milos Raonic.

Now Sinner is starting to attract the attention of people across the tennis world including the Netherlands.

Doubles legends Jacco Eltingh and Paul Haarhuis know all too well about Sinner’s rise with Italy knocking the Netherlands out of the Davis Cup finals last year.

Sinner also defeated Van De Zandschulp and Jesper De Jong at the Australian Open on his way to the title.

Now in an interview with Ubaldo Scanagatta, Eltingh and Haarhuis spoke about Sinner’s potential with Eltingh also speaking about the early years of his career and which Italian players he was rivals with during the early stages of his career.

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VIDEO: Ubaldo On Rafael Nadal’s Saudi Deal – I Trust Rafa But He Should Consider Donating The Money

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Nadal RG 2022 by Night (foto @RolandGarros)

Earlier this year Rafael Nadal unexpectedly struck a new deal to become an ambassador for the Saudi Tennis Federation (STF). 

The 22-time Grand Slam champion is set to travel to the country multiple times a year and help develop junior tennis. Furthermore, Nadal will also open up an academy in the country in a deal that is set to be worth millions. However, the financial details have not been publicly disclosed. 

Nadal’s partnering with Saudi Arabia has prompted criticism from some who accuse the Middle Eastern nation of using sports to improve its image which has been tarnished by wrongdoing. Something that is better known as sportwashing. Saudi Arabia has been criticised for their human rights record, especially concerning women and LGBT+ people. 

In a recent interview with Ana Pastor on Spanish television’s El Objetivo, Nadal said it was ‘logical’ for sports to be partnering up with Saudi Arabia considering the resources they have. However, he understands the backlash he has recieved from some and says if no meaningful change occur over the next decade he will admit he has ‘been completely wrong.’  

But is there a way that Nadal can please both his supporters and critics? Ubitennis founder Ubaldo Scanagatta has a solution. 

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