Tennis is the Game of Love

Tennis is the Game of Love January 25, 2014

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Tennis is interesting.

It may be because there is so much about tennis that I do not understand. I did not grow up playing tennis, so I have quite a few questions.

I do not understand how to keep score. There is a seemingly arbitrary way to count points, and each tournament apparently has its own way to decide who wins a tie game, set, or match.

I have no idea why tennis refers to “zero” as “love.”

Tennis is the only sport I know in which players warm up their own opponents. There is not game clock in tennis, Matches can be spread over several days.

Tennis is one of the few sports in which the lines around the court are included in the court, not out of bounds.

Tennis is interesting because it demands a combination of skill and strategy. A player who serves with great speed and power cannot necessarily defeat someone who plays with more patience or finesse. Tennis has a significant psychological component. Players need to know themselves well and play consistently with who they are.

The aspect of tennis I find most interesting, though, is how it incorporates silence and sound.

The standard during play is silence. Players, officials, spectators, even commentators are to be silent while people are playing. I cannot think of another sport with an expectation that supports contemplative focus in the same way.

Everyone is silent, except for various forms of grunting, during play. Sound explodes whenever play is interrupted, often starting with a call from an official.

The best, most interesting matches are the ones that last for long periods without being interrupted. We focus our attention on two players focusing their attention, translating their intentions into reality.

What do you do each week that encourages your contemplative focus?

[Image by Emergency Brake]


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