News
2015 ATP / WTA Tour Media Guide January 02 2015
This great new book is available now, and leafing through it shows what a huge turnover of players there has been in the upper echelons of the ATP and WTA Tours over the last twelve months. On the men's side there is a big group of new young players including BORNA CORIC, DAMIR DZUMHUR, VICTOR ESTRELLA BURGOS, SAM GROTH and Tunisia's MALEK JAZIRI who is well known to British fans for his heroics in the Davis Cup tie in Bolton a few years ago.
WTA Tour newcomers include LUKSIKA KUMKHUM, ANA KONJUH, VICTORIA DUVAL and ZARINA DIYAS, the latter breaking into the top hundred for the first time in her sixth year on tour. It is also interesting to see the return of two 1990s stars MARTINA HINGIS and MIRJANA LUCIC-BARONI. It is also noticeable that lot of the WTA stars have had new studio portraits taken since last year's guide.
To order your copy of this 512 page book containing the joint guides to the 2015 ATP and WTA Tours just go to the WHAT'S NEW section of this site. We are the sole European stockists of this and other titles published by the ATP and WTA.
2015 ATP / WTA Tour Guide December 31 2014
The waiting is over! The 2015 ATP / WTA TOUR MEDIA GUIDE is here! The books arrived at Heathrow Airport today and we will begin the process of despatching more than 200 advance orders tomorrow. It's not often you get the chance to buy two books for the price of one, and both the ATP and WTA volumes have great colourful covers as well as all the latest information about players and tournaments on the 2015 tours. To order just go straight to our WHAT'S NEW section.2015 ATP / WTA Guide Latest December 18 2014
For hundreds of tennis fans the best present of all pops through the letterbox just after Christmas. The 2015 ATP / WTA TOUR MEDIA GUIDE is the ultimate information source on top flight pro tennis, with fully updated biographies of more than 300 players plus full details of all the tournaments on the 2015 ATP and WTA Tours. Tennis Gallery Wimbledon is the sole European distributor of this book, and we've just been told that our shipment will leave Canada for Heathrow on Monday or Tuesday next week. That means the books may be ready for despatch from our Wimbledon shop earlier than in previous years, so if you want to be the first to read this great book order your copy on this site now. You'll find it quickly in our WHAT'S NEW section.2014 Best Books December 16 2014
As Christmas fast approaches it is time once again for us to announce our coveted TENNIS BOOK OF THE YEAR AWARD. It's not coveted actually, well not much, but we enjoy looking back on a vintage year of tennis publishing. So here we go, counting down in reverse order:
10 THE SPORTING STATESMAN: Novak Djokovic & The Rise of Serbia by Chris Bowers
We've had very positive feedback from readers, and Chris Bowers has done a great job combining the story of Novak's tennis career up to early 2014 with the tumultuous changes that have occurred in his native Serbia during his short lifetime.
9 ATP NO.1s
First published in 2013, a new hardback edition brings the story of the elite group of players who have finished as year-end No.1 on the ATP World Tour fully up to date as of 31 December 2013.
8 ATP STORY by Luca Marianantoni
A useful book for looking up the career progress of any player who reached the ATP's Top 100 during the last forty years.
7 WIMBLEDON 2014 by Paul Newman
A new author, but the same wonderful retrospective look at the world's most prestigious tennis tournament.
6 2014 WIMBLEDON COMPENDIUM by Alan Little
All you could ever possibly need to know about the Wimbledon Championships and the All England Club.
5 PAIN, SET & MATCH by Bill Norris with Richard Evans
Bill Norris has been seen countless times on TV, rushing onto court to treat the injuries of stars from Agassi to Federer, and Sampras to Nadal. This book is privately published and fills in important gap in fans' understanding of the modern pro game.
4 WIMBLEDON - THE OFFICIAL HISTORY by John Barrett
A new updated 2014 edition, with full coverage of Andy Murray's historic Wimbledon 2013 triumph.
3 A LOAD OF BALLS by Jamie Feaver
The cult book of the year. Jamie Feaver strove for a decade to make it on the ATP World Tour, travelling the world in search of glory and ranking points. His down-to-earth approach to achieving the dream is an inspiration for all aspiring young players and their parents.
2 2014 ATP / WTA TOUR MEDIA GUIDE
The year's number one reference book, an indispensible guide to the players and tournaments of the ATP and WTA Tours.
1= THE GOLDEN DAYS OF TENNIS ON THE FRENCH RIVIERA by Alan Little
Alan Little has brought the Riviera tennis scene to life in this marvellous coffee-table book. Every tennis lover should read it and look at the amazing archive photographs.
1= ROD LAVER - AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
Rod is the greatest, and he tells his compelling story with honesty and humility. This book is up there in the top handful of tennis life stories ever published.
Anthony Wilding by Jackie Smyth December 15 2014
A box of old tennis books arrived from an auction house the other day, and amongst the titles was Arthur Wallis Myers' great book about the New Zealander ANTHONY WILDING, four times Wimbledon champion from 1910-13.
As coincidence would have it, I this morning read this passage about Wilding in another old book, Jackie Smyth's "Lawn Tennis", published in the early 1950s: "In 1914 he lost the championship he had held with such distinction for four years, but he took his defeat - bitter though it must have been - with the perfect composure and sportsmanship one would have expected of him. On May 9th, 1915, near Neuve Chapelle in France, he was killed by a shell which landed directly on his dug-out - actually within a few yards of where I was standing at the time."
The Strange Case of Lawn Tennis December 12 2014
John Barrett says 1869. Sir Jackie Smyth, writer of the Wimbledon programme's leading articles for many years, said 1868. But it could have been as early as 1859, or as late as 1874. When DID lawn tennis really start to be played?
Recent research by members of the Tennis Collectors Society (TCS) has cast doubt on the idea put forward in many history books that Lawn Tennis was first played by Major Thomas Gem and Mr J.B. Perera at Edgbaston, Birmingham several years before Major Walter Clopton Wingfield registered his patent for the game in 1874. This in turn puts a question mark over the long held view that nearby Leamington was home to the world's first lawn tennis club.
It appears that over the last 140 years books on tennis have repeated the same stories about the birth of the game without the authors having seen contemporary evidence from the time to support them. The TCS researchers have now looked at the digital archives of publications from the Victorian period, and so far no evidence has been found to support the theory that Gem and Perera were the first people to play the game we now know as tennis.
Now it is time to widen the net. The search is on for original newspapers and magazines from the period 1859 to around 1880 which contain any reference to lawn tennis or a game that sounds similar to it. The search is worldwide, and if you have any information please contact the Tennis Collectors Society or ourselves here in Wimbledon.
Wimbledon Today! December 06 2014
It is wonderful in Wimbledon this morning. The mercury may only be hovering around zero, but the sun is shining and the air is clean and fresh. Tennis players are out in the park, and here at Tennis Gallery Wimbledon we are working hard to keep up with the flow of incoming orders for books, DVDs, calendars and Christmas cards. Wherever you are in the world there is plenty of time to order and receive your goods in time for Christmas. And of course, if you are in the London area, why not come out and see us in Wimbledon today! We are open until 5pm, and we'll be delighted to see you.Mansour Bahrami delights Royal Albert Hall December 04 2014
Last night at London's Royal Albert Hall Belgium's XAVIER MALISSE edged out two-time French Open winner SERGI BRUGUERA in a match tie-break, following which an exhibition doubles match pitted PAT CASH and PETER McNAMARA against ANDREW CASTLE and MANSOUR BAHRAMI. The ever-popular Iranian trickster showed his full repertoire of skills including holding all six balls in one hand to serve out a game. How does he do that?
There is more to Bahrami than tricks though. Well into his fifties he is still capable of playing serious tennis to a very high level, and his two fastest aces came down at 113 miles an hour.
The Statoil Masters continues through till Sunday, and there are tickets available. Get down there if you can and see BAHRAMI, JOHN McENROE and some of the best players in recent tennis history while you still can.
RELATED BOOKS
SERIOUS: AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY by John McEnroe
THE COURT JESTER by Mansour Bahrami
RELATED FILMS
MANSOUR BAHRAMI: THE MAN BEHIND THE MOUSTACHE
Two Snowmen are Back! December 03 2014
Our popular new TWO SNOWMEN Christmas Card designed by Bill Newman has SOLD OUT twice, but another consignment has arrived from the printers today. We currently have 80 packs available for same-day despatch, so you still have plenty of time to send these wonderful cards to your tennis friends!Kingston Racketeers December 02 2014
Yesterday we delivered a carload of tennis calendars, Wimbledon Championships programmes and other goodies for the children who are just about to complete their KINGSTON RACKETEERS tennis coaching courses at Kingston Riverside Club. Organised by Sue Bailey, the Kingston Racketeers group enables ordinary children to start playing and enjoying tennis in a fun, affordable way. The programme has been running for over 20 years and many graduates are still playing tennis. Some have reached a high standard, but all have had many hours of enjoyment and fun. We donate goods because we believe in what Sue Bailey and her team are doing, giving opportunities local schools cannot provide and at the same time promoting community cohesion.
Kingston Racketeers runs after school from May to December each year. Each child attends once a week, and there are currently 220 children taking part in the programme. There is a trials day at Canbury Gardens in March each year, and showing enthusiasm and keenness to play tennis are the main criteria for acceptance. You do not have to be a budding Andy Murray or Heather Watson!
For more information please contact us at Tennis Gallery Wimbledon.
Great Tennis in the Olympic Park December 01 2014
Around 400 people watched the NEC WHEELCHAIR TENNIS MASTERS finals at the Lee Valley Tennis Centre yesterday, and they were treated to some skilful and entertaining matches at the venue which hosted the tennis event at the London 2012 Paralympic Games. The ITF and the LTA did a great job in creating a real buzz with lots of off-court activities to supplement the matches. There were some real shocks during the five days of the tournament, but the peerless SHINGO KUNIEDA carried off the men's singles crown as expected, beating NICOLAS PIEFER 6-1, 6-1 in the final. The score does not tell the true story of the match, as is often the case in tennis. The Frenchman battled all the way, and if one or two of the long deuce games had gone his way the outcome could have been very different. The excellent indoor and outdoor courts at Lee Valley are bookable for public hire, so why not get along and play tennis in the Olympic Park?Jamie Feaver Visits Tennis Gallery Wimbledon November 30 2014
Yesterday we were delighted to have a visit from JAMIE FEAVER, coach at Team Bath and author of the popular book A LOAD OF BALLS about life travelling the world on the satellite circuit. Jamie has recently been coaching doubles ANNA SMITH and they recently travelled to Asia together for some tournaments. His book has been selling steadily since Issue 8 of WHAT'S NEW IN TENNIS was distributed, and he is having a reprint done early in 2015. The book is a very useful and inspiring read for up-and-coming young players and their parents, and the last few copies from the first edition printing are available from Tennis Gallery Wimbledon now.Two Snowmen Go Down a Storm! November 22 2014
BILL NEWMAN's new 2014 Christmas Card design is proving to be his most popular yet. In the last 48 hours we have been inundated with orders, with people buying anything from one to eight packs each! We still have plenty of cards in stock, and we are going to re-order from our printers on Monday morning. Don't forget we have ten different Christmas card designs, all by Bill and all available for immediate despatch to you.Mirka @ O2 November 18 2014
RICHARD EVANS writes:
It’s getting murky, L’Affaire Mirka, isn’t it? The French always brand anything really riveting as an affair and it doesn’t necessarily translate into the obvious.
This, anyway, is not a story about love and everyone who wants the Davis Cup Final between France and Switzerland, which will be played out in front of some 27,000 people in Lille, to be a historic moment for the 114 year old competition hopes that the sudden antipathy that has arisen between ROGER FEDERER and STAN WAWRINKA can be controlled and softened.
But from the moment Federer walked out onto court at the 02 on Sunday evening to announce that a bad back would prevent him from playing the final against NOVAK DJOKOVIC in the ATP World Finals, the questions have been spinning and the answers hovering out of reach.
Let’s tackle a few head on:
Q. Was a bad back the real reason and the only reason for Federer withdrawing from a match for only the third time in his long career?
A. It was almost certainly the main reason. He suffered from a bad back through most of last year and Ivan Ljubicic, the current coach of Milos Raonic, tweeted from courtside that he sensed Roger had a bad back in the warm up of his semi-final against Wawrinka.
Q. But the only reason?
A. Well, if Federer and Wawrinka, long time friends, got into a big argument before they left the 02 on Saturday night, the stress and the long drive back to the hotel that followed will certainly not have helped. Anyone who has suffered from a bad back will tell you stress equals pain.
Q. And so why were they arguing?
A. As some spectators witnessed, Mirka Federer began shouting stuff at Wawrinka just as Roger broke back, late in the third set. Stan did not take kindly to it and someone heard him say afterwards that it had happened at Wimbledon. He reacted by telling her to knock it off, or some such, whereupon Mirka told him not to be a baby. Apparently Federer was furious that his childhood pal had spoken to his wife that way but unconfirmed reports say that he was not best pleased with Mirka, either.
Q. So what made Mirka interject in that manner, especially as her husband was in the process of getting back into the match (he eventually saved four match points)?
A. That, folks, is the $64,000 question. Or should it be $64m today? Here we have a situation in which two great friends are struggling for supremacy in one of the most important matches of the year just one week away from teaming up to play in a Davis Cup Final that could turn into one of the most triumphant and important moments in the history of Swiss sport. And what do we get? A wife imposing herself on the proceedings. Why, indeed. Was it a cry from the shadows; a final refusal to play the supporting background role of the ever faithful spouse who contributes so much to the stunningly successful Federer bandwagon yet rarely gets any credit? Was it some strange resentment towards Stan for having the effrontery to win a Grand Slam back in January in Melbourne and then steal even more of the limelight by actually beating Roger in the Monte Carlo final in April? Was it the fact that, as a Czech, she doesn’t quite get the Swiss thing and doesn’t even care? Surely not. She lives with this man and must know full well how Roger has dedicated a major slice of his year to fulfilling his one remaining ambition – to win the Davis Cup. Was it just that this very serious, very organized and seemingly self controlled woman suddenly lost it and let some deep seated emotion burst forth? We struggle for answers, for some rationale, for some insight into an example of how stress can make a mockery of common sense.
Q. So where does this leave poor Severin Luthi, the Swiss Davis Cup captain who travels much of the year with Federer as his coach in harness with Stephan Edberg?
A. In the worst position imaginable. Apparently he was in on the row which erupted between the two men he has to captain this weekend and only he knows how he will handle his role of captain, confidante, nurse and now peacemaker in Lille. Arthur Ashe faced something of the same problem in Gothenberg in 1984 when John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors couldn’t bear the sight of each other and dragged the United States to an ignominious defeat. But there wasn’t a woman involved and, anyway, McEnroe and Connors had never been friends, unlike this pair. That surely must be Luthi’s life-line – to draw on the memories of the real friendship that has existed between Roger and Stan and try to make them see past the unfortunate happenings of the last few days.
But it is not an enviable task and a Davis Cup Final that was going to be riveting enough is now layered with emotions and question marks no one could have foreseen. Oh, and just a final Q & A. How bad is the Federer back and will he be able to play? Only Roger knows the answer to that but I would be very surprised if he does not take the court in Lille.
Copyright 2014 Richard Evans
The World Tour Final That Never Was November 17 2014
RICHARD JONES writes:
ROGER FEDERER was forced to concede last night's title match at the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals following his brutal semi-final against friend and Davis Cup team mate STAN WAWRINKA on Saturday night. That match finished at around 11pm, and Roger was still at the O2 after 1am on Sunday completing his media interviews. The crowd at the O2 were shocked but sympathetic, and despite their huge disappointment there was no booing or other audible dissension. It seemed that nearly everyone in the sell out crowd stayed on to watch ANDY MURRAY take on NOVAK DJOKOVIC in a first to eight games exhibition match. It was very good of Andy to agree to play at such short notice after his own gruelling last few weeks on the ATP World Tour. Afterwards he teamed up with JOHN McENROE to play another exhibition against PAT CASH and TIM HENMAN. It was good to see the names of these former greats on the big O2 scoreboard. The last-minute cancellation of last night's big showpiece final illustrated what we all already knew. Top class tennis is a fierce and skilful head-to-head which often produces epic matches like Saturday's all-Swiss semi-final. Each great match is a joy for those who get to watch, but because the competitors are human, anything can happen, and that includes nothing at all.
Kei Nishikori Reaches World Tour Semi-Finals! November 14 2014
KEI NISHIKORI made more tennis history yesterday, beating Spain's DAVID FERRER - substituting for the injured MILOS RAONIC - to become the first Japanese player to reach the semi-finals of the BARCLAYS ATP WORLD TOUR FINALS. Nishikori is the first Japanase player to be ranked in the ATP World Tour Top 10, but it is a little known-fact that more than seventy years ago Japansese star JIRO SATOH reached number three in the World rankings. Satoh's big years were 1932 and 1933, when he reached the semi-finals of the Gentlemen's Singles at Wimbledon. Extremely popular with the SW19 crowds, Satoh nevertheless suffered under the weight of expectation in his native Japan. He was drowned at sea in 1934, having apparently commited suicide.
Japan also has the oldest currently active player on the WTA Tour. Former Top 10 player KIMIKO DATE has made a dramatic comeback, and now at 44 she is ranked just outside the top hundred on the tour.
The Champion's Gene November 10 2014
Broadcaster and journalist RICHARD EVANS' writes for us and his latest piece went live on our free app Tennis Gallery Wimbledon yesterday. Entitled THE CHAMPION'S GENE, the article examines the nationalities that make up the Final 8 players who yesterday began their quest to win the prestigious Barclays ATP World Tour Finals title at London's O2 Arena. Richard highlights how coming from a wealthy tennis nation is no fast-track to success, far from it in fact as three of the four Grand Slam nations are unrepresented at this year's O2 event. It's a long and thought-provoking piece, and well worth reading.
TO READ THE FULL STORY, PLEASE DOWNLOAD THE TENNIS GALLERY WIMBLEDON FREE APP.
Most Recently Sold November 02 2014
SUZANNE LENGLEN - TENNIS IDOL OF THE TWENTIES is about the extraordinary life and career of the French star who won Wimbledon six times between 1919 and 1926 and was never beaten in singles during her adult tennis career. The customer who bought the book asked where Suzanne would rate in the all-time list of great women players. He said she must surely be in the top four or five. My reply, based on the opinions of those I respect, past and present, was that there was only one question: whether Suzanne was the outright all-time No.1, or jointly held that honour with Martina Navratilova.
(SUZANNE LENGLEN - TENNIS IDOL OF THE TWENTIES by Alan Little, soft covers, published by Wimbledon Lawn Tennis Museum)
2015 ATP / WTA Tour Media Guide November 02 2014
For those of you new to Tennis Gallery Wimbledon, one of our annual activities is to be the sole European distributor of the 500-page book 2015 ATP / WTA Tour Media Guide, the yearbook of professional tennis. The book has excellent profiles of around 300 players with their photographs, plus full details of all ATP and WTA Tour tournaments. Each year we agree with the ATP the total number of copies to be shipped across, and the books reach us in early January, enabling us to get them out quickly ahead of the Australian Open. To secure a copy of this book you can pre-order now. No money will be taken until your book is sent to you. Orders are currently coming in thick and fast from regular customers who know how great this book is.New 2015 Summer Tournaments October 31 2014
A couple of years ago the All England Lawn Tennis Club announced that, following extensive consultation with player organisations around the world, The Championships would be moved a week later in the professional tournament schedule from 2015 onwards. The monthly pages of the new 2015 TENNIS GALLERY WIMBLEDON CALENDAR show the new dates at the start of each week, not just for Wimbledon but for all the tournaments affected, and the calendar has a helpful and informative summary of the changes and how they will affect your summer tennis watching.
The new calendar will be available on 1 December 2014, and ADVANCE ORDERS are being accepted now.
Two Snowmen Shaking Hands October 28 2014
Artist BILL NEWMAN rang yesterday to say he had completed the new 2014 Christmas Card design, and that it features two tennis-playing snowmen shaking hands at the net. People love Bill's card designs, and this is the 10th year in a row he has produced a seasonal image for us. I can't imagine what any "normal" person would make of our discussions, though, as we plan for each new design. Hearing one person say "I didn't know snowmen had hands", with the other replying "How else would they hold the racket?" would make your average listener-in shudder in disbelief, I'm quite sure!
The cards will be available for pre-order in the next day or two, and will be delivered to customers in mid-November. All previous nine card designs are also still available.
Wimbledon 1985 and 1986 October 27 2014
The Wimbledon Official Annuals for 1985 and 1986 are now back in stock. We only have one or two of each, and we will give first option to buy to people who previously asked us to find these rare editions for them. If you are finding it hard to track down a particular tennis book, please let us know and we will do our best to find it for you.Our Top 10 Bestsellers October 24 2014
Here are the things that everyone is ordering right now, in order of popularity:
1 2015 TENNIS GALLERY WIMBLEDON CALENDAR
2 2014 WIMBLEDON OFFICIAL ANNUAL
3 2014 WIMBLEDON OFFICIAL FILM (HIGHLIGHTS, DVD)
4 TGW EXCLUSIVE CHRISTMAS CARDS
5 2014 WIMBLEDON MEN'S SINGLES FINAL (COMPLETE MATCH, DVD)
6 2014 WIMBLEDON MEN'S PLAYER TOWEL
7 ROD LAVER - AN AUTOBIOGRAPHY
8 WIMBLEDON TENNIS NET MEASURE
9 2014 ROLAND GARROS OFFICIAL ANNUAL
10 2014 WIMBLEDON CHAMPIONSHIPS USED BALLS
All these items can be ordered from this site, and we'll update this list weekly in the run-up to the festive season.