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Coup Droit · Tennis legend

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DF · Tennis legend

First serve wrote:
Hi All. We (my partner) joined a couple of months ago - based in the south of UK, and reading posts for many years. Dont want to get too involved as i am a tennis parent !!! of a uk player rising steadily up the rankings hampered by some untimely injuries and an op two years ago which as far as i know now completely recovered. What is interesting to me is how the behind the scenes details affecting performance in any given event are rarely known. eg weather, balls, court surface, court speed, health, etc etc and so i thought i would join and maybe give some background info if appropriate from time to time - Its tough out there traveling and competing.

Welcome smile

JonH · Tennis legend

First serve wrote:
Hi All. We (my partner) joined a couple of months ago - based in the south of UK, and reading posts for many years. Dont want to get too involved as i am a tennis parent !!! of a uk player rising steadily up the rankings hampered by some untimely injuries and an op two years ago which as far as i know now completely recovered. What is interesting to me is how the behind the scenes details affecting performance in any given event are rarely known. eg weather, balls, court surface, court speed, health, etc etc and so i thought i would join and maybe give some background info if appropriate from time to time - Its tough out there traveling and competing.

-- Edited by First serve on Wednesday 27th of May 2026 10:26:01 AM

Welcome to the board, First Serve, and your partner! V interested to see your thoughts as and when - to your list, I often think we also don't know about mental health and how it contributes. Someone could have just split up with a partner, have trouble at home, general anxiety, hate life on the road and travelling and be struggling with those and having their performance impacted. I am sure a lot of that happens and we end up commenting on how poorly someone played without knowing any of that context.

Of course, we are very keen to guess who your child is and hope they have a good season on the grass, if playing that level, and more widely as well!

Shhh · Challenger level

First serve wrote:
Hi All. We (my partner) joined a couple of months ago - based in the south of UK, and reading posts for many years. Dont want to get too involved as i am a tennis parent !!! of a uk player rising steadily up the rankings hampered by some untimely injuries and an op two years ago which as far as i know now completely recovered. What is interesting to me is how the behind the scenes details affecting performance in any given event are rarely known. eg weather, balls, court surface, court speed, health, etc etc and so i thought i would join and maybe give some background info if appropriate from time to time - Its tough out there traveling and competing.

-- Edited by First serve on Wednesday 27th of May 2026 10:26:01 AM

Welcome First Serve, your specific insight sounds very interesting....as does your other thoughts and ramblings :)

-- Edited by Shhh on Wednesday 27th of May 2026 12:04:02 PM

indiana · Tennis legend

JonH wrote:
First serve wrote:
Hi All. We (my partner) joined a couple of months ago - based in the south of UK, and reading posts for many years. Dont want to get too involved as i am a tennis parent !!! of a uk player rising steadily up the rankings hampered by some untimely injuries and an op two years ago which as far as i know now completely recovered. What is interesting to me is how the behind the scenes details affecting performance in any given event are rarely known. eg weather, balls, court surface, court speed, health, etc etc and so i thought i would join and maybe give some background info if appropriate from time to time - Its tough out there traveling and competing.

-- Edited by First serve on Wednesday 27th of May 2026 10:26:01 AM
Welcome to the board, First Serve, and your partner! V interested to see your thoughts as and when - to your list, I often think we also don't know about mental health and how it contributes. Someone could have just split up with a partner, have trouble at home, general anxiety, hate life on the road and travelling and be struggling with those and having their performance impacted. I am sure a lot of that happens and we end up commenting on how poorly someone played without knowing any of that context.
Of course, we are very keen to guess who your child is and hope they have a good season on the grass, if playing that level, and more widely as well!

True Jon. But I wouldn't be for not commenting on an apparently poor performance for reasons totally unknown ( while yes there are a few folk that have suggested at times that we should just encourage ). To me, positive and negative comment, but generally supportive, are all part of the sort of tennis forum I want to be part of.

And the more knowledge or extra info that is then added, all to the good.

Welcome First serve, and hopefully you won't have amateur detectives here speculating as to who your child is. Don't, folk.

Coup Droit · Tennis legend

Exactly, Indy

Anonymity guaranteed here (if people want it)

JonH · Tennis legend

indiana wrote:
JonH wrote:
First serve wrote:
Hi All. We (my partner) joined a couple of months ago - based in the south of UK, and reading posts for many years. Dont want to get too involved as i am a tennis parent !!! of a uk player rising steadily up the rankings hampered by some untimely injuries and an op two years ago which as far as i know now completely recovered. What is interesting to me is how the behind the scenes details affecting performance in any given event are rarely known. eg weather, balls, court surface, court speed, health, etc etc and so i thought i would join and maybe give some background info if appropriate from time to time - Its tough out there traveling and competing.

-- Edited by First serve on Wednesday 27th of May 2026 10:26:01 AM
Welcome to the board, First Serve, and your partner! V interested to see your thoughts as and when - to your list, I often think we also don't know about mental health and how it contributes. Someone could have just split up with a partner, have trouble at home, general anxiety, hate life on the road and travelling and be struggling with those and having their performance impacted. I am sure a lot of that happens and we end up commenting on how poorly someone played without knowing any of that context.
Of course, we are very keen to guess who your child is and hope they have a good season on the grass, if playing that level, and more widely as well!
True Jon. But I wouldn't be for not commenting on an apparently poor performance for reasons totally unknown ( while yes there are a few folk that have suggested at times that we should just encourage ). To me, positive and negative comment, but generally supportive, are all part of the sort of tennis forum I want to be part of.
And the more knowledge or extra info that is then added, all to the good.
Welcome First serve, and hopefully you won't have amateur detectives here speculating as to who your child is. Don't, folk.

I was actually trying to be jokey. Of course I wont try to guess, I had actually put a little emoji after my comment but my phone didnt take it.

so, yes and of course not. And I also wasnt saying we shouldnt comment on a poor performance, just agreeing we sometimes dont know the context and understanding that would. be good.

-- Edited by JonH on Wednesday 27th of May 2026 02:29:16 PM