Sports fans were entertained with another memorable Grand Slam Final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal Sunday. Those two have dominated the last decade of tennis, really since my favorite, Pete Sampras retired in 2003 after the US Open.
Nadal continued to his strong reign on clay courts, capturing his sixth French Open title in four sets (7-5, 7-6 (3), 5-7, 6-1). The first three sets were nail biters, but he turned it on the fourth, only giving up one game.
Tennis has been these “big two” and everyone else. We’ve seen small spurts of Novak Djokovic and American Andy Roddick. Otherwise, it has been the Federer and Nadal show.
The game needs more characters and it needs more storylines. Other than the final of majors, the numbers of viewers is down and not getting the publicity they would like.
We have seen what superstars do for other sports, most recently the NBA. The game was struggling by all accounts, with ticket sales down along with viewership. This year, multiple games have edged each other out for most watched event on cable. The NBA has stars and characters that people want to tune-in for. Whether it be LeBron, Wade, Kobe, or Dwight Howard, ratings are up almost 10%.
I challenge the USTA and tennis stars to gain more prevalence and become relevant again. I’m a tennis fan but more than anything, I’m tuning in to watch players whether it be Federer, Nadal or Americans like Roddick.
And that’s another thing. Part of the reason for the slippage in numbers, especially in the United States, is lack of a U.S. presence. Things were rolling when Sampras was in his prime, winning numerous grand slams a year. That time was special and that time was fun.
Roddick has dropped off the map, losing in the first round multiple times this year. So what is it going to take to elevate the ATP tour? It begins with superstars and must-see matches.
Follow Scott on twitter @ScottAgness.