Indian Wells: Huge crowds don't disguise the fact tennis in America has a problem

Wonderful World of Tennis / Simon Mundie / 11 March 2010 / Leave a Comment

Andre Agassi plays to the crowd during an exhibition match but successful and popular American players have been far and few between since his retirement

Andy Roddick came up with a nice line on it a couple of seasons ago. Asked about tennis not being as popular as American football or Nascar racing- Formula One’s infinitely inferior cousin- he replied “It’s a little disappointing that we’re behind a sport that you turn left for four hours.”

There may be a predicted 300,000 tennis fans coming through the turnstiles at Indian Wells next week but the general popularity of tennis is waning in the States. In the absence of American stars who are world beaters or hugely charismatic, tennis in America is on the downslide, says Simon Mundie.

The first Masters series tournament of the year is upon us. The best players in the world are in the small city of Indian Wells in California, to play in the BNP Paribas Open. It boasts the second largest tennis stadium in the world, and enjoys an illustrious roll call of past winners. Since 2004, the champions have been the only currently active players to have won a Grand Slam title, namely Roger Federer, Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic. But the most interesting aspect of the tournament is the fact that it's the best attended tournament outside the Grand Slam events; with 300,000 visitors during the week.

That's particularly interesting bearing in mind tennis' popularity, or rather lack thereof, in America. In its heyday, in the 1970s and 80s, tennis was huge in the States. John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors were part of the reasons; they transfixed a nation with their brash antics and charisma. The crowds lapped it up; here were two guys who the American everyman could identify with; they were one of them. In the 1980s, there was a swift transition when McEnroe and Connors' powers waned and a certain Andre Agassi burst on the scene. At first people didn't know what to make of the Nevada-born teenager, with his denim shorts and long bleached hair, but whether they liked or loathed him, people were interested in him; journalists wrote about him, and companies wanted him to star in their commercials.

Since Agassi retired, along with his peers from the golden generation like Pete Sampras, Jim Courier and Michael Chang, their successors have struggled to command the attention of their public in the same way. Andy Roddick is popular, and has the personality and charisma to appeal to the American masses, but his results haven't been quite good enough compared to the likes of McEnroe, Sampras and Agassi. His supporting cast have fared even worse, and unfortunately they are even less marketable. To be fair, James Blake is a likeable guy, but neither he, nor Roddick to a lesser extent have shown the capacity to consistently challenge for the biggest tournaments.

For a nation that prides itself on being the best, that's a problem. American's have that win at all costs mentality that is often lacking on this side of the pond, and the fans can lack patience if their guys aren't winning. Until players come through capable of winning multiple Grand Slam titles, with charisma to boot, tennis will be unlikely to regain its previous standing in America. For a nation that has enjoyed watching at least four all-time greats since 1980, anything less will simply not suffice.

So where exactly does tennis fit in the American psyche at the moment? Andy Roddick came up with a nice line on it a couple of seasons ago. Asked about tennis not being as popular as American football or Nascar racing- Formula One's infinitely inferior cousin- he replied "It's a little disappointing that we're behind a sport that you turn left for four hours." What Nascar and American Football do have that tennis can appear to lack is razzmatazz and glitzy distractions. There are several breaks throughout an American football match, enough time for the fans to refuel themselves on hot dogs and root beer, and there's no one telling them they have to sit down and be quiet at a Nascar rally. American's don't like being told to sit down by anybody- a visit to Flushing Meadows, where the players can seem like a sideshow at times- can be a rude awakening for tennis fans used to the etiquette and decorum of Wimbledon.

So that's the problem for the game in the U.S. It's too stuffy for the average 'Joe the plumber' type. The attire and costly equipment put them off picking up a racket and going out and playing; and the uptight officialdom put them off attending. While we are fortunate to be witness to the greatness of Federer and Nadal, the Americans have only ever really been interested when it's been one of their own. So until a new Johnny Mac or Andre bursts on to the scene, tennis is destined to play second fiddle to sports that most of us simply can't fathom.