Evert, Navratilova: Team sports makes tennis in US suffer

segunda-feira, 21 de abril de 2008

It is a dubious distinction for the United States in a sport loved by tens of millions worldwide. There are only three Americans ranked among the top 50 women tennis players in the world.

One of them, Serena Williams, notched her 31st career title on Sunday, winning the $1.3 million Family Circle Cup, defeating Russian Vera Zvonareva 6-4, 3-6, 6-3. It was Williams' third tournament title of the year.

Besides Williams, the only Americans in the Top 50 are her sister, Venus, and Lindsay Davenport.

Why aren't there more Americans among the world's elite?

It's partly due to the allure of team sports and more choices for girls, say tennis legends Chris Evert and Martina Navratilova.

"We didn't have players from Croatia when we were playing. We didn't have players from China or any of these countries," said Evert as she sat beside her friend and former tennis rival during a news conference at the Family Circle Cup.


"Tennis is the No. 1 sport in a lot of these countries. There was only tennis, golf and figure skating when we played in America," Evert said.

But now girls can choose from everything from soccer and lacrosse to basketball and softball. "I see the kids feel more comfortable playing a team sport. You have that camaraderie. It's not all that pressure," Evert said.

"So much easier," Navratilova said.

"I just feel like our good athletes are going to other sports, which is great. That means girls have more choices," Evert said.

The two tennis stars, who between them hold 12 Family Circle titles, were back last week for the 35th anniversary of the tournament.

The two, who faced each other in 80 matches - Navratilova holds a 43-37 edge - agreed there is no other time they would have wanted to play.

"I wouldn't have traded being in the '70s and '80s for anything because there was much more camaraderie and much less pressure," Evert said.

"I wouldn't pick a different time period at all," agreed Navratilova. "We were still playing when Billie Jean (King) and Margaret Court and Virginia Wade were still playing at their peak. Then we went through to the next generation of Steffi Graf and Monica Seles."

Evert, who runs a tennis academy, said it may be a few more years before another young American superstar surfaces.

"In the 16s and 18s, I don't see anybody in American tennis," she said. "But I do see some potential in the 12s and 14s ... and I see No. 1s in the world in the 12-and-unders. It's probably going to be another five or six years before we see any."

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