Taking Lessons: The NBA v ATP - by Kris Barton

As I sit here watching the NBA Summer League (seasons over, what’s a man to do?), I wonder why I can’t quite get enough of basketball and what really makes it such an enjoyable sport to watch? You have to understand: traditionally, I’m a tennis guy. Every year when the Australian Open rolls around I sit fixated in front of the TV, sweat rolling down my brow as I try to stay cool in the blistering Australian heat - but this year the situation was different. I was distracted by my new mistress, the NBA. For those of you who haven’t watched basketball, I suggest you try it. I have the attention span of a child who forgot to take their Ritalin, hence the NBA is a perfect fit for someone like me. The league is fast, engaging and full of controversy. The only controversy within the ATP tour involves the likes of our Aussie battlers, Nick Kyrgios and his comrade Bernard Tomic. Media coverage is slim throughout the season and only seems to increase when one of these young men does something that is deemed 'un-Australian' (I’m sure it’s in the Australian dictionary). Such marvelous click-bait articles include “Dawn Fraser's racist rant on Nick Kyrgios” and “Wimbledon 2015: Nick Kyrgios is a pantomime villain without a cause”. Since when did having a personality make you the James Dean of tennis? How quickly people have forgotten men like John McEnroe and his fiery temper.

Remember this legend?

Tennis has long departed from the sport of rich, preppy white guys to a sport that everyone can enjoy. What the ATP tour lacks, the NBA has in spades. Bold personalities, trash talking and rivalries are abundant. Everyone knows your Jordan's, Shaq's and Kobe's. These aren’t men who quietly played their sport, avoided controversy and aimed to minimize their contact with the media. They are larger than life characters who provided entertainment to even the most casual of watchers.  This is what the ATP tour needs, some exciting young players with big games and swagger to match. Am I suggesting that we need to start firing t-shirts into the crowds of Wimbledon, have sexy cheerleaders present at every game and ridiculous half time shows? Maybe. Okay maybe that’s just a small dream of mine, but wouldn’t it be great seeing David Beckham or the Queen getting hit in the head with a flying t-shirt? Jokes aside, there are a few simple changes that the ATP could make to increase the popularity of tennis amongst casual viewers. Firstly there needs to be an increase in the amount of media coverage of the tours different players. People need to know about the personalities and style of the people they are watching, so they can relate to them and try to impersonate them. Remember when every man and his dog wore their hats backwards and mimicked Hewitt’s infamous fist pump? As much as I love the likes of Milos “Robot” Raonic, Andy Murray and Tomas Berdych, these are not the tours most unique players. Many would rather watch the athletic Gael Monfils burn through the soles of his shoes (Yes, this actually happens). 

Aussie pride needs to be celebrated and encouraged

The best way to achieve this kind of interaction with the personal side of players is through social media giants such as Twitter and YouTube. Some players are already actively tweeting and instagramming and I think this should really be encouraged, as this is a simple way of increasing popularity and coverage of tennis players. Another more modern approach is athlete-focused media outlets such as the Players Tribune, which allows players to post stories written directly by them to the fans. Lastly more frequent releases of highlight videos from various ATP tournaments would also keep casual viewers engaged through YouTube. Who doesn’t love seeing tweeners through the legs and ridiculous angles from cross court backhands? These are the kind of videos that people love to share with their friends, which is the simplest way to increase the exposure of a sport. If the ATP World Tour takes these small steps to alter the publics perception of the sport that we love so much, then it’s bound to be an ace with the fans.