The Only Reasons to Watch Sports 🎾

We talked about the sleekness of Formula 1 the other day.

You know which other sport is very cool?

Tennis.

This year's British Open at Wimbledon happened a few weeks ago and I must confess I didn't follow the matches much this time.

Last summer when I was living in Paris, I saw a couple of matches first at the French Open at Roland Garros and then on the same courts during the Olympics.

I was in a total state of tennis inspiration, so I naturally also followed the matches at Wimbledon via streaming.

My reasons for following tennis are the same as for following F1.

The aesthetics and the emotional connection.

I was very moved last year when the then 21-year-old Carlos Alcaraz won Roland Garros and then, a couple of weeks later, put up an unbelievable fight with Novak Djokovic in the men's singles Olympic final. And then, a couple of weeks later, when Alcaraz defended his 2023 title by beating Djokovic in the Wimbledon final.

Watching peak human performance is often impressive and moving.

That's probably true of every sport, but not every sport is as aesthetically pleasing to my mind.

Here's why tennis has the upper hand:

The players aren't hidden behind a car or heavy gear.

Their playing outfits are minimal, light, and often preppy too.

They have more gear than football players, but not too much either.

For example the rackets look cool.

The sound the ball makes when the professionals hit it is satisfying to say the least.

I love how neat the grass courts of The All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club at Wimbledon look. The texture of the grass makes the game more silent and thus, dignified. The all-white kits of the players complement the green of the grass beautifully.

The grass looks almost as satisfying as a well-maintained football field.

Or the carefully cut grass in Luxembourg Gardens in Paris, where I spent a lot of time last year.

The clay courts (la terre battue in French) at Roland Garros are of course just as iconic as the grass courts (le gazon in French) at Wimbledon. The brick red color and the grainy texture of the clay are appealing in their own way.

Lastly, hard tennis courts look okay, but they're just more basic, plain, and bland. Am I right, or am I right? 🤪

Grass and clay surfaces are the ones that bring character to the game!

I hope I'll get to see live tennis again now that I'm back living in Paris.

What's your favorite aspect of tennis or any sport?

Bisous,

Elle