Hall of Fame Live With Jim Courier
Being a legend during an era of legends is no easy feat, but one that Jim Courier shouldered with celebrated sportsmanship. The 4-time major champion, former World No. 1, and 2005 Hall of Fame inductee put aside his personal aversion to social media to sit down with Blair Henley on Facebook in this week’s Hall of Fame Live.
Here are three things we learned about the American tennis legend this week.
He and fellow Hall of Famer Andre Agassi go back, way back
Jim said he followed Andre’s career closely from the time he was 11, and had the opportunity to live and train with him at the Bollettieri Tennis Academy starting when he was 14. Growing up together in tennis, and living in such close quarters provided him with a different perspective on the phenomenon.
While he continued to appreciate Agassi’s talent, he also knew him in a more human sense and found it easier to relate to him than some of the other legends he grew up idolizing, like Bjorn Borg.
He’s a avid follower of Sports Psychology
Like fellow Hall of Famer Gigi Fernandez, Jim worked with renowned sports psychologist Dr. Jim Loehr. He worked with Dr. Loehr to focus the time between shots to hone his concentration and sharpen his game. While he doesn’t think every player necessarily needs sports psychology, he acknowledges that the pressures and stress of becoming an elite athlete are often helped by coping tools learned through psychology.
He has fond memories of the Davis Cup
In 1992, Jim was a part of the championship Davis Cup team that gathered together four No. 1 players from the US. He muses that the dynamic was interesting because they were all such fierce competitors for one another outside that arena, but they were able to come together and work effectively as a team.
Today, Jim continues to find himself in front of the camera, although now he interviews the players rather than plays against them. His favorite interview moment was when he interviewed Marat Safin following his Australian Open win and saved the interview by hugging the flummoxed champion.
He also remembers his Hall of Fame induction with great fondness. He looks back on it as a reunion for his family, friends, coaches, and contemporaries – even if Bud Collins did
spring it to Jim as he approached the podium that he'd have to cut the big speech short for TV. Like the champion his is, Jim pulled through eloquently - have a look at the full video below to relive bit of Jim's induction day and much more.
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