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THE BEST STORIES OF THE GAME, FROM the BEST PLAYERS IN THE GAME, THROUGH THE DEFINING VALUES OF OUR GAME.

This year, we’re taking you even deeper to share more stories and more moments from our archives and our Hall of Famers. Each month we’ll focus on a value that the sport of tennis and its greatest champions embody. From our youtube channel, to our social media feed, our podcast, and our website you’ll find inspirational stories and moments that pull at our heart strings and remind us why we fell in love with this game. The moments that gave us chills, that made us stand in our seats, that made our jaws drop – these are the moments that define our sport.

Tenacity:

A quality displayed by someone who just won't quit — who keeps trying until they reach their goal.

These athletes' relentless spirit propelled them to the Ultimate Honor in Tennis, induction into the Tennis Hall of Fame.

Hall of Famers Michael Chang and Arantxa Sánchez-Vicario talk tenacity and how this specific character trait helped them become champions.

Michael Chang: Never Quit Mentality

As protestors insisted on their rights in Tiananmen Square, Michael Chang persisted in one of the hardest matches of his career: battling defending champion Ivan Lendl through cramps and doubt in the fourth round of the 1989 French Open.

The TennisWorthy Podcast

Listen to this episode of The TennisWorthy Podcast, which focuses on January’s theme of tenacity. It shares two stories from Hall of Famers Pete Sampras and Hana Mandlíková.

Both legends reveal their mindsets during two critical moments in their careers:

Mandlíková, once seen as a natural rival to Martina Navratilova, became a Czech national hero, winning major titles like the Australian Open and Roland Garros. However, she struggled to break through the dominance of Navratilova and Chris Evert in the mid-80s. After improving her fitness and mentality, Mandlíková triumphed at the 1985 US Open, defeating both Evert and Navratilova, with the unexpected help of a Tina Turner anthem.

Sampras, on the other hand, learned a crucial lesson about perseverance after his loss to Stefan Edberg in the 1992 US Open final. This experience drove him to dedicate himself fully to the sport, which eventually led to his success, including his 1996 US Open victory. He shares how he battled both illness and subpar play to outlast Alex Corretja in four hours and nine minutes in the quarterfinal.

SERVING UP LEGENDARY STORIES
OF TENACIty from OUR archive

Dive into the extraordinary tales of Tennis Hall of Famers. Discover the mindset that propelled them on the grandest stages, the sources of their unwavering motivation, and the remarkable achievements that secured their spot in the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

Mary Pierce and the Comeback

Mary Pierce turned 30 years old on January 15, 2005. By then, she had already claimed 16 singles titles, two of them at Grand Slam tournaments. Her place in tennis lore was cemented. But little did the world know, Pierce’s 2005 season would be one of the most inspiring stories of perseverance in tennis history. Learn more about Mary's inspiring comeback year

Li Na and Her Fight for Her Game

When Li Na set out on her tennis journey, she didn’t plan to be a trailblazer. She just wanted to play. But in China, a country with little tradition at the highest level of the game, she broke through barriers that might have disheartened someone with less determination. Read her story...

Ambition & the Hall of Fame’s Two-Sport Athlete

Class of 2019 Hall of Famer Yevgeny Kafelnikov could be considered a modern Renaissance Man. His athleticism and ambition made him a tennis legend, but those qualities took him down other competitive avenues, including creating a noteworthy golf resume. Learn more...

HOW IVAN LENDL REINVENTED HIMSELF

Ivan Lendl was one of the best tennis players in the world in the early 1980s. He briefly reached the world number one ranking in 1983 and enjoyed a 44-match winning streak in 1981 and ‘82. He won his first major, the French Open, in 1984, but still felt that he wasn’t reaching his full potential on the court. To reach the very top, it was necessary for him to reinvent himself. Those changes needed to come from within. And Lendl knew it. Read his amazing story...

THE BEST STORIES OF THE GAME, FROM the BEST PLAYERS IN THE GAME, THROUGH THE DEFINING VALUES OF OUR GAME.