A Marvel-ous Sport

By Todd Pechter

Prologue

Eureka!!! We at Florida Tennis have just discovered incontrovertible proof that Parallel Universes and Alternate Realities Do Exist!!! They Do Exist!! They Really Do!

As we were prepping the artwork for the article that follows, we received a press release announcing that The USTA and Marvel Comics are teaming up this summer to "celebrate the power of tennis".   The 2024 US Open and Marvel Comics will be entertaining crowds attending the Qualifying matches and other events the week prior to this year’s Tennis Tournament. On display will be various exhibitions featuring Marvel Superheroes, along with 15,000 comic books given out during the week that are specific to the event. And yes, there will be some great displays of tennis to see as well. 

The following was written completely independent of any knowledge of those plans. So if that isn’t hard evidence that parallel universes sometimes do align, allowing for those with similar goals to intersect and create great achievements for all, then we don’t know what is.

You can visit the Billie Jean King Tennis Center this summer during the week of August 19-26 to explore your own flight of fantasy (Link with info appears at the end of this article), or... you can also just read this on it’s own and use your imagination...

Comparing our tennis heroes to Superheroes

For many of us, pro tennis players are our heroes. But are they superheroes? In the following flight of fantasy, we take a look at some of the top players on the women’s and men’s tour, and see how their abilities in some ways resemble the attributes we associate with the current crop of superheroes that are prevalent in comic books and major motion pictures. Readers will undoubtedly have their own opinions, so let’s see how your picks match up with ours. Women First.

1) Iga Swiatek – Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow. For those unfamiliar with the character, the Black Widow (played by Scarlett Johanson in Marvel movies) is a fearsome individual to have as one’s rival. As portrayed in comic books and on film, from an early age she trained in acrobatics and circus, all as a prelude to creating the best possible secret agent and assassin.

Armed with racket in hand, Iga Swiatek is an "assassin" on the tennis court.*

While Iga Swiatek is obviously not a literal “killer”, there is little doubt that she possesses the greatest killer instinct on the women’s tour at present. And much like the fictional Black Widow, Swiatek is obviously extremely well-trained to accomplish her goals: It is one thing to have a plan, but it is quite another to have the abilities to carry out that plan, especially when you have an opponent fighting back.  

Among the compelling characteristics of Agent Romanoff is her ability to interrogate her opposition, who often don't even realize they are being interrogated until they've been backed into a corner.  In similar manner, Swiatek is no passive wallflower who is content to hang back and just stay in a point waiting for her opponent to miss a shot.  Rather, using an aggressive style and an exceptional all-around game, she backs her opponents into a corner from which they either make an error, or Swiatek can hit a winner into the open court.  No, she does not jump up and use her thighs to strangle her enemy in a scissor lock as the Black Window does, but Swiatek's style definitely tends to have a suffocating effect on her opponents.

2) Aryna Sabalenka – Captain Marvel. Captain Marvel is probably the strongest of all superheroes. So for those who have been following tennis over the past few years, the matching of Sabalenka with Captain Marvel is a no-brainer. Simply put, Sabalenka is the most powerful player on the women's tour today. We have not seen such an awesome display of power since... well since Serena Williams, so it hasn't been all that long. (And for those keeping score, Serena was able to do it consistently for a decade.) One of the issues with the Captain Marvel character is that she is So powerful, it is difficult to come up with a compelling villain for her to face: As such in the Marvel/Avengers series of movies, an excuse given for evil being able to thrive is that Captain Marvel is “off planet” (that would refer to the Earth of course).

Everyone knows the strength and ability of Sabalenka; she has shown it many times, including two Grand Slam singles victories at the Australian Open. As such, she has had the pressure of having to live up to the expectations of others, whether those expectations are realistic or not. The problem for Sabalenka has been that, unlike Serena, she has not been able to maintain the high level of play on a consistent basis. Sabalenka has had a recent shoulder injury, but it is more likely that a good number of tournaments where she has fallen short can be attributed to an underlying lack of confidence. Why someone of her ability and stature would have those doubts, we’re not sure: Perhaps some small part of her is indeed “off planet” on occasion. At 26, she still should have several years of high level pro tennis ahead of her, and if she does manage to harness her talent on a regular basis, the players who can beat her will be very few and extremely far between.

3) Coco Gauff – Wonder Woman. In similar manner to Aryna Sabalenka, Gauff has exhibited extraordinary talent and raised the expectations of those who follow the sport. She has been in the tennis limelight and the public eye for a few years now… and she is only 20 years old! Compare that with Diana Prince (Wonder Woman), specifically from the first (and best) of the films which starred the Amazonian Princess -- the character has been featured in several D.C. Comics movies which include superheroes from the Justice League such as Batman and Superman, but the original “Wonder Woman” (2017) is what we are alluding to here. In that film, viewers are treated to the sights of Wonder Woman growing from a young child into a bonafide Superhero who saves much of the human race from annihilation. In every segment of the movie, Wonder Woman (played by Gal Gadot), seems to learn more about what she is capable of doing, discovering more about who she is, who her enemies are, and what she values.. In the climax of that movie, Wonder Women summons all of the lessons she has absorbed over the previous hour and a half of footage to defeat her arch-nemesis, the evil Ares (the film is nearly 8 years old now, so we felt little need to give a “spoiler alert”).

A Wonder-ful Coco Gauff is well equipped to claw her way to the top of women's tennis and stay there for a long time*

Although that kind of story arch is not directly applicable, we have all been witness to “footage” of Coco Gauff’s growth these past couple of years when listening to her speak and watching her play. And much like Wonder Woman goes through a few pitfalls in her journey, we have seen Coco undergo some big peaks and valleys:

There is no doubt that individual growth can often prove daunting, as was evident most recently during Coco’s singles performance at the 2024 Olympics. After being on the wrong end of a highly questionable call by the chair umpire, everyone watching could see the emotional turmoil in Gauff’s eyes while pleadingly contesting the umpire’s call.

While we don’t enjoy seeing Gauff struggle, we have no issue with her conduct. In the first place, she had a Very valid complaint but also, it can be kind of refreshing every once in a while to see just how much an athlete cares about doing well, especially when she is outfitted in the colors of the USA.

If we recall correctly, it was only a generation or two ago when that young American upstart John McEnroe was behaving in a manner along the same lines. Mac went on to great success both on the tennis court, and now as a commentator in the booth. So we are confident that Gauff will move in the right direction and attain a lot more before she hangs up her racket. And even if she does not achieve anything more, if say she decides to quit the game tomorrow, then she will still have accomplished more in her career than practically any other woman on the planet.

Our prediction however is that Coco will learn from these experiences. She will get ever better at knowing when to speak up, and when it might be best to figure out a way to harness the energy that has built up from frustration and to use it to produce better play. There are days when a player is not going to be playing their best, or every call seems to be going against them. The great ones learn how to win in spite of, and sometimes because of that. So let’s all be a little patient here. Cut Coco some slack. We’re betting it won’t be long until, like Wonder Woman, Gauff is consistently triumphing over the many Ares that she will face.

And before anyone makes a point of criticizing us for putting a DC Comic book character in an article largely featuring Marvel Superheros, we will address such comments by saying “this is a writer’s universe, and we will not be confined by such arbitrary boundaries.” Matching Coco Gauff up with Wonder Woman worked best here, so just go with it!

That said, we would be remiss were we not to return now to the Marvel-based universe and bring up the X factor that Coco Gauff has in her corner. That would be...

3a) Brad Gilbert – Dr Charles Xaviar; aka Professor X. In the Marvel X-Men series of movies, Professor X (played by Patrick Stewart) is a mutant who possesses extraordinary mental and telepathic abilities. His thoughts are usually what drive the X-Men who are under his tutelage to take action. Doesn’t that sound a lot like the relationship that presently exists between Gilbert and Coco Gauff?

For those who only know Gilbert as a coach or commentator and never saw him play… it often was not a pretty sight. He was a player that, based on ability alone, probably would have reached a ranking of about #20 in the world. In virtually every category you could think of -- Forehand groundstroke; Backhand; Serve; Volley;...whatever -- Gilbert would not have cracked the top 10. And yet, this guy was able to work himself to #4 in the world. The explanation is simple: Statisticians do not have any meaningful rankings for “Brains”. While Gilbert may not have been the greatest at playing tennis, he is undoubtedly among the greatest in knowing how to play winning tennis. And as a coach, he’s had great success In passing on such knowledge to mold a player’s career; the most prominent example for Gilbert being his work with Andre Agassi. To be sure, Coco Gauff is a sharp woman in her own right, and would undoubtedly get to where she wants to be without Gilbert in her corner. But we are guessing that his insights can get her there faster and keep her there longer.

One other incident to touch upon in the Gauff-Gilbert relationship and the Marvel Universe: That would be her display at the most recent Wimbledon where Gauff seemed none-to-pleased with coach Gilbert. Now compare that episode to practically every X-Men movie, where the main X-man character, the Wolverine (played by Hugh Jackman), invariably has some tiff with Professor X. By the end of the film however, the two have worked out their differences and Wolverine emerges victorious in battle.

It is time we move on to...

The Men’s Side of the Tour

1) Carlos Alcaraz – Iron Man. One reason we picked Iron Man as a match for Alcaraz rests in large part on the following: In the final of the Iron Man trilogy of films, it was emphasized that Tony Stark’s most important attribute is that he is the greatest Inventor in the world. Similar accolades are rightly bestowed upon Carlos Alcaraz, as he is without question the most Inventive player in the world.. There simply is no shot that Alcaraz does not have in his repertoire. Tony Stark constantly tinkers with his Iron Man suit, making updates to allow for quicker suiting up or adding firepower to his arsenal of weapons, Likewise, Alcaraz is obviously not resting on his laurels, and is constantly tinkering with his game, adding to his arsenal of shots.

Carlos Alcaraz, probably the most inventive player to ever suit up for the tennis courts, seen here fighting off an opponent.*

A prime example of this is the drop shot, something that had been going the way of the Dodo Bird before Alcaraz arrived on the scene. It was only two years ago when Alcaraz demonstrated to all that the soft touch drop shot and volley could be an effective weapon, even in the present age of power-oriented tennis. In Carlos’ hands, the drop shot/volley proved to be the kind of shot that could win a point and eventually a match. But of course, adversaries on the tennis court are not all that different from the Iron Man villains; they learn how to better prepare for Tony Stark’s newest weapons, perhaps even developing their own version of it. Likewise, we see many players on the tour are now better adapted to combat Alcaraz’s drop shot and have even developed their own versions of it. But as we all learned from ‘Back to the Future’, “You can’t keep a good...inventor down!” Accordingly, Alcaraz has continued to work on the shot, being more precise with placement, coming up with better ways to disguise it and more optimal times to utilize it: He continues to practice it, tinker with it… invent and re-invent it.

If that weren’t enough for the Iron Man match-up, the more important reason we paired Alcaraz with the Superhero is this: Perhaps the most brilliant thing Marvel Studios has ever done was to cast Robert Downey Jr in the role of Tony Stark (aka Iron Man). The way Downey plays the part, you can just sense the inner glee he’s feeling when he is discussing a situation with his AI assistant Jarvis. And when there is a cut to a close-up of Downey’s face behind the Iron Man mask, you can see a joyful glint in his eye; a joy in knowing he is able to perform the acts he designed Iron Man to be capable of doing.

The tennis world could not have cast a better individual than Carlos Alcaraz to be among the leaders of the sport. As mentioned, it was a little over two years ago when Carlos brashly emerged on the scene,winning the Miami Open in April, and following that up with his first Grand Slam title at the 2022 US Open. That stacks up darn well when compared to the brash entrances Downey has made, either as Tony Stark or in Iron Man suit, in every Marvel film he has appeared in.

In that 2022 Open Final, Carlos defeated Casper Ruud in a 4-set match, with many commentators of that final (including the previously mentioned John McEnroe) being criticized afterwards for paying too much attention to Carlos and too little to Ruud.

If you were in Arthur Ashe Stadium that day, you’d know why: The guy is electric. He plays the game with a passionate exuberance we rarely see in our athletes. Just like the glee that Downey/Stark/IronMan projects when working out winning tactics with Jarvis, one cannot help but be drawn in after Alcaraz has hit some amazing shot and gives a broad smile to his supporters. What makes it all the more endearing to crowds is that Alcaraz obviously is not doing it to show up his opponent, but rather he is just celebrating the work put in to make that shot, to make that moment, possible. Onlookers cannot help but celebrate the moment with him. The commentators may have built up a bit of immunity to the Alcaraz effect at this point, but this guy, much like Robert Downey Jr as Iron Man, is magnetic. Robert Downey Jr’s magnetism has drawn masses to the Marvel Universe, just as Carlos Alcaraz’s magnetism draws masses to the Tennis Universe.

2) Jannick Sinner – Thor. Speaking of commentators, you’ve probably heard them gushing over the pace and sound that is created when Jannick Sinner strikes a ball. They are right to gush: He is the reigning king when it comes to connecting racket strings to tennis ball. He is thus the single most able player on the men’s tour worthy of lifting Thor’s Hammer.

Jannick Sinner has demonstrated that he is at present the player most worthy of wielding Thor's Hammer.*

To be sure, there have been some amazing ball-strikers who have played this game. Two who come to mind are Ivan Lendl and Andre Agassi. But, for the last time many of us have been this impressed with such a player, one need to look way back to the cocky American, Jimmy Connors. Most of you reading this are probably too young to recall the early days when Connors first was taking the tennis world by storm: Your knowledge of him probably rests in the replays of his epic 5-set triumph over Aaron Krickstein in the 4th round of the 1991 US Open. (We kind of miss the replaying of that match every time there had been a rain delay, but with roofs now on the show courts at major events, there is no longer rain that would cause for the replay of such a match.)

No matter; the legend that is Jimmy Connors began long before that immortal match of 1991. From early-on in his career, this kid with the Moe (3 stooges) haircut, would stride on to the court with great confidence. And armed with the hammer of his choice, a shiny Wilson T2000, he would attack the ball with ferocity, using two hands on both forehand and backhand side. Seeing such a sight was a jaw dropping moment. Those of you reading this who are of a certain age who did witness Connors first hand were strongly motivated to go out and buy the same hammer that Jimbo used; that mighty T2000 -- Long before “Mike”, the slogan should have been “Be Like Jimmy!” It was likely among the best selling tennis rackets of all time. Continuing this analogy, not unlike Thor’s Hammer, most everyone who purchased the racket discovered they were mere mortals who had little control of their shots; that only a select few were worthy to wield such a hammer.

Jannick Sinner incites the kind of awe in viewers that Connors was able to do. As such, while he does not play with a T2000, Sinner has shown that he is The player on the tour todaywho is most worthy of being associated with the exalted Hammer of Thor: In Jannick’s hands, whatever racket he is using attains the status of Thor’s Hammer. It is only logical then, that the one worthy of wielding the mallet capable of unleashing thunder bolts be matched with the God of Thunder himself, the mighty Thor.

Additionally, much like we alluded to earlier with Alcaraz, Men’s Tennis could not have cast a second individual to be at or near the top of the game for years to come. Equaling clashes in the Marvel Universe where we all clamor to see two super powers square off against one another, we all hope to be treated to Sinner vs Alcaraz matches as far into the future as we can imagine.

This brings us to our final, and undoubtedly most controversial pick...

3) Novak Djokovic – Captain America. Yeah, yeah, we know what you are thinking: “What the heck? How can you guys possibly pair Djokovic with Captain America?!” Well bear with us dear reader and allow us to explain.

Due to his unwavering determination, "Captain Djokovic" has become the GOAT of tennis, being able to shield himself from the onslaught of a tennis ball to the effects of aging.*

Captain America has been in the Marvel Universe, and part of our culture, for a lonngg time. (He was, after all, the First Avenger). Our familiarity with the character goes way back to our early childhoods, over a half century ago, when he not only appeared in comic books, but also as a cartoon we watched on TV nearly every Saturday morning. In those earlier depictions of Cap’, we don’t recall him ever having the Super power of the latest incarnation seen in the movies, where he undergoes a series of injections and electronic stimulation which give him super-human strength . Played by Chris Evans as Steve Rodgers (aka Captain America), The most recent Captain also happens to have a super-human body.

So, if you take the overall image of Captain America all these years into account, the thing that really sets him apart, and above, mere mortals is his un-dying determination. We mean that Literally: In many instances (especially in “Winter Soldier” and “Avengers Endgame”) it is unquestionably apparent that even near death, Captain America will fight on unless and until he is in fact dead…. Now do you see where we are going with this?

Whether you like the guy or not, you have to admit, and respect, the fierce underlying determination with which Djokovic has conquered the Tennis Universe. The younger Novak suffered several crushing defeats which might have had others questioning their goals and maybe even quitting the sport. Not Djokovic. Instead he strapped on his tennis whites, worked harder, and continued to evolve until, eventually, he was able to vanquish his two greatest arch-nemesis, Rodger Federer and Rafael Nadal. And just to push the Captain America analogy a tad further;  Over the last decade, during a changeover in a tightly contested match, while he has never actually spoken it.. don’t you get the sense that as the two players cross paths, Novak is somehow conveying to his opponent, “I can do this all day”. Time and time again, and year after year, he has proven that he indeed can.

Final point: Just as Captain America has continually been portrayed as a soldier on a mission, Djokovic has been a soldier on the tennis court; His Mission being to become the greatest who ever laced up a pair of tennis sneakers. You might not like the whole Covid attitude he adopted, or how he tried to wedge his way into the Australian Open a couple of years back, but we don’t hold any of that against him. Djokovic, after all, was only trying to better accomplish his Mission. As far as we are concerned, hopefully he has a few more Grand Slam runs ahead of him, but even if not, we say “Mission Accomplished”.

Okay, perhaps not final point as we can still hear many of you thinking (telepathically of course): “But...but… what about the Red, White & Blue??” To those we would suggest that you might want to catch up on the Captain America story line. In the last decade, Steve Rodgers learns that many he thought were allies turned out to be enemies. As such, he is no longer the all-in gung-ho all-American he was when the character was first introduced over a half century ago. He now puts his faith not in countries or governments, but In People. In a separate but equal kind of way, Djokovic knows he already has attained all he hoped to, and the only one left to top now is himself. With his Mission complete we can see he has somewhat mellowed, at least in his off-court demeanor: He has become more gracious and endearing in both victory and defeat now than he ever used to be. Even with his dogged determination, Novak knows that there is only so much longer he can go on playing at this level, and so is now making effort to better connect... With People.

- The most recent iteration of Captain America in the movies eventually does age and retires with grace, content with all he has managed to accomplish. Let’s all hope Novak goes out on a siimilar note; but for the time being, let’s give him his due and show him some appreciation.

Some Other Guys

Okay Boys and Girls, that does it for the starring cast of this article. But that doesn’t mean you have to stop your creative thinking now. As an example, here are some quick hitters:

Ben Shelton – The Incredible Hulk. Take one look at the amazing physique on this guy in the photo of him which accompanies this article, and there is no question who Shelton most resembles. One can just imagine The Incredible Ben shouting in his own head “Shelton, Smash!” immediately before uncorking a serve of nearly 150mph.

The Incredible Ben Shelton, seen here in a totally un-retouched photo... well, other than the green of course.*

Nick Kyrgios – Johnny Storm, aka the Human Torch of the Fantastic Four. We came to this pairing because of Nick’s rare but well-publicized fiery outbursts. Then again, it might be better to match Kyrgios up with the impish Loki of Asgard because, let’s face it, both Kyrgios and Loki are blokes who can be so dang charming.

Daniil Medvedev – Dr. Otto Octavius, aka Doctor Octopus. With his impossibly long reach, it must often seem to Medvedev’s opponents as though they are playing against someone with 8 limbs, a la Doc Ock. Naysayers will claim that Doc is mainly an arch-villain. While that has mostly been his role, pre and post his spine being transfused to 4 mechanical arms, the Doc proved to be a kind, benevolent soul. Besides, this is Our fantasy world; there’s nothing to prevent us - or you - from seeing a villain’s powers in our own heroes.

Epilogue

And on a final note, both Adamantium (the Wolverine’s skeleton and claws) and Vibranium (a metal that, among other things, Captain America’s shield is made from) may both be entirely fictional elements. But just in case we'd advise the authoritative bodies which govern the sport to ban the use of either of them in the manufacture of tennis rackets.

‘Nuff Said!*

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*Artwork by pechterphotos.com using images provided by ©cameraworkusa; ©2024 Robert Prange (for Swiatek face image); Marvel Studios; and Warner Brothers "Wonder Woman"

'Nuff said is homage to Stan Lee, founder of the Marvel Universe.

Here is the link to the US Open/Marvel festivities occurring at the Billie Jean King Tennis Center this summer: