Tennis Match: A Photo Essay

Every tennis match is different.

They’re all played under the same rules.

And every tennis player has the same goal.

But that’s really where the similarities end.

Some matches draw a crowd.

Some… don’t.

A select few are legendary.

Most feature different players.

Newcomers.

Veterans.

But some feature the same ones in a rematch of previous bouts.

And even those might have different results from year to year.

For the fan, each tennis match is like its own little world.

From the coin toss…

…to the first serve…

…to all the great plays…

…to rowdy fans…

…to arguments with the umpires…

…to the final handshake…

…and even to the post-match interview…

…it takes a lot to be involved in a match.

Only you and those who have been with you know the full story.

Newcomers can only guess at what’s already happened.

Or they can be told, but it’s not the same as actually having watched it live.

It’s a feeling of exclusivity.

But when your match ends and you try to join a new one, it’s just that much more difficult to catch up.

Bouncing between matches is not for the faint of heart or the sentimental.

That, however, is the beauty of a tennis tournament.

Each person comes away with an experience that no one else shares.

It’s impossible to know everything, and that’s the way it should be.

All photos copyright the author. Thanks for reading!