A brilliant post by John Yandell yesterday ...

[don_budge]

Once in a Blue Moon...

Blue moon occurs once every 32 months.

A blue moon is when two full moons occur within a single calendar month.

[don_budge]

Coincidence...

Irony. Eh?

Nope…not really. Just a coincidence. A twist of fate.

[hockeyscout]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?x-yt-ts=1422327029&x-yt-cl=84838260&v=XhJ3co0cIsY

I gotta play this clip to my young one tomorrow. It is very interesting.

[don_budge]

And so does…don_budge

Mats Wilander:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6QHksg4B2c

Mats knows his stuff!

Mats really knows his stuff…and so does the fellow talking at the very end of the video in the last 10 seconds. Three guesses as to who it is…the first two don't count.

"Mats…I really enjoy your commentary on Eurosport. I think you are very analytical…"…pipes in a sexy American voice at the very end.

March 13, 2014, Kings of Tennis Symposium, Stockholm, Sweden. Could it be? No…no way. don_budge on his 60th birthday? He's here…he's there…he's everywhere!

[lobndropshot]

In terms of numbers ones these guys have held a top spot for one year (consecutive):

Switzerland Roger Federer 237
United States Jimmy Connors 160
Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 157
United States Pete Sampras 102
Australia Lleyton Hewitt 75
United States John McEnroe 58
Spain Rafael Nadal 56
Serbia Novak Djokovic 53
United States Andre Agassi 52

Nine players have held it for a year in length (more than 48 weeks).

12 Players

[lobndropshot]

All #1 rankings are based on a year's worth of playing.

[hockeyscout]

In terms of numbers ones these guys have held a top spot for one year (consecutive):

Switzerland Roger Federer 237
United States Jimmy Connors 160
Czechoslovakia Ivan Lendl 157
United States Pete Sampras 102
Australia Lleyton Hewitt 75
United States John McEnroe 58
Spain Rafael Nadal 56
Serbia Novak Djokovic 53
United States Andre Agassi 52

Nine players have held it for a year in length (more than 48 weeks).

[hockeyscout]

You are missing a ton of players

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_...ingles_players

I went by season ending number 1's, not guys who spent a few weeks or month at a period of time at number 1.

[lobndropshot]

You are missing a ton of players

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_ATP_number_1_ranked_singles_players

[hockeyscout]

This one is scary - in the last 40 years (year end number ones) their have only been ten players!

Caroline Wozniacki
Jelena Jankovic
Justine Henin
Lindsay Davenport
Martina Hingis
Martina Navratilova
Monica Seles
Serena Williams
Steffi Graf
Victoria Azarenka

You got to be VERY special to get to that level. That's amazing.

Also, 20 girls in 40 years have been to number one (some for pretty short periods of time):

Amélie Mauresmo
Ana Ivanovic
Arantxa Sánchez Vicario
Caroline Wozniacki
Chris Everett
Dinara Safina
Evonne Goolagong Cawley
Jelena Janković
Jennifer Capriati
Justine Henin
Kim Clijsters
Lindsay Davenport
Maria Sharapova
Martina Hingis
Monica Seles
Serena Williams
Steffi Graf
Tracy Austin
Venus Williams
Victoria Azarenka

[hockeyscout]

Actually, your count was on 35 years!

don

Holy cow, to many shots in the head and concussions. I can't add. Yikes. 15 number ones over a 35 year period. Wow.

[tennis_chiro]

Actually, your count was on 35 years!

don

[hockeyscout]

Not sure you can create a system. It's something that just evolves as the player develops. The best that can be done and again I am not a developmental coach is to give the best information available and then see what the player makes of it or evolves on his own--or not. No one told Mac to stand sideways on his serve. No one told Pete to close the face on the fh backswing (in fact the opposite) etc etc.

15 number ones in 25 years that is interesting! But I don't think its Raonic or Dimitrov next.

Yes, a season end number one, once in every blue moon!

[johnyandell]

Not sure you can create a system. It's something that just evolves as the player develops. The best that can be done and again I am not a developmental coach is to give the best information available and then see what the player makes of it or evolves on his own--or not. No one told Mac to stand sideways on his serve. No one told Pete to close the face on the fh backswing (in fact the opposite) etc etc.

15 number ones in 25 years that is interesting! But I don't think its Raonic or Dimitrov next.

[johnyandell]

DB,

Speculation is often and usually wrong, at the very least to some extent...because the future always surprises...the only thing I feel sure of is that players in the future will evolve the game in ways we didn't imagine when we were playing on the sliver slick courts with wood rackets and gut strings...