Serena Williams, Kim Clijsters and Anne Keothavong are just a few of the women who can’t resist the off-court chatter of Twitter. The personalized player update has revolutionized the way we engage with players on the tour, but just who is the best at tweaking their tweets?
Twitter is ideal for the modern tennis player – another country, another hotel, another match. Players are constantly on the move, and Twitter has given them a way of providing regular, real-time updates for family, friends and fans. The 140 character message takes seconds to upload, and can even be done from a player‘s mobile phone.
Tweets have ranged from what a player’s had for breakfast to their post-match musings. Information on tickets and autograph signings have also found their way on to the players’ personal profiles.
The new craze to hit the tour has caused a stir among tournament organizers. Tennis authorities at the US Open told players and their entourages to be careful about what they post on the social networking site. Signs were even posted in changing rooms and on-court at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center warning about the practice. The signs stated that tweeting was not allowed on-court by players, coaches, agents, family members or tournament staff.
Never before have we been able to read the thoughts of such high profile sporting figures. Tennis in particular, a game known for mental strength, has provided hints at pre-match nerves, training regimes and post-match reflection. Below are some of the player’s tweets that stood out in 2009:
The fairy tale goes on – some how, I’m in the US Open final on Sunday beating both Venus and Serena along the way… am i dreaming??? (Kim Clijsters Sep 12th 2009)
Just smashed my treadmill 5k time by 1min 54! Put you arms in the air… Why? Because thats what champions do. (Naomi Cavaday Oct 18th 2009)
I want to sincerely apologize FIRST to the lines woman, Kim Clijsters, USTA & mostly tennis fans everywhere. Thank you all for your support. (Serena Williams Sep 14th 2009)
Service then practice and gym today, preparing for the championships, pushing forth with pride! (Venus Williams Oct 12th 2009)
First Safin sighting of the tournament this morning 
(Laura Robson Jul 21st 2009)
Tea and choc truffles before bed. Yum! Although that little treat will mean longer on the bike tomorrow 
(Anne Keothavong Oct 12th 2009)
Just arrived at the courts… I’m a little bit nervous, wish me luck! (Kim Clijsters Sep 13th 2009)
Players are not the only ones tweeting tour announcements; Tennis Australia published Justine Henin’s recent wild card entry at the Australian Open:
It’s official – tennis star Justine Henin will play Australian Open 2010 after being granted a wildcard on the weekend. (Tennis Australia Oct 11th 2009)
As we approach the end of the year, tweeting on the tour shows no sign of stopping. If you would like to keep up-to-date with all the latest activity, why not follow our profile: http://twitter.com/onthebaseline
Oliver Ewbank has worked as a professional tennis coach, as well as freelance sports journalist. He has also edited various online sports publications.
