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Hi! If you have Edberg news, write to me at mlliu@charter.net.)

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Welcome to the Stefan Edberg Column

a forum for sharing news among Edheads (fans of the retired professional tennis player Stefan Edberg.)
Updated July 5, 206

June 24, 2006
Stefan and Annette are in fine form.
The photo above was sent in by long-time Edhead Donna. It was taken at the London(?) premier of the movie "Goal!", this year (2006).
Another photo of the couple, taken at the same event, can be seen here (thanks to Jennifer for sharing).

Aug 8, 2005
Stefan is back in good health -- apparently has has recovered from the back problem that had ailed him for a whole year. From The Cape Cod Times:

July 13, 2005
Another Smash hit at Ocean Edge

By TIMOTHY GORMAN
staff writer
BREWSTER - This is the year of the change-up. Or the fakeout. Or the ''swing and miss,'' as Tom Gullikson called it.

The fifth annual Adidas Tennis Smash took place yesterday at the Ocean Edge Resort and 39-year-old retired pro Stefan Edberg came up with a new weapon.

''Every year we seem to invent a new shot,'' Gullikson said. ''This year, Stefan did the swing and miss, where you swing hard at the ball and miss, and then swing again and hit it (to throw off your opponent).''

The two-day Tennis Smash festivities concluded yesterday with pro-am matches and exhibitions.

Among the participants were Gullikson, former No. 1 players Edberg and Martina Hingis, and current pro Brian Baker.

In the morning, several amateurs played against celebrities in doubles matches, including a few members of MTV's ''The Real World'' and ''Road Rules.''

Former Boston Celtics great K.C. Jones, who looked as comfortable on the clay as on the parquet, finished third among amateurs in set wins.

Gullikson and Edberg faced off on the stadium court as their doubles amateur partners rotated among the other courts.

Gullikson's wit and Edberg's trick shots charmed the morning fans. Gullikson served facing backward and Edberg put several between-the-legs shots in play. Not to mention his new creation.

''It's a nice event, especially for the Gullikson Foundation,'' Edberg said. ''I am just trying to stay in good shape.''

The event was Edberg's first in almost a year - he had been nursing a bulging disc in his back - but that didn't stop his intensity.

In the afternoon exhibitions, he beat the 20-year-old Baker in their one-set match, 4-3.

''I just want to stay healthy,'' Edberg said. ''You have time for 15 years of competitive tennis. You just do what you can. I still like to do some charity events.''

In the second exhibition match, Hingis was able to pull herself away from her newfound friend, Landon Lucek from ''The Real World: Philadelphia,'' to take on Gullikson.

The two donned headsets so the crowd could hear their commentary during play.

''I just played Martina (Navratilova), so I'm prepared for you,'' she said to Gullikson before their match.

''This is gonna be painful,'' Gullikson said.

Turns out, Gullikson was a more worthy opponent than Hingis' namesake, despite Hingis' 4-2 victory over him (she defeated Navratilova 5-0 last week in Boston).

In the final match of the day, Hingis, a Swede, and Gullikson, a Wisconsinite, took on Edberg and former pro Bud Schultz. Hingis again triumphed when Team Cheese (as sports anchor Brett Haber deemed them) won, 6-3.

The trip to Cape Cod was special for Hingis. Though she retired from competitive play in 2003, she has been playing for the New York Sportimes of the World Team Tennis league. She missed her team's match last night to make it to her third Smash event.

''It's been good so far,'' she said. ''I miss my teammates already.''

Events like Ocean Edge have raised more than $3.5 million over the past 10 years for the Gullikson Foundation. The charity aides brain-tumor patients and their families.

''The Cape has always been good to the Gulliksons,'' Tom Gullikson said. ''This is really one of my favorite events to play at.''

July 4, 2005

Rochelle wrote to let me know that the Adidas Smash site's photo gallery page has posted a set of new photos, including the one I posted as the feature photo above. Stefan should be on his way to Cape Cod even as I write, for this year's Smash.

And Jennifer sent in these links from the Swedish site expressen.se, with at least one recent photo:

article 1
article 2
article 3
And Bjorn has once again graciously provided the translations:
If I take the articles in the opposite order the third one is about Stefan investing money in a small company that has a patent at a new kind of bike helmet. They hope to start producing this helmet soon. He says that he tries to use a helmet himself the few times he is biking.
Article number two is about Stefan believing in Joakim “Pim-Pim” Johansson in Wimbledon but we now knows he was wrong.
The first article was the good one:
“I don’t have contact with anyone”
If you would play a match in Wimbledon today versus Federer – how many games would you win?
- Not many. Five years ago I would have pllayed well for 40 minuets but now most things are gone. It’s almost ten years since I stopped playing.
The rumour is that you are very good in both tennis and squash today.
- Yes but I have had a slipped disk for onne year so I have played very little. Year 2000 I still played evenly with the best guys on practise.
Your way of playing (serve and volley) is almost dead today.
- Yes, all players are so good at returninng today. In my days you tool two steps back if your opponent had a big serve but today they are standing at the same place anyway.
Today you have a life far away from tennis. Are there any similarities between tennis and buying stocks?
- The excitement maybe. Independent of whaat you are doing it require knowledge and practice.
For a while you were a day trader. How was a normal day at that time?
- I spent most of the day following the maarket and it was not healthy. It was like a sport making money only by “clicking” at the computer.
Your worst deal?
- There are companies that went bankrupt bbut such things happen. How do you celebrate a great deal?
Normally not at all.
What is the result for your 40-hectare field of forest after the hurricane Gudrun (we had a big hurricane earlier this year in the area where Stefan lives and this is very unusual for Sweden)?
- It was very bad. I think 75 percent are destroyed and it was scary when it happened. You heard the trees crack and one after the other fell.
Which of your tennis opponents do you spend time with today?
- I have not any contact with anyone. I meeet the players a few times every year and that is it.
A rumour says that McEnroe is trying to get you to the senior tour?
- That is possible but I’m not interested.. If I would play I must be fully prepared and practice 3-4 times every week, travel and play matches. This is what I don’t miss form my old life. It also would be frustrating knowing what I could do at a tennis court before. For some players it might be fun to relive old days but it is not for me.
Are you watching a lot of tennis today?
- Not all al. I have had my share of tenniis for a long time. I watched a lot when I played but now I have a different life. Of cause I follow tennis but I’m not watching every day.
Who will win Wimbledon?
- Federer is the big favourite, no doubt.

Tennis action is what you’ll get, with a Grand Slam roster of the sport’s greatest players including Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl, Martina Hingis, Stefan Edberg, Tom Gullikson and other touring pros, as well as a whirlwind of gala, exhibition, dining and participatory golf and tennis events.

Back in April, Marcus wrote:
Here's a new article in German about Stefan Edberg . And he very graciously translated the article as follows:

The Swede, everlasting rival of Boris Becker and exemplary sportsman, quit his impressing tennis career already at the age of 30.
You quit your career as tennis professional in 1996. How do you spend your time nowadays?
I'm working. Mainly from home. To my house a forestry belongs I have to care about. The trees are cut down and sold to timber and paper industry, all that has to be organized. In our area many people have a forest, most of them more than my 40 hectare. In spring there was the most intense storm for about 100 years and it destroyed a lot of mine and the other forest owners.
You are rarely seen in the media. Do you actually miss the hype?
No, I like it that way, also because of the children. The two go to school in the morning and see me in the afternoon. Because of them we moved from London back to Växjö 5 years ago. Here they grow up in the nature, there are not so much noise and exhaust gases like in London. Furthermore, my wife and I are in the deepest heart of Sweden, this is what we want to pass to our children.
When the children come from school, do they first go to the tennis court behind the house in order to practice volley and backhand with Dad?
We don't have an own tennis court. When they play, they play in the local club. Even better when they don't play so much tennis, otherwise they compare with their father. But they should do sports, of course. In doing so they learn companionship and to stand to rules - either is good for life.
During your career you won more than 20 million dollars prize money. What do you do with all the money?
With the help of an asset manager I began early to invest in shares and I found it very interesting. Today he and I own a capital investment company. We have a fund on offer which especially aims on athletes who want to prevent for the time after their career as professional. It is important to work with something that is fun to you, food on the table, friends, there is not much more you need. Furthermore, some years ago I founded the Stefan Edberg foundation that awards scholarships to Swedish trainees. It is a good feeling to be able to give back something.
Against no other than Boris Becker you played so many matches - 35.
I lost more than half of them. Without Boris I would have grown another way - and probably he without me.
Do you still have contact to him or other players from then?
Since we don't play against each other anymore the friendship between Boris and me even has become bigger. The contact is much more relaxed. I'm also glad when I see one of the other players from then at tournaments. But I don't appear very often at those events.
You were always considered as "the honest". You neither railed during a match nor after it, you didn't womanize and there were no other scandals. Typically Swedish?
As a public person you should first reflect once or twice before you do something. To say nothing is better than too much.

October 23, 2004

Cynthia wrote to edberg@yahoogroups.com:
Can anyone translate this article on the www.vt.se website (it's a Vastervik newspaper) on Stefan? If you go to 'sok' and type in stefan you'll get an article entitled 'Stefan Edberg stal showen' on the top of the pile. Apparently, he was the star of the show at his old tennis club's anniversay, and the article has a coule of cute pix, too. Translation needed and I;m sure Edberg fans will appreciate it.
To which Mauro replied:
you can read an English translation of the article you found on vt.se on my website dedicated to Stefan Edberg
The last part of the article wasn't translated because it was unrelevant.

October 2, 2004

A reader wrote:
I HAVE JUST SEEN YOUR SITE AND WAS WONDERING IFYOU CAN HELP ME. FOR MANY YEARS I HAVE BEEN WONDERING WHAT THE PENDANT IS THAT STEFAN WEARS AROUND HIS NECK, AND TRYING TO FIND A CLOSE UP OF IT. CAN YOU HELP ME AT ALL?

I am afraid I have no idea, but if anyone does, please do write me and I will share the answer here.

August 19, 2004

• I was recently at the US Open for the first time. I could not help but wish that I could set the clock back 13 years to the days when Edberg was a champion there. As it was, the men's singles matches that I watched were mostly baseline rallies, with none of the brilliance of the net play that I loved.
• A U.K. reader wrote:
  Many years ago in the late 80's when I used to do Wimbledon stewarding whilst in the Royal Navy I obained a couple of signed photograph's from Stefan. He was always very pleasant and polite as you well know.
  The last time he played at Wimbledon in1996, my wife sent him a card wishing him well in retirement and thanked him for the enjoyment he had given us over the years. We both had followed him from his early years and still do through your excellent website and others. She did'nt know if he woul receive the card, as it was addressed Stefan Edberg c/o wimbledon. To our surprise a few weeks later, we receive a large signed photo from Stefan saying best wishes. The picture was of him next to Petr Korda, after winning the Australian open doubles in 1996. How many other stars would have made the effort with such a nice gesture ???. I can't think of any. regards, Dave Bailey. (keep up the good work)
• Mads wrote:
  I have bad news, Stefan Edberg have pull out of the tournament in Copenhagen, called Legends Live Tournament 5th and 6th of October. Edberg still have back problems!!
  Michael Stich is playing insted of Edberg.
  (My comments: I did have a feeling that this would happen when I heard that Edberg had his "slipped disc" back problem back in July. This is sad news and I hope it does not spell the end of Stefan's tennis playing days.)
• A word from me: If this site does not get updated often, it is not because Stefan is forgotten. At least through November of this year, I will be focusing my attention to the presidential election in this country (the U.S.), which matters greatly to me. Depending on the outcome, I may or may not be inclined to work on frivolous matters for some time.

August 11, 2004
Karen wrote:
I wanted to let you know that on the HOF website, they have a tennis HOF poster of all the HOF people, including Steffi and Stefan for $20.00. There's also a 50th anniversary commemorative book for $15.00
Here's the link if you wanted to check it out: http://www.tennisfame.com/store/store.html#poster

August 10, 2004

• Richard Pagliaro of Tennis Week wrote:
  Came across this photo of Stefan with Tennis Week editor Carolyn Thierbach if you want to use on the stefan site. She is a big Stefan fan. Thanks!...

• And Rajeev, who shared with us his photo album of Edberg post-retirement, very graciously agreed to share the following narrative, which he sent to me along with the photo.
  Wrote Rajeev: "You may post my "narrative," although it is riddled with spelling/grammar errors, as I did not intend it for a large audience. If you think it's okay then go ahead."
  I think the narrative is charming, and it has anecdotes that I find amusing. So a big thanks to Rajeev for sharing, and here it is:
  ... when I was younger and he (Edberg) was still playing, I really worshipped and admired the man. I first met him at the 92 Open in the parking lot. He and Annette drove in a black 525i. He got out of his car and I could not believe that he was actually real! I asked for his autograph and my mom took a picture of him and I behind his trunk. At that time that was one of the most special moments in my life. I got that picture enlarged 11X14 and framed it. I went to the 94 Open and was lucky once again to meet him in the parking lot. This time he arrived alone. I was a bit more reserved this time around, as I didn't want to embarrass him as I surely did in 92! I brought the 11X14 photo of us and asked him to sign it. He asked me when the photo was taken, I told him, and that was all. That signed picture still hangs proudly in my room today. I! still follow tennis but it's not the same with Edberg gone.
  Last year when I heard he was going to play Becker at Queen's, I knew it was a chance in a lifetime to see him play perhaps one last time, and against his greatest rival. I was actually born in England and go back every so often (especially for Wimbledon), so the trip was easy. I actually went to the Queen's tournament everyday but one, and though it was pricey, it was worth it to see all the current players, and it only heightened my anticipation of Edberg v Becker. When the moment came and they walked on court, it was unreal. I was able to site right behind the baseline in the front row. I was riveted by the match, and it went by so fast that afterwards I couldn't even remember one play. During the match, while Edberg was on my side and walking to return serve, I shouted "you're the best, Stefan!" That got a few laughs from those in earshot, and also brought a big smile to Edberg's face, and he said "thank you." On the t! ape of the match you can see him smiling from my remark, although you can't hear me because Pat Cash was commentating at that point. Obviously I was cheering like crazy during the whole match, which probably amused/annoyed the "uppity" brits sitting around me, but I didn't care. During the changeover, this guy leans over behind me and asks "mate, how much would you pay for a program with both edberg's and becker's picture and signed by both?" I asked how he even got such a gem, and it turned out he was the son of the tournament director. He had lunch with Edberg and Becker earlier in the day and had them both sign it. What a lucky sob! He was going to keep it but saw what a raging fan I was, so offered it to me. I paid 40 pounds ($60) for it, more than worth it in my view.
  When I found out he was going to be in Rhode Island and Cape Cod this summer (from your website, I believe), I knew again I had to go. My cousin goes to Boston University, which is 1.5 hours away from both places, so I was able to stay with her. I had been to the hall of fame before, but not during any ceremony or match. It was a great day a lovely ceremony. It was surprising to see Pickard there, and I thought both gaving great speeches. That Andre/Steffi bit was a disaster, but I could not care less about them. I was there only for Edberg. After the ceremony Edberg was on the front court signing autographs. In fact, I am in the picture currently on your website! I have the goatee and am wearing the blue boston red rox hat, with the white shirt and red collar, holding the silver camera. I saw Edberg and his family leave out the side door, and I knew it was through the restaurant next door. I went to! the front of the building and sure enough he came out from the restaurant. A bunch of people swarmed him for autographs, and he was good enough to sign (which also reminds me, what was wrong with Andre and Steffi just leaving without signing nearly as long as Edberg?). I actually pretended I worked at the hall, putting my hand on Edberg's shoulder and politely asking people to back away and give him room! I didn't get a chance to speak to Tony. I took a couple pics of him during the ceremony, as well as some of Annette and the kids.
  The Cape Cod event was a couple days later. It was raining all morning and didn't look like it would let up. When I got to the resort I sat in my parked car and was dozing in and out of sleep. At one point I opened my eyes and this blond haired man was walking past my car down the street. It was Edberg. I got out of my car and quickly went after him. I said, "excuse me, Mr. Edberg?" He turned around, we shook hands, then I told him about all the past times I'd seen him, what he meant to me growing up, how I cried after he lost to Chang (he smiled and said "yeah, that was a tough one"). I asked him about why he played serve and volley when people like Borg and Wilander played baseline, and he said you have to play to your strengths. I asked him what he though of Roger Federer ("yeah, he's pretty good") and what he though of Roger saying Edberg was his idol. Edberg said it's always nice to be mentioned. It ! was such a surreal moment: me and Stefan Edberg, standing outside in the ran and chatting. He told me that was would be back in a while, as the matches were cancelled but there was a tent set up where we could all mingle. I watched him walk away and could not believe I just spoke to him. Later in the tent I chatted to him a bit more, though not as much because now everyone was there and waited to take pictures with him and get autographs. Plus, I didn't want to be too much of a stalker, though I'm sure I was! He told me he couldn't play anyway due to a slipped disc. He said got it it probably playing tennis. Pretty much the whole time I stayed several feet away from him but just watched him and absorbed the fact that he was just a regular person. Later we all sat down and did a Q&A with the players. Edberg fielded some questions, saying how although all his slam wins were great, winning his first wimbledon was his favor! ite because growing up in Sweden that was the only tourney they showed, and seeing Borg win it was really special. He also said how he played the best match of his career at the 91 us open final. He said mcenroe, lendl, becker, and agassi were some of his toughest opponents. He said he found mcenroe's on-court antics quite amusing, especially because it was so different from the way he was on court. At the end I took another picture with him, shook his hand yet again, got an autographed ball, and thanked him for the memories. He is a true class-act, really great guy.
  I've browsed your site for a number of years now. It's definitely one of the better Edberg sites around. I am not as fanatic about him as I once was, but still enjoy reading about his latest ongoings. I was going to send you the Queen's pics last year but just never got around to it! Anyway, rather than send them all to you, I posted them on yahoo photo album. I will email you the link. I hope you enjoy them! He is probably the only "celebrity" that I still enjoy to follow. I wasted so much money on ebay the last few years to prove it!

Inspired by Rajeev, I put together an album of my favorite Stefan photos - see here.

July 28, 2004
I found a couple more HOF photos from this album that I must have previously overlooked, including the one above of Edberg and Tony Pickard and the one below:

July 28, 2004
This site: www.webspawner.com/users/tennisvideos/index.html, lists some great Edberg matches on video at very reasonable price. I highly recommend Edberg vs. Cash 87 AO, Edberg vs. Lendl 87 Seiko, and Edberg vs. McEnroe 89 Wimbledon. There are also two must-have's: Edberg vs. Becker, '90 Wimbldeon Final, and Edberg vs. Courier, '91 US Open Final.

July 27, 2004
Richard Pagliaro of Tennis Week shared this photo of Stefan with Rod Laver, taken at the Adida Smash on Cape Cod that took place a day after the HOF induction:

July 26, 2004
A big thanks to Rachelle for sending in the text for an interview that appeared in the July issue of the Australian tennis magazine. I have received a copy of the magazine from a kind Edberg fan, and was hoping for the text to appear on the web by some miracle :-) Surely enough, someone posted the text on the men's tennis forum, according to Rachelle.
You can read the text here. The published article did come with a few photos, but they are not new.

July 25, 2004

• Several have written to me about the HOF ceremony video tape.
  ... Stefan's portion is short (about 10 minutes) but looking at the tape I realize how eloquent he was -- I was too excited at the ceremony to realize that. His short speech is much like his tennis: classy, stylish, and no-nonsense. Tony Trabert -- the ceremony master who must have been relieved by the brevity of Stefan's speech in contrast to the preceding excess -- exclaimed a loud "well done" at the end of Stefan's speech. And it's a bonus to see Tony Pickard in closeup.
  I think Stefan looks even better in the video than in the photos. He didn't bother to dress up but his demeanor and poise came through just the same. I especially enjoy Tony Pickard's presence. In his speech Stefan acknowledged Tony repeatedly, including saying that Tony was like a dad to him (adding that he really meant it.) When the camera moved to Tony's face after that, the stoic Silver Fox was blinking away tears. ...
• Mikkel from Denmark wrote:
  As you know Stefan Edberg is playing against John McEnroe, Mats Wilander and Henri Leconte in Copenhagen, Denmark the 5 & 6 of October 2004.
  During Wimbledon the Danish television TV2 had a long interview with John McEnroe. John McEnroe said that it would be a dream to to finally meet Stefan Edberg in a match again, specially in the final and beat him. McEnroe furthermore said that Stefan Edberg in not only a fantastic player but also a gentleman that the whole world of tennis still miss big time!!!!
  Amazing word from McEnroe.
  I do hope that Stefan will have recovered from his "slipped disc" back problem in time for this event. It sounds like a great treat.

July 21, 2004
A photo of Stefan's family, taken by Donna at the induction ceremony; the lady to the left of Annette is not Stefan's mom.

July 21, 2004

• Long time Edhead Donna, who was at the induction ceremony, sent in these lovely photos to share:
  
  Tony Pickard introducing Stefan Edberg. Do note Stefan's body language. As pointed out by Donna, he looked -- throughout the speech -- as if he would prefer to hide, so shy of spotlight is Mr. Edberg.

  

  

  
  Do you remember that shy smile of Stefan's? It has not changed.

• Furthermore, Donna very astutely noticed that my site doesn't have some of the more recent additions to the yahoo sports collection of photos of Stefan from the HOF. I have captured them all on my hard-dirve but have run out of room on this site to post all of these photos, but if you hurry you can view them here before they are expired.
• Posting on rec.sport.tennis -- in response to my ranting:
  My reaction isn't as extreme as yours, but I also think it was kind of weird. He (Agassi) made the kind of speech you make at a family banquet -- a wedding, anniversary celebration, whatever. The other thing about it that I find somewhat depressing is that here is one of the most accomplished women in the world, and instead of dwelling on and praising her achievements, for which she was being honored that day, what we heard about was what a great wife and mother she is.

July 20, 2004

• Laurie, long-time Edberg fan who was at the Parade of the Champions last Saturday, sent in this this photo to share. She believes the gent ahead of Stefan is Don Budge. Do you agree with me that Stefan looked quite dashing in his black sports jacket and white slacks? Too bad he didn't wear that to the induction.

• Take a look at this interesting article titled On line, off limits that appeared in the Guardian this past Wimbledon. It is written by a linesman and opens with an episode at the 1991 Wimbledon semi between Edberg and McEnroe, and goes on to describe Stefan as a gentleman among the players, compared to other bratty ones.

July 19, 2004

• I wish there were some photos taken of Stefan and Tony Pickard at the induction, but no luck so far. I was seated too far away to take photo of the two. If anyone has managed to take such a photo, please do send it in!
• The USTA site has posted this sweet bonus of an article from an interview taken at the Cape Cod event, complete with well-chosen photos from the past such as the one shown to the right: Note that it's mentioned that Stefan has a "slip disc" problem at the moment and could not play in the exhibition.
  Hall of Fame Inductee Edberg Celebrates at Ocean Edge 7/13/04 7:44 PM
  
  By Jason Brown, USTA.com
  Brewster, Mass.
  – Two years after fellow countryman Mats Wilander was inducted in the 2002 ceremony, six-time Grand Slam singles champion Stefan Edberg of Sweden became one of three newly-inducted members of the 2004 class at the International Tennis Hall of Fame, joining a list of distinguished legends of the game.
  Following the induction, Edberg and his family took the short ride from scenic Newport, Rhode Island to the lovely coastal haven of Brewster, Massachusetts to celebrate the career milestone and to participate in the fourth annual Adidas Tennis Smash benefiting the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation. Featuring a who’s who of past and present tennis stars, this year’s benefit included: Martina Hingis, Rod Laver, Tom Gullikson, Stan Smith, Carly Gullickson, Wendy Turnbull, Jenny Hopkins, Gardner Molloy, Francois Durr, Anke Huber, Pancho Segura, and the newest member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame.
  Celebrating its fourth year as a midseason highlight during the warm and breezy summertime months in Cape Cod, the 2004 Adidas Tennis Smash, a two-day celebrity tennis event held at the Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club, was again a rousing success, entertaining spectators at the Ocean Edge Tennis Stadium with a series of exhibition tennis matches featuring a dazzling array of tennis talent.
  Also highlighting the event were the Adidas Junior Tennis Clinic, where children were given the rare opportunity to play alongside legends of the game while learning tips and going through drills to improve their play, the Dewar’s Golf Pro-Am, a gala reception featuring an evening banquet hosted by tennis writer Bud Collins, and a tennis Pro-Am and Awards Luncheon.
  USTA.com caught up with Edberg during his stay at Ocean Edge for the 2004 Adidas Tennis Smash to chat about his induction ceremony into the International Tennis Hall of Fame with 22-time Grand Slam singles champion Steffi Graf and Dorothy “Dodo” Cheney, the first American woman to win the Australian National Championships.
  Edberg also reflects on his tremendous playing career and a slew of his greatest triumphs which include: winning the US Open in back-to-back years in 1991 & 1992, the epic five-set 1989 French Open final thriller against American Michael Chang, and playing a star role in Davis Cup competition for Sweden.
  He also discusses his lasting legacy as one of the true gentlemen in professional men’s tennis, and the dying breed of classic serve-and-volley players for which he is associated with as among the best to have ever played the game.
  USTA.com: So, how did you play in the exhibition matches at the fourth annual Adidas Tennis Smash?
  Stefan Edberg: Hey, I wish I could be on the tennis court, but I have a slipped disc at the moment, so I have to watch and be on the sideline. It’s unfortunate – it happened two months ago so I have to take some time off. I had a problem with the disc about ten or fifteen years ago, and plus, I’m getting older.
  USTA.com: Well, as a consolation, you’re in a beautiful place at Ocean Edge. Is this your first time in Brewster at the Adidas Tennis Smash?
  Edberg: No, I was here two years ago, and I really liked the place here. It was one of the reasons that I’m back, and obviously because of the Tennis Hall of Fame over the weekend, too, which is nearby.
  USTA.com: That must have been a great thrill to be inducted in Newport, Rhode Island at the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Take me through that weekend and the emotions you must’ve felt.
  Edberg: It was a super event and they really worked hard to put the event together. Being the 50th Anniversary made it very special, I thought, especially bringing all the past hall-of-famers to Newport over the weekend. It was something really special – it’s something that’s not going to happen very often.
  USTA.com: It also must have been really special to have your longtime friend and coach Tony Pickard give your induction lead-in.
  Edberg: Yeah, I think he was the right person, and it was great for him to come over there. It was great that we could spend a weekend together. It made it quite an emotional event. There are a lot of thoughts and emotions passing through your mind.
  USTA.com: What were some of those thoughts and emotions running through your mind at that moment? Maybe, some of the great tournaments that you won over the course of your career, including the consecutive US Open titles in 1991 and 1992?
  Edberg: Absolutely, and it’s tough because you got to say something up there on the podium, of course. It’s a lot of things, and I’m not quite sure what to say, because over the weekend there were a lot of thoughts about what I achieved over a career and what was important to me. It’s good to have these reflections sometimes.
  USTA.com: In the cover story of the July 2004 issue of Tennis Magazine, Pete Sampras said in an interview that a career-turning and defining moment for him was losing to you in the 1992 US Open final. [Edberg won in four sets, 3-6, 6-4, 7-6, 6-2.] Did you feel kind of the same way about that match, that it might have been a turning point for his career, and maybe even yours?
  Edberg: It probably was, because it was the last Slam that I won. It could of have been a turning point for both of us. I managed to win that final in ’92, and it was quite an effort at the time because I played (Michael) Chang in the semifinals which was a five-hour match. I didn’t even think I could play that Sunday after waking up in the morning. But it was a great match to win, and a great way to finish. Maybe for Pete it was something that was the start of his era.
  USTA.com: You mentioned Chang – the man you played in that memorable 1989 French Open final that resulted in preventing you from completing your career Grand Slam. That match was particularly significant for Chang, as it was the moment that most people remember him for.
  Edberg: Oh absolutely, he only won one Grand Slam and that was the French Open. It was my great chance to win the French Open. Looking back, it was probably nice that I should of won with the chances that I had in the fourth set, but I should have been able to get out of that trouble. At the time, I thought I would get more chances to win the French Open, but I never did.
  USTA.com: Davis Cup was such a big part of your career, having played on four Cup-winning teams (1984, ’85, ’87, ’94), compiling an overall combined singles and doubles record of 47-23, and always making yourself available. How do you look at how Davis Cup has evolved over the years?
  Edberg: From a Swedish perspective, I think Davis Cup is really big. It was a big part of my tennis career. I think it was a very different for a Swedish tennis player than it is here in America. I played many, many matches and at one point, I think I was in seven consecutive finals. I had a seven-year stretch where I never really stopped because I had the Australian Open in January and the Davis Cup finals in December. I played non-stop tennis for seven years! You have to stay really focused as a professional, but it was really important for me to play those matches.
  USTA.com: What are your memories of the doubles match you played as an 18-year-old for Sweden against John McEnroe and the United States?
  Edberg: I think because it was my first year that it was a big match. It was at home, a great atmosphere – nobody expected us to beat the United States at that time with the team that they had.
  USTA.com: You mentioned before how long the tennis season is, having played nearly seven consecutive years without stopping. The long season is magnified today with many players, particularly on the women’s side, breaking down. What are your thoughts on the current season length and the playing and traveling demands put on players today?
  Edberg: It’s quite a long season, but I had a playing streak you wouldn’t have today, so maybe it wasn’t as physically hard as it was in the 1980’s and 1990’s. Maybe it’s physically harder to be out there now, but you really need to look out for yourself, really take care of that body that you have. There are aches and breaks during the season, but sometimes, it’s really hard. It’s an individual sport – there’s nobody there to replace you.
  Sometimes it’s a little bit of your own fault when you break down because you don’t listen to what your body tells you; you keep playing when you shouldn’t. It’s the biggest mistake that many of the players do. They feel they need to play in order to get those points, but if you don’t rest, you won’t get the results anyway.
  USTA.com: To many people, the name Stefan Edberg is synonymous with serve-and-volley tennis. But lately, serve-and-volley players are a dying breed on the tour. Why are there so few serve-and-volley tactics today?
  Edberg: It would benefit the game as a whole if there was more variation. The serve-and-volleyers are disappearing somehow and it’s hard to tell why the reason is. I think being a serve-and-volleyer takes longer time to mature and hopefully goes in cycles where maybe a guy like (Roger) Federer can convince others to start playing a new game.
  I also think maybe a bit technology has made it possible with the racquets they play with. Today, it’s so much easier to return quick – you just need to block the ball, not really hit it, like you had to do twenty years ago. And most of the guys practice standing in, taking the ball really early. Reaction time is far better than it was twenty years ago.
  One of the things that made it even more difficult towards the end of my career was the idea that the game was too quick and they slowed the balls down, making them heavier. The heavier the ball is, the more difficult it is to play volleys. I really like a fast sport where you can use your wrist, use your touch in order to steer the ball. The heavier balls really tend to favor the big, tall guys that can hit the (expletive) out of the ball.
  USTA.com: Along with the serve-and-volley, your name is also synonymous with sportsmanship on the court – the ATP’s sportsmanship award is named in your honor as a five-time recipient (1988, '89, '90, '92, '95). What players today remind you of the way that you carried yourself so gracefully on the court?
  Edberg: I know Carlos Moya is one of those guys in recent years. There are a few guys out there, I think, that fall under that category. Paradorn Srichaphan is definitely one of those players.
  USTA.com: Going back to Davis Cup, Sweden recently played the United States in Florida. Jonas Bjorkman, Thomas Enqvist and Joachim Johansson are all solid players for Sweden.
  Edberg: We still have a good team, but we don’t have the best team any longer. We still have a very good fighting spirit. But the Americans had a better team with better players and an excellent doubles team. I think America has an excellent chance to win Davis Cup this year.
  USTA.com: Why is the Adidas Tennis Smash at Ocean Edge such an important event for you? This is your second appearance at the event, the first coming two years ago in 2002.
  Edberg: Well, I think Cape Cod is a great place. It’s great to be here with the family, spending time here together. And obviously, to help out Gullikson with his foundation, and through Adidas, that has been very supportive here, too. So it’s a combination of three things.
  USTA.com: I understand it’s your daughters’ eleventh birthday today. Do you have anything special planned?
  Edberg: Not quite today, it is tomorrow. We’re talking about it, but we’ll have a birthday cake today. If we wait past six o’clock tonight, it’ll be her birthday in Swedish time.
  July 18, 2004
  • A posting on rec.sports.tennis provided a link to a bunch of pics taken by someone who apparently had a front-row seat at the ceremony. Most are of Graf's but there is this nice one of Annette and Stefan -- I took the liberty to post it here but I thank the person who posted it.
  • A fan whom I had the pleasure to meet at the induction wrote:
    ... Nice place Newport. I sincerely enjoyed the ceremony even though I couldn't achieve getting up close to Stefan and also Steffi. I usually think these things are too official and boring but I really enjoyed this 1. Especially I enjoyed the speaches by shy Stefan and very shy Steffi. It was very touching. They still look great and very natural.
  • A fan who was at the induction wrote:
    ... (T)o be honest, Stefan is so unassuming (as is Tony Pickard ) that really, anything more would have embarassed him, believe me. Tony was the perfect person to induct him. His fans might want more, but he wouldn't. I saw him after the autograph session after the induction and he was quite ready to leave! Andre and McEnroe were a bit over the top, I thought, but they are anyway. Dodo seemed a bit wordy & disorganized....... Steffi was quite moved by Andre's speech, and what she said in her own speech was fairly short & sweet, as was Stefan's.
  • Another fan who was there wrote:
    Yeah I am a bit cheesed that he didn't get the recognition he deserved but overall I am glad that the rest of the world knows something we EDBERGIANS have know all along he was one of the greatest players, definetly the best serve and volleyer and the kindest pro there was. What was your favorite moment? There were so many for me, I think what I appreciated the most was when he was addressing the crowd he looked at the crowds and waved I was stuck up high in the South stands, when he turned my way that was the sweetest thing he could've done. I love the anecdote Tony Pickard told about the drive to Paris. Off course DoDo Cheney's comment on how she was changing her nickname to EFFIE to match Stefan and Steffi. I couldn't get over how much the mannerisms of Stefan and Steffi were alike someone next to me mentioned that as well.
  • Jennifer wrote:
    know what you mean by Stefan getting the short end of the stick. Every article I read focused Steffi. Stefan only had 2-3 sentences in the entire article. :-( Did you see Annette and the kids? Did you know that Emilie just celebrated her 11th b-day on 7/14? The kids are growing up fast!
    
    My note: Here's from a photo posted at the aforementioned link: You can see Annette and the kids seated on the side, and, behind Graf, Tony seated with Stefan.
  • Another fan wrote:
    Just checked out your site. Stefan looks so cute!! Glad to hear you saw annette, christopher and emelie. Loved the Pickard anecdote.
    I was pretty furious too. None of the papers in India (and I see 5 or 6) carried a photo of Edberg - they all carried pix of Andre and Steffi. Now, I've been a steffi fan nearly as long as I ve been an edberg fan and I don't want to take away from her special moment, but it was a bit much, don't you think? It was way too hollywoody and oscar-speechy, frankly.
    But it is so typical of Edberg that even this event - which I've been looking forward to since 1996 - should be so low-key and business like, sans drama. Maybe that's why we all like him so much and I've noticed that Edberg fans are an enduring lot - probably because he doesn't get his due from the rest. We haven't forgotten him even after all these years.
    Great job and if it weren't for you I would have no clue about what happened. Thanks a bunch!
  • I should mention that when Tony introduced Stefan he mentioned Stefan's serve-and-volley style, and the crowd broke into a loud cheer. Tony alluded to his relationship with Stefan as "father-and-son like" and still refers to Stefan as "this young man." For my money, just seeing Tony and Stefan together was worth the trip. I just wish that I had a chance to speak to Tony. I had always wanted to ask him a few questions about Stefan.
    As for what Stefan speech:
    To my best recollection, here's what he said:
    He mentioned that he met Tony at the young age of 17, and thanked Tony -- then a Wilson representation -- for getting him a "big fat contract" at the time. Stefan mentioned his first success at Davis Cup -- the doubles match against McEnroe and Flemming -- and turned to smile apologetically at McEnroe. He spoke of the hardship of touring as a pro, such as the 40-some hours of flights he took to play in the Australian Open.
    He acknowledged his family -- wife Annette, daughter Emilie, son Christopher -- who were seated at the courtside and his parents in Sweden. He then turned around to thank all the former champions who were seated behind him, for making it possible for him to have a career in tennis.
    As one fan in the stands remarked: Now that he has returned to Sweden, Stefan's English somehow seemed to have improved. Go figure.
  • There is a thread "Anywhere I can see Edberg's HOF speech?" on rec.sports.tennis. Here are some postings of interest:
    • I know it was on Tennis channel but there must be 3 people who have that and I'm not one..tho if he were still playing maybe I would be.
      It was so aggravating to turn on the final at 2 and get - 7 minutes of ANDRE AGASSI??
      Yes I know he's married to Steffi but wasn't that cute timing....
      Can't they wait till he goes in...
      Any clue where I can get Stephan's speech on video online maybe?
    • Sorry to say, I didn't find it either in the best of taste to have both of them using the occasion to renew their vows:-). HOF should have used a more neutral person to sing praises to Steffi, and I'm sure many would have been available to do so, as she merits them.
    • Gotta say, I thought that was bizarre. a) because Graf is normally such a private person and b) because, you know, can't they do that at home?
    • It seems that the tone of the family behavior was established at least on this occasion by Agassi.
    • Yes, seems like they are trying too hard to convince the world of their love....?
    • You know I wish just one person would try to answer my original question.....
      There are Edberg fans out here and I for one would like to see his speech!
      And I did not need to see all that Andre Agassi who is not even eligible yet. That was incredibly cynical of them to put him on the air (before the final) and not Stefan.
      Anyone know of a site that might have the speeches on video?
    • I couldn't believe but the HOF seems to have only the transcript for Agassi's speech. Damn, he's not even a member yet:-[[[
    • That's really terrible. Edberg was a great champion too. And I notice there's nothing from Dodo Cheney, either.
    • This was bound to happen. Agassi is a attention-grabber. Forget Stefan -- he (Agassi) stole the attention from his own wife, Steffi.
  • And these photos are from sports.yahoo.com:
    
    
    
  • A search on "Edberg hall of fame" on google.com yielded numerous articles. Here are excerpts from a few:
    • A Sports Illustrated article:
      ... Edberg may be most remembered for helping his country capture four Davis Cups, but his favorite event was his 1991 U.S. Open title.
      "That was the best match I ever played," he recalled.
      "I've been a little bit of a lone Swede because of the way I am," he said of his one-handed backhander. "I've helped 16- and 17-year-olds in my country, and they all use two-handed backhands."
      ...
      Edberg, seated next to Cheney during a morning press conference, smiled and said: "I hope I'm on the court at 87."
    • From www.ndtv.com:
      Sweden's Stefan Edberg was also inducted on the same day into the hall of fame. The serve and volley specialist won a total of 6 grand slam singles titles and the Mr Nice Guy of tennis was a five-time winner of the ATP sportsmanship award, an honour that led to the award being named after him.
      "To be part of history, to be part of this group, Hall of Famers, goes straight into your heart. It's something I'll remember and for my kids we appreciate it as well. So very, very special," said Edberg.
    • From /economictimes.indiatimes.com:
      Edberg, 38, who retired in 1996, was introduced by his long-time coach, Tony Pickard. He was inducted into the Hall of Fame by virtue of winning six Grand Slam singles titles, having been ranked No 1 in the world in singles for 72 non-consecutive months and also ranking No 1 in doubles, and being a part of four winning Swedish Davis Cup teams.
      Edberg thanked Bjorn Borg, the famous Swede who came before him for “inspiring me because without him, I wouldn’t be here”.
      The Swede also made note of the 50 former Hall of Fame inductees who took part in a 50th anniversary celebration on Saturday afternoon — players like John McEnroe, Chris Evert, John Newcombe and Margaret Court, who were in attendance.
      "Yesterday was even more special because there was so much talent in one place and I will remember that for the rest of my life,” said Edberg, who was accompanied to Newport by his wife (Annette), his daughter (Emilie) and son (Christofer).
  • Posted to edberg@yahoogroups.com:
    i'm selling an edberg-shirt that i won in a lottery twelve years ago. Please let anyone you think would be interested know. 5 days left of the auction. See here.
  July 17, 2004
  The Tennis Hall of Fame induction ceremony has come and gone. Yes, I was there, and was very pleased to finally meet a handful of hardcore Edheads with whom I have exchanged emails. The ceremony took place in Newport, Rhode Island, on a perfect day. The photo above, taken by me as Stefan and Graf paraded around the ground at the conclusion of the ceremony, adequately captured the atmosphere of the event.
  I will put together an article on the event in due time. I am also hoping that a video taping of the event will materialize. Meanwhile, here are some of my key observations:
  • Stefan looked trim and handsome as always, and as I already knew: he really has not changed much since his retirement.
  • The big surprise for me is that Tony Pickard was there to introduce Stefan. Tony looked the handsome "silver fox" as he was in the days of Stefan's prime. He gave a short, dignified introduction, including a brief tale about how one time after a tennis event and at the suggestion of Stefan the two drove from Deuseldorf(?) to Paris. According to Tony, Stefan did the driving and drove like a mad man until they reached Paris, when he abruptly gave up the driver's seat to Tony. Puzzled, Tony enquired as to the reason. Stefan then blurted out that he did not have insurance.
    I thought this story described Stefan to a T - although I was surprised to hear that Stefan was capable of driving recklessly.
  • As you could see from the photos, Stefan -- unlike most of the other dignitaries at the ceremony -- chose not to wear a jacket for the occasion. He looked relaxed and extremely fit.
  • Annette and the two children were on the court side. She looked as radiant and gorgeous as ever, and the two kids looked exactly like they did at the Queen's two years ago, although this time they both don sun shades for protection. Little Christopher is looking more like Stefan, including his mannerism.
  • Just as I was afraid, Stefan came out on the short end of the spotlights. This affair apparently is much influenced by Bud Collins and John McEnroe, either of which I have always thought is less than warm towards Stefan. The ceremony introduced the oldest inductee first. She apparenly was inducted on the recommendation of McEnroe, and she went on and on with her speech without realizing that 99% of the spectators had no idea who she was. Stefan's portion of the ceremony was business-like and lasted a total of 10 minutes, perhaps exactly the way he liked it. Then came Agassi introducing his wife. I know there are others who think otherwise but in my humble opinion he went over the top to lavish hyperboles on his own wife and declare his love to her in public. And as you can see the media seized on that and Stefan, as one photo shown so aptly, was pushed to the side as the two lovebirds posted for the camera.
    I am furious.
  • The autograph session did take place on Saturday after the parade of the champions. Stefan was included in the parade. A fan who was there said that the session was for all champions and the line was a mile long.
  • This same fan attended the black-tie event mentioned in the Newport Daily article. She said that Stefan appeared in tuxedo and Annettee in an evening gown. According to her, the pair looked striking but did not stay long.
  • I think the event was just what I expected. I suppose Stefan was treated well but your ordinary fan was not exactly greeted with open arms: you have to PAY for everything. For example, going into the museum to view a session of display of the inductees cost you $5 each, and you have to line up to get in.
  • Stefan was warmly cheered by the crowd, although I must admit that the Graf fans were more adamant. One well-heeled fan seated in the front row of the East stands unfurled a banner that says "You are the Best" (in pseudo German, I think). Unfortunately for him, he was seated BEHIND the inductees' seats.
    I did don my shirt with Swedish colors, while a couple of fans were seen waving Swedish flags.
  Meanwhile, Jennifer sent in these articles, published while I was on the road:
  • Newport Daily News (wrote Jennifer: There's a nice quote about Stefan from Chris Evert! ):
    Tennis greats mingle at black-tie gala
    By Rick McGowan/Daily News staff
    
    On the same Bellevue Avenue where the late James H. Van Alen created his museum and tennis's first tiebreaker, more than 800 players and fans participated in a black-tie gala at The Breakers.
    The most prominent among them were 48 Hall of Fame enshrinees and the Class of 2004 - Dorothy "Dodo" Cheney, Steffi Graf and Stefan Edberg - who were inducted on Sunday on the Casino's Talbert Center Court. Their collective resume includes more than 550 Grand Slam titles.
    The champions of Wimbledon and the Australian Open, French Open and U.S. Open in singles, doubles and mixed doubles were sprinkled among dozens of round tables under a huge tent on the back lawn of The Breakers.
    After an extended cocktail hour on the terrace and spacious grounds of the 70-room Italian Renaissance-style palazzo, guests in formal dress began their dinner with chilled lobster and mango, papaya and watermelon radish with vanilla bean vinaigrette. An entree of herb-marinated filet of beef with roasted shallot demi glace and dessert of lemon mousse with fresh raspberries and raspberry coulis followed.
    "It is a great pleasure for me to say, 'Welcome home, Hall of Famers,'" Tony Trabert, president of the Hall of Fame and Class of '70, said in his introductory remarks.
    Journalist Bud Collins, '94, served as master of ceremonies. He called on fellow Hall of Fame members to be cameo speakers during the dinner, presented by the Hall of Fame and the Preservation Society of Newport County, which owns The Breakers.
    Chris Evert, '95, made the most candid remarks of the evening. She said Graf not only has "the whole package" but "no hesitation, is the greatest player in the last 25 years."
    Graf said she was very touched by the accolade. "I had a tear there. What she said was so extremely fine."
    Evert posed a question to 87-year-old Cheney, the first American woman to win the Australian National Championships in 1938. "Dodo, if you miss a ball, do you say, 'You Dodo!'?"
    Regarding the other enshrinee this year, Evert said she never met a nicer guy than Stefan Edberg. Evert also touched on the absence of Pam Shriver, '02, who is expecting her first baby.
    "Pam is the Hall of Fame," Evert said about Shriver, a longtime board member and vice president.
    Margaret Smith Court of Australia, whose 62 Grand Slam wins are unsurpassed, recalled playing an up-and-coming Evert at the Casino in the waning years of her career in the early 1970s. "The fog was coming in and we couldn't see one another up the other end of the court," she said.
    As for some of the more notable Hall of Fame members who weren't present - such as Ilie Nastase, Bjorn Borg, Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker - Czech Jan Kodes, '90, had a ready answer.
    "It doesn't matter," the 1973 Wimbledon champion said. "We are having a good time."
    In addition to the cameo speakers, Martina Hingis, winner of five Grand Slam singles titles, made an appearance.
    Prince Albert of Monaco, who participated in the Parade of Hall of Famers earlier in the day at the Casino, was among the many enthusiastic dancers once the Mac Chrupcala Orchestra kicked in.
    Octogenarian Cheney proved she can still cut a rug. "Let me tell you, I have very arthritic knees, but I danced my head off with my good-looking grandsons," she said. "My knees feel good. I'm going to dance every day now."
    John McEnroe, '99, Evert and Graf sat out the late dancing by commandeering a table on the terrace and kibitzing with friends. When McEnroe went to one of the many portable bars, Evert stood up, holding a disposable camera.
    "Hey, John!" she said. "Take a picture." McEnroe turned. Click.
    Rosie Casals, '96, had joined them a bit before calling it a night.
    "The Hall of Fame has done a wonderful job," she said during her exit. "Since my induction, I've been here every year. This is a wonderful way to keep the game going."
    Dennis Ralston, '87, reminisced about his first visit to the Casino some 35 years ago. "All of us stayed on the top deck," he said with a smile. "We'd play poker at night. At 4 or 5 a.m., guys would be coming in."
    Ralston turned professional in 1966, one of the years Van Alen held an invitational tournament. "It was always fun to play Newport," he said of those days, when he stayed with the late Dr. Charles Dotterer and his large family. "There were a lot of Dotterers. It was like the Brady Bunch. And there were clambakes."
    And Awful Awfuls at Newport Creamery.
    "I had two there the other day," Ralston said with a satisfied smile as he took in the ambience. "Newport has its special aura."
    • From www.aftonbladet.se:
      Edberg ny i Hall of Fame
      tennisens Hall of Fame tillsammans med Steffi Graf.
      – Det bästa med tennistouren är att jag träffade dig, sa Steffi Graf till AP och syftade på maken André Agassi, som agerade prisutdelare. Edberg vann sex Grand slam-titlar och fyra Davis cup under sin karriär.
      Klas Johansson, Publicerad: 2004-07-12
    • From Washington Post: Graf, Edberg, Cheney Enter Hall of Fame
      Monday, July 12, 2004; Page D03
      Steffi Graf was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, R.I., yesterday, presented by another of the game's greats: her husband, Andre Agassi.
      Graf, inducted along with Stefan Edberg and Dorothy "Dodo" Cheney, won 22 Grand Slam singles titles and was ranked No. 1 for a record 377 weeks.
      Edberg won six Grand Slam titles and helped Sweden win four Davis Cups. ...
  • Then there's the Adidas Smash in Cape Cod after the Hall of Fame ceremony. I wasn't there, but here are articles found on the site of Cape Cod Times. There's a photo of Hingis posted with one of the articles, but alas, none that of Stefan.
    • Legendary memories
      Tennis champs, in Brewster, recall moments of glory
      ROB DUCA
      Fans who attend the Adidas Tennis Smash exhibition matches today at the Ocean Edge Resort & Conference Center (tickets are still available) in Brewster will have the rare opportunity to watch winners of every major tournament. Legends young and old will grace the clay playing surface, from the ageless Gardnar Mulloy, 90, to the retired but certainly youthful Martina Hingis (still just 23), to the newest Hall of Famer Stefan Edberg (inducted last weekend in Newport), to the incomparable Rod "Rocket" Laver.
      We have our memories of their exploits. Those of us old enough recall the power and grace of Laver as he captured Wimbledon, the U.S. Open, the French Open and the Australian Open in 1969, achieving a feat for the second time (he also did it in '62) that no male player has managed since.
      At yesterday's junior clinic, most of the children were awed by Hingis, who wasn't much older than her admirers when she won her first professional tournament at 16.
      But what are the special memories of the legends responsible for them? What seminal moment stands apart for players who have reached the No. 1 world ranking and captured Grand Slam events?
      For Hingis, it was that initial pro victory, when first prize was a Porsche. Not bad when you're 16. But not that great when you're not old enough to drive.
      "I was the co-pilot and had to wait a couple of years to drive it," she said.
      Laver is considered by many to be the greatest tennis player ever. He could select from dozens of moments, but he doesn't hesitate when asked his most memorable.
      It came at the 1960 Australian Open in his hometown of Brisbane. Laver had reached Grand Slam finals before, but had never broken through to win. At this final against Neale Fraser, he dropped the first two sets and seemed headed for another crushing defeat.
      "But I worked my way through it, won in five and that sort of got me going on a whole career," he said. "I was a little more confident after that."
      Laver's first Wimbledon title came the next year, and victory after victory followed. Like so many players, Wimbledon represented the pinnacle of his glorious career.
      "It's the No. 1 tournament in the world," he said. "It has the best players, the facilities, the crowd, the history, all the things you wish to have are at Wimbledon.
      "But the pressure is so great. There are lots of great players who went out there for the first time and were shaking. That pressure helped me concentrate. I didn't want to make a fool of myself on Centre Court."
      Edberg remembers as a youngster watching his Swedish countryman and idol, Bjorn Borg, capture five straight Wimbledons. When his turn on Centre Court came in the 1988 final against Boris Becker, Edberg felt the weight of history when he walked onto the court.
      "After watching Borg and to actually be there," he said, pausing and shaking his head. "The feeling there is so concentrated for two weeks that when it's over, it's like you put a needle in a balloon and poof!, it goes. When I got to the locker room, I just put down my bag, sat back and thought about what I'd just done."
      Stan Smith was a member of seven Davis Cup-winning teams. But his Wimbledon title in 1972 over the mercurial Ilie Nastase is his signature moment. Smith had lost the '71 final in five sets, but made it back the next year and would soon rank No. 1 in the world. Smith won 7-5 in the fifth set, thanks to a critical point that went in his favor.
      The games were 4-4 in the fifth and Smith was trailing 0-30 on his serve when he charged the net and hit a shot off the wood on his racket that tipped the net and caught the line.
      "Every time I see Nastase he reminds me of that point," Smith said. "When I got to the locker room, Lew Hoad, one of the all-time greats, sprayed me with champagne."
      Tom Gullikson has his shared moment with his twin brother, Tim, who died from brain cancer at 44 in 1996 and serves as the inspiration for the Adidas Smash. It came in the 1983 Wimbledon doubles final after the Gulliksons were beaten by John McEnroe and Peter Fleming. As the Duke and Duchess of Kent were presenting the runner-up medals, Tim smiled over at his brother and said, "Geez, Tommy, we've come a long way for a couple of small-town guys from Wisconsin."
      As a coach, Tom Gullikson led the U.S. to the Davis Cup in 1995, which included the rare sight of Pete Sampras competing in doubles. The Cup was played on the red clay in Russia, and Sampras had been doubled over in pain from body cramps after capturing his singles match on the opening day.
      Nonetheless, Gullikson went to his No. 1 star that night and asked what he thought about playing doubles the next day with Todd Martin. Sampras, prone on a massage table, with IV solution being pumped into his dehydrated body, raised his eyebrows and said, "Doubles! I haven't played doubles in eight months! And didn't you notice that I was just carried off the court with a full body cramp?"
      But Sampras agreed to hit balls the next day and then make a decision. When the time came, he told Gullikson, "You're the captain. It's your call."
      "So I said, 'You're in,'" Gullikson remembered. "It took me about a nanosecond. He and Todd won, and it was a big coup that Pete played doubles."
      No one on the court today has been in tennis longer than Hall of Famer Gardnar Mulloy. But his favorite story was off the court, in a sleepy town in the middle of nowhere more than 65 years ago, when he stopped at a gas station and the attendant recognized him.
      "The young guy got all excited and asked for my autograph," he said.
      And then the fan turned to the passenger riding along with Mulloy and asked, "Are you someone, too?"
      "Don Budge didn't take that too well," Mulloy laughed, still relishing the memory.
    • Smash success, in spite of rain
      BREWSTER -- Thanks to a little creativity, the Wimbledon-esque weather didn't rain on the parade of prestigious tennis players assembled at Ocean Edge yesterday for the Adidas Tennis Smash.
      Inclement weather forced organizers to call off the exhibition matches minutes before the 1:30 p.m. start. But plan B was even more exciting for the awe-struck spectators who withstood the poor conditions.
      The Tennis Smash was replaced with an up-close meet-and-greet in the ballroom tent adjacent to the tennis complex.
      Despite raining for the first time in the four years of the event, the 2004 edition raised close to $200,000 for the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation, which helps support brain tumor patients and their families.
      Circled around five chairs put side by side as a makeshift net, spectators welcomed the pros introduced by CBS Sports commentator Brett Haber.
      Haber then mediated a question-and-answer session in which legends such as newly named Hall of Famer Stefan Edberg shared memories of his favorite Grand Slam victories, and 23-year-old Martina Hingis politely - and successfully - deflected inquiries into her social life.
      But spectators did get Hingis to elaborate on her competitive drive and how that coexists with her recent retirement.
      "If I go out there now, I want to beat everybody." said Hingis, who won three of five Grand Slams in 1997. "It's gotten so much more competitive out there. In an exhibition, I can keep up for a set, but then I'll leave after that."
      But this year's Wimbledon results soon became the hottest topic among fans and players.
      Tom Gullikson, founder of the Gullikson Foundation, had firsthand experience on the subject: He coached Jennifer Capriati into the quarterfinals at the All England Club.
      "On the women's side, there are some serious Russian challengers coming," Gullikson said. "I think the Williams sisters need to get a little more serious about their tennis. Obviously, (Maria) Sharapova announced her arrival at the ripe old age of 17."
      Tennis legend "Rocket" Rod Laver capped the rainy-day festivities, taking to the carpet-surfaced, chandelier-lighted court for a volley match with 15-year-old Mary Gambale, the nation's top-ranked women's player at the age 18 level.
      "It was great that they did something," Hingis said. "Rather that people just going home, you still get a little bit out of it, you get close and meet the players."
      Talented players like Hingis and Roger Federer have drawn a more mainstream audience to tennis in the past decade, but Gullikson said he believes the sport could use more familiar faces.
      "U.S. tennis needs American players at the top level of the game," Gullikson said. "It needs players doing well at the (U.S.) Open, doing well at the Slams and to act as role models for our young players."
      Gullikson coached the U.S. Davis Cup team for seven years and, after winning in 1995, is the last coach to bring the Cup title home.
      "I'm sure our young American players appreciate Roger Federer's game and Sharapova's game, but there's nothing like a home-grown product."
      (Published: July 14, 2004)
      D.C. REEVES
      STAFF WRITER
• July 8, 2004
  The Tennis Week site has posted two articles about the HOF ceremony:
  Edberg, Laver, Lendl, Hingis To Participate In Adidas Tennis Smash
  Two days after Stefan Edberg is inducted into the International Tennis Hall Of Fame, the six-time Grand Slam champion will celebrate with a smash. The Swedish serve-and-volley stylist will join a collection of current and future Hall Of Famers on Cape Cod to participate in a classic annual event — the adidas tennis smash at Ocean Edge Resort & Golf Club, July 12-13th.
  The adidas tennis smash has become an annual highlight of the summer season on Cape Cod and this year's event offers a Grand Slam roster of some of the game's greatest players. Edberg, who will make his second appearance at the event, joins the legendary lefty Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl, Martina Hingis, Jim Courier, Stan Smith and Tom Gullikson at Ocean Edge.
  Now in its fourth year, the adidas tennis smash is no mere celebrity tennis tourney, but a spectator’s dream offering the unique opportunity to not only watch classic tennis at the Ocean Edge Tennis Stadium, but to mix and mingle with top-ranked pros in a casual, comfortable and characteristically Cape Cod atmosphere. Presented by Jaguar, the smash is a wonderful event for tennis fanatics and New England lovers alike. It’s also a superb way to benefit an important cause, with proceeds going to the Tim & Tom Gullikson Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to the funding of care and support programs for brain tumor patients and their families. ...
  From personal experience, I can testify that this is a great event. If you want to see Stefan up close, this is perhaps a better opportunity than attending the HOF ceremony. On the day of the exhibition, arrive early and you may see Stefan playing in the pro-am exercises.
  • Tennis Channel To Televise Hall Of Fame Inductions is the other article. The broadcast schedule is:
    • July 8-11th Campbell’s Hall of Fame Tennis Championships
    • Thursday, July 8th — 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
    • Friday, July 9th — 11 a.m.-7 p.m.
    • Sunday, July 11 — 1-2 p.m.(induction ceremony); 4-6 p.m. (doubles final)
  July 7, 2004
  • According to Jennifer (big thanks!): The Tennis Channel website mentions that they're scheduled to air the HOF induction ceremony from 1-2 PM EST on Sunday, July 11th.
    Will there be anyone who can tape this show for the benefit of people who don't get the Tennis Channel? Please write to me if you can help. Thanks.
  • The HOF has spoken and the news is disappointing. At this point, their stance is that the autograph session scheduled for Saturday 7/10 will only be available to ticket holders of that day. I have asked them to consider holding a session on Sunday for the inductees and the reply from the office is:
    "No autograph session has been scheduled for Sunday. If there are any changes we will not be aware of them until Sunday."
    So it doesn't look good for those of us who have tickets for Sunday only.
    If you want to put in a word to encourage them to schedule a session for Sunday, please call them or send them a courteous note. Tel: 401-849-3990 newport@tennisfame.com
    In any case:
    • When you arrive at the HOF on Sunday, ask them again if there is an autograph session - sounds like they are not the most organized and there may still be a slim chance that this will take place.
    • it may be a good idea to bring a pair of binoculars if you want to see Stefan and others up close.
    Sorry that the news is not the best, but I gave it my best try :-)
  July 6, 2004
  Those of us who are attending the Hall of Fame induction ceremony will be heading out to Rhode Island very soon. Here are the final details. I will be travelling to there in a couple of days.
  • I have heard from the HOF about the autograph session. This is what I was told:
    The autograph session will be held on Saturday at 2:00pm. The location is to be determined, when you are here on Saturday we will have more information. You have to be a tournament ticket holder to attend the autograph session.
  • The HOF has announced that at 9:30 Sunday in the morning of the ceremony there will be a doubles exhibition teaming Andre Agassi and Rod Laver, with opponents to be announced. It would be wonderful if Stefan will be part of the cast but for now there is no word to that effect. (See here for details.) Also, it is not clear if the match is open to ticket holders for the day. I am not planning to arrive at the HOF early for the exhibition, but some of you may be interested.
  • I have been informed that the HOF does not allow video cameras and possibly also prohibit digital cameras capable of making video.
  • There is an Edberg fan who has a spare ticket that can be had for face value $40. If you can use this ticket please write to me by Thursday July 8.
  See you there very soon!

  July 2, 2004
  Albert (new dad of a son named Stefan :-) wrote:
  Just now I was watching the TV and there is an interview with Boris during the rain delayed men's semi finals
  He was asked about his rivalry with Stefan.
  He said that the bad thing about their rivalry is that it was not personal. He said that he liked beating people that he doesn't like, but with Stefan who is such a nice guy he just didn't have the will to beat him up badly like the others. Even now they have so much respect to each other that when he met Stefan there was silence, because either one is waiting for the other to speak first.
  Well it was a nice interview by Vijay Amritraj with Becker...

  June 30, 2004
  I have not been able to track down a copy of "Inside Tennis", but thanks to Matthew Cronin, Managing Editor, and Richard Osborn, Associate Editor of the Inside Tennis Magazine, I obtained a copy of the tribute to Stefan that appeared in the July issue of the magazine. It is penned by Bill Simons, who clearly knows our man well.
  Please do read it: "Be Joyous Within and Walk Gently Upon This Earth -- The Saga of Stefan Edberg", by Bill Simmons, featured in INSIDE TENNIS/JULY 2004 -- a tribute to Stefan's induction to the International Tennis Hall of Fame.

  June 25, 2004
  Cindy wrote to edberg@yahoogroups.com:
  Do look out for the July issue of Australian Tennis magazine, which carries an exclusive interview with Stefan. Interesting stuff and he talks about his family quite a bit. One thing mentioned by the interviewer which caught me by surprise was that Stefan's wife used to (cut) Stefan's hair up to 1991!

June 24, 2004

• Albert wrote:
  Just to make it official maybe you can tell others on your site Wayne Ferreira has now broken Edberg Continuous Grand Slam Play Main Draw Record
  Well alright, Ferreira might have broken the record but in my book he's a far cry from Stefan Edberg.
• And my sentiment on this matter is echoed by this note from Rachelle:
  I just wanted to pass along some tidbits I heard over the last few days.
  First, I've been listening to the Wimbledon Radio coverage, over the last few days. A few days ago the broadcasters made quite a big deal over Wayne Ferreira breaking Stefan Edberg's record of 54 consecutive grand slams. While Ferreira, certainly does deserve kudos for his achievements, I think you would have to put an asterisk next to his record in comparison to Stefan's. Wayne Ferreira did not have no where near the win-loss record Edberg had in grand slams. I don’t even have to check his stats to be sure of that fact. How many slams did Ferreira win? Edberg won 6 and was in countless semi-finals, finals, etc. Edberg, more often than not, made it into the second week of the grand slams he entered. That is a lot of matches and much more a test of his endurance, fitness and longevity than Ferreira, who has had to play less slam matches, because he lost earlier more often in the Slams. I guess I'm a little bit irritated that the record was broken in this fashion. And from what I heard, Ferreira's only real motivation was to break the record and he will be retiring this year. I understand that records are made to be broken, I would have had more respect if the record was broken by someone who was winning lots of Grand Slams, a champion. So in my heart, the record still belongs to Stefan!
  Next, I saw on the tennis warehouse message boards, a reference to a full article in Tennis Magazine, about the nice John Wertheim story with Edberg. On that same topic, a poster mentioned another recent article about Stefan, in Inside Tennis Magazine, based out of California. The article was written by Mary Carillo. Are you familiar with this publication? It would be nice to get a copy of the article.
  Here is a link to the post on the message board.
  A big thanks to Rachelle for the tidbits. The Tennis Magazine article, is a nice tribute to Stefan, and the message board is worth reading - it has some nice things to say about Stefan. I will have to track down that Inside Tennis magazine at the local pro shop. If anyone else can get hold of a copy or more, please do so in case I fail in my mission. Thanks!

June 21, 2004
I have some good news. The International Hall of Fame has promptly and graciously replied to my enquiry, and here's what I was told:

"There is usually an autograph session held after the enshrinement ceremony. At this time, we have not officially determined when that will take place. We also have one tentatively scheduled for Saturday (time to be determined)."

June 16, 2004

• A fan posted this to the edberg board on yahoo:
  A while back M.L. Liu suggested a poster to show our support of Stefan which I thought was a great idea, I thought for those attending we could further show our support by donning swedish jerseys, like a soccer one for instance the blue and yellow symbolizing the flag would stand out as well. Just a thought whaddya think?
  I think this is a grand idea! Yes, let's don blue and yellow jersey/T-shirt on the day - I think this is a better idea than my poster/banner idea: Stefan will probably appreciate this gesture far better.
• And a big thanks to Karen, who wrote:
  I wasn't sure if you seen that yet or not, but I wanted to bring it to your attention, it's interesting to read.
  I'm sure you know the website since you bought tickets for the Induction Ceremony, which is coming up really fast, but here is the link to the transcript if you wanted it:
  Here's the interview. I actually didn't know anything about it, as I have been busy. It is an interview by Tony Trabert, and it is interesting to read.

June 11, 2004
Donna sent in this posting:

Posted on Wed, Jun. 09, 2004
CHAT ROOM: Stefan Edberg, Former tennis player
By John Miller
Star-Telegram Staff Writer
Stefan Edberg almost never had an emotional outburst on the court or screamed at a linesman.
He kept all his focus on playing tennis, and he played it well.
Edberg won 41 tournaments, including six Grand Slam singles titles and three doubles titles. On July 11, Edberg with be inducted into the Tennis Hall of Fame.
Edberg won Wimbledon (1988, 1990), the U.S. Open (1991, 1992) and Australian Open (1985, 1987). He came close to winning a career Grand Slam, but lost in the finals of the French Open to Michael Chang, 6-1, 3-6, 4-6, 6-4, 6-2 in 1989.
Edberg won the ATP Sportsmanship Award five times during his career. The final time he won it, in 1996, the award was renamed the Edberg Sportsmanship Award.
Could you tell us your most memorable moment? Well, I think there's been a lot of memorable moments. But, you know, it comes to, you know, the big wins that you have during your career. Obviously, winning Wimbledon the first time is a very, very special feeling. Being brought up in Sweden, having watched all Bjorn Borg's five victories on the grass, to be able to do the same back in 1988, that was a very special moment to go on the court. But there's a few other things. You know, when I won the U.S. Open in '91, when I beat [Jim] Courier in the final, was probably the best tennis match that I've played during my career.
Who did you consider your biggest rival during your career? Well, there was a few. But, obviously, I think Boris Becker and myself played three Wimbledon finals in a row. We're about the same age. We played a lot of finals on the tour. So I think that would be the pick, I think, which I had most of my rivalries with. But, you know, I had the opportunity to play against all the players, starting with Connors, McEnroe, [Ivan] Lendl, Pete Sampras, [Andre] Agassi. It was nice.
Did it mean something special to you to win the U.S. Open after many tries, doing something that Borg never did? Yes. You know, winning the U.S. Open, it's a tough cookie to win. I have to admit, I had problems in the beginning with the U.S. Open because it was quite an atmosphere there. It was quite noisy, a lot of people moving around, very loud with all the airplanes going over the U.S. Open. Maybe it wasn't my favorite tournament in the beginning of my career of the Grand Slams, but as you get used to the environment, you progress and you start playing well. You have to forget about all these things around.
You were known for a lot in your career, for your style of play, the serve-and-volley game, your grace. You were also known as a great sportsman. Is that something you took a lot of pride in? As the years go by, yes, it's something that I can be proud of. You know, I always thought it to be quite important as an idol to many people, having somebody to look up to and be a good example. To me sportsmanship is very, very important -- maybe even more important in today's society. Something that I'm proud of and feel that it's very important to have these kind of people around.
John Miller, (817) 548-5473 jhmiller@star-telegram.com

Wanted and willing to share: Edberg matches