Family "Shows" at the 2008 U.S. Open
At the 2008 U.S. Open, the International Tennis Hall of Fame has an exhibit, "Home Court: The Family Draw,” celebrating families in tennis. When one thinks of "tennis families," one thinks of the most famous sisters in tennis today, Serena and Venus Williams, the brother and sister duo of Marat Safin and sister, Dinara, as well as the Bryan brothers. However, all budding tennis stars are introduced to the game of tennis by their families
and many maintain very close ties to their parents throughout their careers as parents or relatives become their coaches, e.g. Serena and Venus Williams, Rafael Nadal, or travelling companions and supporters, e.g. Ana Ivanovic and Novak Djokovic. The exhibit tells the story of the relationship of tennis and families across the globe and over different generations through photos, player memorabilia, interviews and a specially-produced video. For so many “tennis families,” there are stories of love, devotion, commitment, and sacrifice. More than 80 families including Tracy and Jeff Austin, the Maleeva sisters, Taylor and Phil Dent, Chris and Jimmy Evert, the Armritraj brothers, Malivai and Mashona Washington, John and Patrick McEnroe, Cara, Byron and Wayne Black, Helena Sukova and Cyril Suk, Arantxa Sanchez Vicario and brothers Emilio and Javier, Nancy and Cliff Richey, etc. are represented and their stories chronicle the history of the game. The relationship between tennis and families is timeless and well worth reviewing and celebrating.
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