Organization: University of Illinois at Chicago
Date: Wed, 6 Jan 1993 09:03:51 CST
From: <U58476@uicvm.uic.edu>
Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis
Subject: Re: International Tennis Periodicals

In article <1993Jan6.093651.24877@cbnewsh.cb.att.com>, shun@cbnewsh.cb.att.com
(shun.cheung) says:
>
>In article <79180@hydra.gatech.EDU> cs30@prism.gatech.EDU (Christopher Smith)
>writes:
>>
>>All this talk about the quality of (print) tennis coverage in
>>the USA is fascinating, but I am curious as to how European and
>>Australian tennis coverage stacks up, particularly print
>>coverage.
>>
>>Would anyone care to comment on or make recommendations on
>>non-USA tennis periodicals or tennis news magazines and their
>>perceived quality, either general or specific?  (BTW, not
>>necessarily English-language periodicals).
>
>The British has "Tennis World" (different from the now defunct World
>Tennis in the US) and several other tennis magazines. Some friends
>of mine buy them regularly here in the US, but I have never seen one
>myself. However, I have seen a few copies of the German "Tennis Magazin"
>and "Tennis Revue" (Tennis Review). They are in many ways similar to
>the American "Tennis" magazine, having coverage on tournaments, technique,
>equipment and attire, and tennis resorts, etc. My *guess* is that most
>tennis magazines just need to cover all these areas to get a large
>enough reader base and advertisers.

Let me add France's "tennis magazine" (or something like that).  I got the
post-French Open issue: it was out on the newstands before Wimbledon even
started (I think a week earlier, in fact), & it had full French Open
coverage...around 35 (or more) pages were devoted to the French Open results &
related news (eg henri Leconte).  Now I consider THAT pretty efficient &
up-to-date coverage!  I've found the above-mentioned German magazines up-to-
date as well, & their tournament coverage (at least within their country) is
"huge": there were more pages devoted to the men's German Open OR the women's
Citizen Cup alone than the USA's Tennis or TennisWeek have ever given to the
US Open, much less the other 3 Grand Slam events.  But like the German &
American magazines, the French one has lots on those other topics as well
(eg resorts, latest tenniswear & racquets).   I agree with Shun, I think it's
almost a necessity to have those instruction/resort extras in order to have
a large enough reader base.  The "followers" of pro tennis are just a part
of the Tennis audience.  If anyone out there belongs to a tennis club, you'd
probably notice that there are many out there who are addicted players who
care (or know) nothing about professional tennis.  At least that is my
experience when I was a member of a club here in Chicago: the club that hosts
the pros when they come to Chicago...& I've found so many people who don't
know much, if anything, about who is at the top or what the Grand Slams are,
or why Martina Navratilova or Steffi Graf are practicing on court #9 ...&
what's with that blue carpet anyway? :-)  These people may be more interested
in the best resorts, the latest racquets, & instructional material than news
on the pro tours.  Somehow, I have the feeling that there are more of these
type of readers than there are of those that follow pro tennis.

Shun also mentioned Britain's "Tennis World."  This is the only magazine I've
seen that doesn't spend much paper on resorts, racquets, or shoes.  But
unfortunately at times, the content quality (to me) leaves much to be desired:
it is a very thin publication on heavier paper, & at a high price ($5.25/copy
in the US).  Like the USA's Tennis magazine, this one is at least 2 months
behind as well.
Natasha

Newsgroups: rec.sport.tennis