Daily Racquet

Nole Is The New Face of Sergio Tacchini

Novak Djokovic has become the new face of Sergio Tacchini — sporting a blazing new design created specifically for him. Sergio Tacchini has a long history with tennis since in it was founded in 1966, in northern Italy, by Sergio Tacchini, the International Tennis player who was a singles player in the Davis Cup for Italy from 1959 to 1966. The brand immediately introduced great innovation in style, using colors and stripes at a time when tennis players only wore white.

Fast forward to 2010 and it's another bold move for the company — Novak Djokovic in bold red flames.

Djokovic plays in either a black or white  polo with red flames, printed on the chest and back. You can recognize items out of the Novak Djokovic product line by the heart in the Serbian tri-color with the white eagle. The Flame Merch polo is made of 100% polyester Interlock mechanical stretch. The shirt also features a two-piece crew neck with mesh underarms and sides. On the chest and back of the polo is printed the red Tacchini Flame logo.

Djokovic matches the crew with the Men's First Merch Short. These Djokovic signature shorts have his nickname "Nole" printed on the back waist. The short features an elastic waistband, side pockets and the same sublimated flame design on the legs.

Many famous players like John McEnroe, Jimmy Connors, Pete Sampras, Goran Ivanisevic, Martina Navratilova, Martina Hingis…wore the Sergio Tacchini logo. Djokovic is banking that Sergio Tacchini, a strong brand with a true tennis DNA, will help add to his tennis legacy, like those who boldly wore it before him.

Available online at Tennis Warehouse.

It's A Wrap!

Have you ever watched a professional tennis match and wondered what that tape is that some of the 
players are wearing?  Well, I now have the answer for you. It's called kinesiology taping.

Currently being touted as the latest in drug-free pain relief for tennis players, Kinesiology Taping is intended to alleviate pain and facilitate lymphatic drainage by microscopically lifting the skin. By lifting the skin and relieving pressure on pain transmitters, KT Tape (20 pre-cut strips per roll) provides muscle-pain relief and support without restricting motion. KT Tape comes in convenient pre-cut strips and is available in a variety of colors. It provides 24-hour relief for up to five days per application and is water resistant, so it stays on in the pool & shower. Previously available only to medical professionals and athletic trainers, KT Tape has packaged the tape in pre-cut strips to bring the benefits of taping to consumers.

We can't tell you how it works but we can tell that it seemed to work for us. So if you have one of those nagging tennis injuries that slow you down, then it might be worth giving KT Tape a try.

Available online at Amazon.com.

NEW Patrick McEnroe Book "Hardcourt Confidential" To Hit Shelves In June

US Davis Cup Coach and tennis commentator Patrick McEnroe and award-winning tennis writer Peter Bodo have teamed up to pen Hardcourt Confidential, an entertaining and unfiltered look at professional tennis as seen through Patrick McEnroe eyes.

McEnroe has been in the world of professional tennis in one way or another for most of his life. As a player, coach, and ESPN commentator, he's seen it all. The significant tennis books of recent years have all been autobiographies--famous players burnishing their image or attempting to set the record straight within carefully controlled memoirs. No one has been willing to do a book that pulls back the curtain and presents an honest, no-holds-barred look into the ultimate gentleman's sport and the larger-than-life personalities that inhabit it. Curious to know which marquee player threw a tantrum and bailed early on a tournament? Why Roger Federer, presumably the greatest player of all time, has a losing head-to-head record with Rafael Nadal? Why certain tennis prodigies burned out early? The real role of coaches like Nick Bollettieri? Which player is as much of a diva off the court as on? The greatest match ever played?

In Hardcourt Confidential, McEnroe uses his twenty-five-plus years in the trenches of the game to tell true tales and wild stories about the players you think you know (from Sampras to Agassi to Roddick to the Williams sisters), how and why the game has changed since he first swung a racket, and what the future holds in store for American tennis. McEnroe takes an unapologetic look at the men, women, and events of the past three decades, right up to the epic Federer vs. Nadal rivalry that dominates the game today. He's got a lot to say and he's not afraid to say it.

Everybody in tennis is going to want to read this! Reserve your copy now.

Available for Pre-Order at Amazon.com.

Andy Roddick Adds To "Le Crocodile" Legend

 Yesterday top-ranked American Andy Roddick lived up to the legendary "le crocodile' logo that he sports on his clothes when he defeated Thomas Berdych in the finals to win the 2010 Sony Ericcson Men's Singles Championships.

History has it that the signature crocodile logo that adorns the famous Lacoste clothing line started when the press nicknamed French tennis player Rene' LaCoste "the Alligator" after a bet he made over a suitcase that was made from alligator skin. The nickname stuck since it conveyed the tenacity he displayed on the tennis court, never letting go his prey. 

Lacoste was a self-made champion, a player who won world renown through sheer hard work and devoted application rather than through the benefit of natural talent. It's seems only fitting that Roddick, another hard-working and devoted player, is wearing his label today.

For his match yesterday, Roddick was wearing the Lacoste Men's Spring Tennis Polo— a super-soft lightweight polo that boasts a "super dry" wicking feature that is designed to keep moisture away from the body. The shirt features a classic fit with a ribbed knit collar and three-button placket front with pearl buttons. The shirt has printed stripes on the sleeves with a split tail hem. The signature Croc Applique is on the left chest.

For shorts, Roddick was wearing the Lacoste Men's Spring Diamante Short which are perfect both on and off the court. They feature an elastic waistband with internal drawcord, side pockets, and a signature Croc applique on lower right leg.

Add a little bit of history to your game with this Sportswear classic and maybe you too, will become a "Le Crocodile" legend.

Available online at Tennis Warehouse.