Coachella Valley’s Tommy Tucker: “Tennis Talk” with Tony Trabert

Written by: Staff on 16th March 2012

Coachella Valley's Tommy Tucker: "Tennis Talk" with Tony Trabert |

Indian Wells, CA – Every day around noontime, Coachella Valley tennis god Tommy Tucker has interviewed a guest on site at the 2012 BNP Paribas Open. This live, on-stage interview invited fans to catch a glimpse of one of the desert’s most perennial tennis figures.

Tucker, who’s title at local Mission Hills Country Club is “Tennis Pro Emeritus”, is revered for his work in the tennis community and for coaching some of its top professionals since the 1970s. Today, his featured guest was tennis legend: Tony Trabert – Former World #1 ranked tennis player and 10-time Slam winner (narrowly missing a Grand Slam in 1955 by two matches), U.S. Davis Cup mainstay and Captain (winning the cup in 1954 and 1958 during a decade dominated by Australian teams) , one of the best CBS broadcasters ever, and member/former president of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. Together, their wealth of knowledge about the game of tennis and its participants is the stuff of legend as they have experienced every single professional tennis generation since the 1950s.

Both of these men were integral parts of the “Golden Era” of tennis when the players were more approachable and the game was played more for love than money. They can recall the numerous events, dinners, tournaments, and parties where the most legendary players of the game interacted and became friends with some of the world’s most high-powered business owners and sponsors.

Tommy asked Tony about his opinion of numerous players from the past like Laver, Kramer, Ashe, Rosewall, Gonzalez, and Hoad. They also recounted some of their Davis Cup memories as well as significant stories with each player. One instance Trabert recalled was when he was on court as captain during a Davis Cup match against South Africa in Newport Beach, CA and the match became caught up in apartheid protests. During one of the televised matches, three protestors stormed the court and staining it with a can of oil. Trabert had to protect himself using a graphite racket and drove one of the protestors into police custody. Trabert says that one of the greatest honors in the world is to represent oneself and country in Davis Cup.

Interestingly, Trabert doesn’t hold onto an ego in terms of comparing the different tennis generations. He claims that because the depth of the game has gotten to be so strong, it is immensely more difficult to win titles these days than in the past. However up until 1968 when the game became open to professionals and amateurs, a few professionals were not given a chance to win Slams. That fact along with the expansion of the game and its monetary success, has created what the modern game is today. Trabert speaks very highly of Federer and Nadal not only because of their play on court but because of who they are off it. Trabert says he only criticizes a player on two things: 1. Their behavior and 2. Their attitude. He thinks that there is no place for misbehavior or quitting on the court. After an hour long talk about tennis, the floor was open for listeners to ask their own questions and Tony graciously thanked fans for listening.

Topics: Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, TOmmy Tucker, Tradel