Matthew Willis @mattracquet Twitter profile

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Matthew Willis

4 years

. @TheRacquet - The Modernisation Of Tennis 'Alarmism aside, is Mouratoglou’s wider point right or wrong? Is tennis in trouble? And if it is, how do we help it?'

The Modernisation Of Tennis

'And yet, to fans of Real Tennis, nothing could be more vulgar'

theracquet.substack.com

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Last Seen Profiles

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Still one of the best sports ads of all time

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

WHO DID THIS

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Nadal and Medvedev debriefing and laughing about how crazy the match was during the trophy ceremony

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

26 days

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

11 months

Raonic’s slice serve just to give you an idea of how silly hard it is to return some of these guys serves

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Nadal, Djokovic, and Murray aren’t just watching a titan and friend/rival (Federer) walk off a competitive court for the last time, they’re also watching the beginning of the end of their once in a lifetime era of tennis

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 months

Rafael Nadal just broke into the top 500 in the rankings this week. Could be a name to watch

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Shot of the year. Not sure I’ve ever seen a cleaner left handed winner from a right handed player

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Big year for handholding in sport

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Easily one of the best wins of Nadal's career. Big 3 just built different

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

16 days

The tennis scoring system has no equal in sport

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Tough to stress how unique this is: The giants of a notoriously individual sport, and a young protege, openly discussing/suggesting tactics. Credit to @SitTanyusha

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

How could you ever want to end of best of 5 set tennis?

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Greatest serve of all time

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Feels like Medvedev (AO2022) and Tsitsipas (RG2021) both learned very hard lessons about how ruthless they need to be when two sets to love up against an all time great player in a Slam final

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Moya has done an extraordinary job with Nadal

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

4 years

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

Also funny that Fed, Nadal & Djokovic's brilliance has skewed expectations so badly that a 22 year old beating a soon to be 35 year old in a physical 5 set match is still seen as a big upset. If you zoom out enough it actually feels exactly what should be happening at this point

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

18 into 19 year old Fernandez beating Osaka, Kerber, Svitolina, Sabalenka in a row, each in three sets, is one of the most bananas things I’ve seen in tennis for a while. Absurd run

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Rublev’s ‘no war’ camera lens thing is everywhere. People who have barely even heard of tennis are talking about it

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Zverev: "I had two coaches, one on the court (Federer) and one on the bench (Nadal). It was great, I could just just shut my brain off and listen to what they told me. They are the two greatest ever."

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

The Nadal Djokovic rivalry is so close to being perfectly balanced. Nadal 20-8 on clay Djokovic 20-7 on hard courts 2-2 on grass Djokovic 30, Nadal 29 overall

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Nadal on losing his serve at 5*-4 in the 5th set: "Well after that I said 'fuck', one more time break up in the 5th and I gonna lose again like in 2012 and 2017'

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

For the millionth time umpire abuse should be zero tolerance in tennis. Zverev should be suspended

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 months

Counterpoint:

Andy Murray

@andy_murray

2 months

Is there a worse use of technology in sport than the introduction of the umpire head cam at Roland garros?! 😂 looks horrendous and from what I’ve seen offers nothing to anyone involved in the match! 🤷‍♂️😮

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

Absolutely ridiculous point. Unreal defensive winner from Djokovic, off one of the hardest forehands Zverev has probably ever hit @Eurosport_RU

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Nadal goes to the bathroom. Federer: @primevideosport #LaverCup

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

6 months

This will be obvious or surface level for nerdier parts of tennis twitter but I can’t overstate how valuable stuff like this is, communicated excellently by both Medvedev & Courier, for most fans. Need more of this. Also we need Courier to never retire

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

The level of tennis during 2007-2014 ish was a once in a lifetime freakshow of greatness. And this was one of its biggest highlights

Mason

@masonryrafan

3 years

Nadal's peak movement is a defence phenomenon... insane lateral movement.

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Absolute scenes. Federer and Nadal giggling about hand signals.

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Paire (on way to court to face Nishikori) congratulating Wawrinka (coming from court after beating Tsitsipas) as the two met in the Philippe Chatrier hallway. @Eurosport_UK #RolandGarros

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Sort of funny that a lot of people seem to periodically forget every couple of years that Nadal is one of the greatest hard courters of all time. Similar with Djokovic and clay

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

4 years

Lajović: *hits pretty much perfect kick serve* Nadal:

doublefault28

@doublefault28

4 years

Nadal #IBI20 (🎥 @Eurosport_RU )

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

Happy to see Djokovic finally get the ovation such a great champion deserves from the new york crowd

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Nadal plays an outrageous return game to break Cilic. Jim Parsons can't believe it. Tiger Woods fist-pumping. Absolute scenes. @Eurosport_RU #USOpen

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Rafa just nailed a ball straight into a commentary booth. Pretty damn impressive accuracy. @Eurosport_RU #USOpen

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

4 years

Świątek: "It's crazy for me because I watch every year how Rafa lifts this trophy so it's crazy that I'm in the same place"

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Rafa: *loses game* Tiger:

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

End of the era

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

9 months

Tennis in Paris

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 months

Did anyone actually watch Zverev over the last two weeks? He repeatedly read marks wrong where the umpire ended up being correct and he was wrong. High level umpires are given specific ball mark training. The contempt this sport has for officials is so odd

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 months

This is absolutely wild. The effect that Nadal and the Big 3 have had on tennis is so rare. Individual sports are also funny in that these guys all just seemed to be an unending tireless presence at the top of the game until all of a sudden they weren’t

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Nadal's avg serve speed in 2011 season 1st serve: 111mph (179kph) 2nd serve: 89mph (143kph) Nadal's avg serve speed at 2022 Australian Open 1st serve: 116mph (187kph) 2nd serve: 101mph (163kph)

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Swiatek’s movement just on another level

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

29 days

I hope tennis ends up realising how lucky it is that Sinner and Alcaraz just happen to be as ludicrously good as they are, just as the golden Big 3 era finishes. Things aren’t always that smooth

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

4 years

'yOu sHoUld uNdErArM sErVe nAdAl' 🎥 @Eurosport_RU

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Federer had an era defining impact on how the game was played and how it has evolved. Both as an indivual and as a vital part of the triopoly of absurd greatness in Roger/Rafa/Novak. I can think of no bigger accolade in sport than having that effect

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

Top 10 dumbest day in tennis history

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Bernardes standing up to Kyrgios is a good thing. Can’t just hurl abuse at an umpire for half an hour and be surprisedpikachu.jpeg when there are repercussions

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Despite much of his career being snatched away from him by bad luck and injuries, I’ll always remember Delpo’s peaks. And man they were in the fucking clouds, no matter who he was playing. Tennis gets poorer when he leaves the court this week

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

Imagine not liking 5 set tennis lol

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

One of the wildest things about those two matches is that Alcaraz just completely out offence’d and out winner’d the two players (Nadal and Djokovic) who have absolutely feasted on, and exploited, opponent’s offence for nearly two decades, and won back to back

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

4 years

Thiem and Medvedev both beat Nadal and Djokovic in the same event (that happening once is incredibly rare, twice is like a unicorn). Extraordinary week from both guys and fully deserving finalists.

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

TFW you play Nadal on Chatrier

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

10 months

Single handers aren’t really supposed to have this shot. The strength/balance required to wrap this back in the court with one arm is wild. You see it with good 2 handed backhands all the time (Novak, Alcaraz etc), but a single hander is another level

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Moral of the story: do not approach Djokovic's forehand when break point, or championship point, up, deep in a 5th set, at Wimbledon. 🎥BBC #Wimbledon

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

The fact there's no live tennis channel or stream talking about this right now feels like a pretty big failing of how this sport is presented

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

4 years

Nadal *hits forehand down the line winner* Federer: "I've seen that forehand go past me so many times, I'm sick and tired of it."

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 months

tennis, bees swarm Indian Wells, Alcaraz gets stung on the head, players flee, Mohamed Lahyani utters the words ‘play suspended BEE INVASION’, a man (BEEMAN) emerges from the backrooms & starts nonchalantly vacuuming bees at an extremely slow pace, one hour passes, tennis

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Medvedev continues to troll New York City. @Eurosport_RU #USOpen

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Nadal bullying a player's backhand in Paris? I've seen this movie

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

That's how much this means to him. Slam No 19 and still seems to care just as much as No.1. @Eurosport_RU #USOpen

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

It's ok to not relate every single movement Alcaraz makes to one of the Big 3 lol

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Nothing unites tennis twitter like handshake controversy

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

7 months

Simultaneously being elected to the ATP player council and being featured in a puff piece netflix episode where he's cast as a hero while awaiting trial for domestic abuse is just the most extraordinary and dysfunctional timing for tennis. It makes the sport look insane

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

4 years

wasn’t really what I meant by tennis getting more mainstream attention

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

This is such a classic Big 3 performance so far. Challenger (Cilic): *plays best tennis in years* Nadal/Federer/Djokovic: Fine, guess I'll have to shift up to that special gear that no one else in the history of the game possesses. If I must, I guess.

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Monfils just hit one of the best underarm serves I've seen. Sidespinning, low and was about to double bounce just past the service box

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

Berrettini’s consistency at Slam level is so, so impressive. One of the best all surface players on tour

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

There’s a very good reason no man has completed the calendar year grand slam in 52 years. It’s fucking hard, maybe the hardest thing to do in tennis. A huge opportunity missed by Djokovic but his season is still all time great without it

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Barty came, beat the game, and left

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 months

@GTLTennis Considering the reason women play best of 3 instead of 5 in the first place is because of an all male USLTA council decision made in the early 1900’s where women were deemed too weak to play best of 5, despite protesting to no avail, the framing of this question makes no sense

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

4 years

Really don’t think it’s ever going to be possible to fully explain how completely nutty it is to have 100 wins and just 2 losses at a slam. Barely makes any sense.

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

US open so far

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Probably a rights issue but feels like an awful decision not to show Delpo's retirement moments, the emotional interview and him leaving his headband on the net for what looks like his last ever match. This sport gets the silliest things wrong

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

Absolutely unreal backhand pass from Medvedev to get the big break. 🎥 @Eurosport_RU

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

Most focus will be on Djokovic equalling Nadal and Federer on 20 Slams, but for me Djokovic finally joining Fed and Nadal in winning Roland Garros & Wimbledon in a row (the Channel Slam) is huge. One of the hardest things to do in tennis

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Sweet mother of god. Nadal on 🔥 @Eurosport_RU #USOpen

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

2 years

Tennis players

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

Thiem: *converts BP* Nadal & Federer: @primevideosport #LaverCup

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

3 years

I've lost the ability to take any of this seriously. This sport is a walking meme

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

5 years

After Nadal wins the set. Federer in background (talking to Zverev and Tsitsipas): He (Nadal) needs all his towels otherwise he can't sit down." Fed rinsing Rafa's superstitiousness.

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Matthew Willis

@mattracquet

4 years

every tennis players instagram right now