Don't Knock the Nicknames

The US Open Series, this summer's "hottest reality series," begins this week with the RCA Indianapolis Championships. Only one of the players from this nickname list are in the men's draw, as Andre "The Legend" Agassi has pulled out because of his lingering back injury. Nicholas Kiefer, last year's losing finalist, is seeded second to "Rocket Man" Andy Roddick, who won the tournament last year.

The nickname idea has been floating around for a while now; how can you make international players into household names (in the US, at least)? This seems to be a fun way to start, calling players by their distinctive characteristics. Obviously, Roger Federer is "The Boss." Sharapova's "The 'It' Girl" despite her Wimbledon semifinal loss. Venus and Serena Williams are "The Goddess" and "The Diva" respectively. Marat Safin is "Mr. Unpredictable"--a nickname more flattering than "Headcase," I'm sure. For lack of anything else to say about him, Tim Henman has been labeled "The Good Guy." Possibly a logical consequence of the British stiff upper lip.

The rest of the Indianapolis field also have nicknames, albeit from Tennis X instead of the USTA marketing department. The notables are: Dominik "The Dominator" Hrbaty, Mario "Baby Goran" Ancic, Max "The Beast" Mirnyi, "Grinning" Greg Rusedski, and Taylor "Acci-" Dent.

posted by Noelle De Guzman @ 9:05 AM