News about Taylor
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Here's a longer article that I posted about this in the Cheering thread
http://menstennisforums.com/showpost.php?p=2354699&postcount=254
http://menstennisforums.com/showpost.php?p=2354699&postcount=254
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Making a new Dent
Talented American is getting into the best shape of his life.
Charles Bricker, Sun-Sentinel
Published November 20, 2005
NAPLES · The skinny on Taylor Dent is 11 percent body fat, down from 18 percent two months ago, and still losing, he insisted proudly after rousing himself from a cat nap Saturday.
All this off-court work ("I'm putting my body through all sorts of hell") plus a couple of hours of hit-and-giggle pro-am tennis at The Players Club here left the big American with the ink black hair and amiable personality a little drowsy.
He was slumped over in a chair in the club dining room, his head on his crossed arms, trying to catch a little sleep before he was hauled out for the afternoon doubles with fellow pros Mardy Fish and Scott Humphries, and former player and coach Tom Gullikson, who hosts this annual Swingtime charity that benefits cancer patients and research.
Is this the reborn Taylor Dent, the one who has decided at age 24 that it's time to be all you can be? For a young man who has been chronically injured and who has gone through more coaches than you can remember, this time the commitment has the feel of the real thing.
To begin with, Dent has made a major financial investment, moving out of Huntington Beach, Calif., and buying a 5,200 square foot home on a lake in Sarasota so that he can be close to the Bollettieri Academy, where fitness guru Jason Riley is "putting a hurt on me."
Dent did a lot of off-court training when he was coached by Brad Stine three years ago. But this, he says, is different. "This time, I'm sacrificing a lot of court time to put more effort into the gym work. I'm going every day but Sunday."
Why? "Because of the injury problems," said Dent. "I've lifted weights. I've done yoga. This is the one avenue I haven't pursued to the fullest."
For many, Dent has been an enigma. No one disputes his enormous talent or questions his 140 mph serve and ability to back it up with great volleying.
Yet, despite a succession of key wins throughout the year, the body breakdowns continue and he refuses to hire another personal coach.
He defeated Lleyton Hewitt, David Nalbandian, Marat Safin, Guillermo Coria, Tommy Johansson and Ivan Ljubicic in 2005. But there were no titles and some disappointing losses in the Grand Slams.
He was out in the third round at the Australian Open, in the round of 16 at Wimbledon on his best surface and down in the third round of the U.S. Open, though only by 7-5 in the fifth set to Hewitt.
He finishes at No. 29 with a 33-21 record, and those aren't bad numbers. But by this time in his career, you expected more.
Now, he sounds completely convinced, you're going to get it.
Moving from the place where he was born and lived all his life was a major decision. "There is a special place for the East Coast in my heart, but I'm Southern California through and through," he said.
It was not easy to pick up and move. "But I'm planning to be here as long as my tennis career is going," he said.
Dent's weight has wavered between 190 and 200 pounds or more over the years, but he says Riley is less concerned about the scale and more about physical strength and body fat.
This has been no easy off-season for Dent, who will be back at Bollettieri's on Monday to start a new week of hellish workouts. He's only been occasionally on court the last two weeks, and then only for about 45 minutes at a time just long enough to maintain his feel for the ball. This has been all about physical training.
When that's done, "then I'll get cracking on my game," he said.
He'll begin the season Jan. 2 at Adelaide, play at Sydney the next week and then the Australian Open. Maybe a Grand Slam title isn't within his reach, but eight or nine percent body fat is, and so is a whole new attitude toward the game.
Talented American is getting into the best shape of his life.
Charles Bricker, Sun-Sentinel
Published November 20, 2005
NAPLES · The skinny on Taylor Dent is 11 percent body fat, down from 18 percent two months ago, and still losing, he insisted proudly after rousing himself from a cat nap Saturday.
All this off-court work ("I'm putting my body through all sorts of hell") plus a couple of hours of hit-and-giggle pro-am tennis at The Players Club here left the big American with the ink black hair and amiable personality a little drowsy.
He was slumped over in a chair in the club dining room, his head on his crossed arms, trying to catch a little sleep before he was hauled out for the afternoon doubles with fellow pros Mardy Fish and Scott Humphries, and former player and coach Tom Gullikson, who hosts this annual Swingtime charity that benefits cancer patients and research.
Is this the reborn Taylor Dent, the one who has decided at age 24 that it's time to be all you can be? For a young man who has been chronically injured and who has gone through more coaches than you can remember, this time the commitment has the feel of the real thing.
To begin with, Dent has made a major financial investment, moving out of Huntington Beach, Calif., and buying a 5,200 square foot home on a lake in Sarasota so that he can be close to the Bollettieri Academy, where fitness guru Jason Riley is "putting a hurt on me."
Dent did a lot of off-court training when he was coached by Brad Stine three years ago. But this, he says, is different. "This time, I'm sacrificing a lot of court time to put more effort into the gym work. I'm going every day but Sunday."
Why? "Because of the injury problems," said Dent. "I've lifted weights. I've done yoga. This is the one avenue I haven't pursued to the fullest."
For many, Dent has been an enigma. No one disputes his enormous talent or questions his 140 mph serve and ability to back it up with great volleying.
Yet, despite a succession of key wins throughout the year, the body breakdowns continue and he refuses to hire another personal coach.
He defeated Lleyton Hewitt, David Nalbandian, Marat Safin, Guillermo Coria, Tommy Johansson and Ivan Ljubicic in 2005. But there were no titles and some disappointing losses in the Grand Slams.
He was out in the third round at the Australian Open, in the round of 16 at Wimbledon on his best surface and down in the third round of the U.S. Open, though only by 7-5 in the fifth set to Hewitt.
He finishes at No. 29 with a 33-21 record, and those aren't bad numbers. But by this time in his career, you expected more.
Now, he sounds completely convinced, you're going to get it.
Moving from the place where he was born and lived all his life was a major decision. "There is a special place for the East Coast in my heart, but I'm Southern California through and through," he said.
It was not easy to pick up and move. "But I'm planning to be here as long as my tennis career is going," he said.
Dent's weight has wavered between 190 and 200 pounds or more over the years, but he says Riley is less concerned about the scale and more about physical strength and body fat.
This has been no easy off-season for Dent, who will be back at Bollettieri's on Monday to start a new week of hellish workouts. He's only been occasionally on court the last two weeks, and then only for about 45 minutes at a time just long enough to maintain his feel for the ball. This has been all about physical training.
When that's done, "then I'll get cracking on my game," he said.
He'll begin the season Jan. 2 at Adelaide, play at Sydney the next week and then the Australian Open. Maybe a Grand Slam title isn't within his reach, but eight or nine percent body fat is, and so is a whole new attitude toward the game.
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Thats great news that he's making a really big effort to get into better shape im sure it will be followed with a rise up the rankings 
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Little blurb in Charles Bricker's column the other day:
How to win over hostile fans: wear a soccer jersey. :lol:
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Tennis star Taylor Dent talks to CNN
(CNN) -- CNN World Sport Anchor Candy Reid interviewed U.S. tennis star Taylor Dent. The following is a transcript of the interview. If you have a question for Candy, e-mail [email protected].
Q: Hello Taylor, after a great 2005 in which you finished in the top 30 for the first time in your career, you haven't played much this year -- are you injured? If so, when will you be back?
A: At the moment, I am having some problems with my back, but I hope to be back out in time for Paris and the Grass Court season.
Q: You've had a few injury problems in the last few years -- have you just been unlucky or is it something to do with the way you hit the ball?
A: I have heard differing points of view from a number of experts but I feel it is a bit of both. I put a lot of effort into my shots and my style of play takes a lot out of my body.
Q: How much has your father (Former pro Phil Dent) influenced your career?
A: He has been the biggest impact on my tennis career for sure. He started coaching me when I was 10 or 11 and he was my fulltime coach until I was 17 or 18.
Q: What do you make of Andre Agassi's decision to miss the entire clay-court season?
A: I am in no position to criticize Andre's decision. He is one of the best players of all time and if he thinks it is in his best interest to miss the clay court season, I back him up 100 precent. He knows his body better than anyone.
Q: Now that the French Open has decided to award the men's and women's winners equal prize money, the debate has resurfaced again. What's your view?
A: Tennis is an entertainment sport and if the tournaments that decide the prize money feel the women provide as much entertainment as the men, then I support it without any reservations. However, I know how hard the women work and I feel they earn the right to make as much as the men.
Q: Roger Federer is going for the Slam this year -- but do you think he can win at Roland Garros?
A: I think anybody who gets to the semis of Roland Garros has a huge chance to win.
Q: With your big serve and great volleys, do you think Wimbledon is your best chance of winning a Major?
A: I used to when I was younger, but the courts at Wimbledon have slowed down quite a bit. As of now, I feel my best chance to win a slam is at the U.S. Open because of the speed of the surface and the solid footing.
(CNN) -- CNN World Sport Anchor Candy Reid interviewed U.S. tennis star Taylor Dent. The following is a transcript of the interview. If you have a question for Candy, e-mail [email protected].
Q: Hello Taylor, after a great 2005 in which you finished in the top 30 for the first time in your career, you haven't played much this year -- are you injured? If so, when will you be back?
A: At the moment, I am having some problems with my back, but I hope to be back out in time for Paris and the Grass Court season.
Q: You've had a few injury problems in the last few years -- have you just been unlucky or is it something to do with the way you hit the ball?
A: I have heard differing points of view from a number of experts but I feel it is a bit of both. I put a lot of effort into my shots and my style of play takes a lot out of my body.
Q: How much has your father (Former pro Phil Dent) influenced your career?
A: He has been the biggest impact on my tennis career for sure. He started coaching me when I was 10 or 11 and he was my fulltime coach until I was 17 or 18.
Q: What do you make of Andre Agassi's decision to miss the entire clay-court season?
A: I am in no position to criticize Andre's decision. He is one of the best players of all time and if he thinks it is in his best interest to miss the clay court season, I back him up 100 precent. He knows his body better than anyone.
Q: Now that the French Open has decided to award the men's and women's winners equal prize money, the debate has resurfaced again. What's your view?
A: Tennis is an entertainment sport and if the tournaments that decide the prize money feel the women provide as much entertainment as the men, then I support it without any reservations. However, I know how hard the women work and I feel they earn the right to make as much as the men.
Q: Roger Federer is going for the Slam this year -- but do you think he can win at Roland Garros?
A: I think anybody who gets to the semis of Roland Garros has a huge chance to win.
Q: With your big serve and great volleys, do you think Wimbledon is your best chance of winning a Major?
A: I used to when I was younger, but the courts at Wimbledon have slowed down quite a bit. As of now, I feel my best chance to win a slam is at the U.S. Open because of the speed of the surface and the solid footing.
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I don't see him winning it either but if he were to, I agree with him that his best chance would be at the USO.
Technically Taylor's in the Rome list right now, he got in off the ALT list, so if he's not gonna play he has to withdraw by Friday.
Technically Taylor's in the Rome list right now, he got in off the ALT list, so if he's not gonna play he has to withdraw by Friday.
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Liking Taylor's answer to the Roger Grand Slam question :haha:
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Yeah it doesn't look like he'll play Rome
But you never know...Tojo is back way ahead of schedule
But you never know...Tojo is back way ahead of schedule
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nah, he pulled off the ALT list today.
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Oh no, Taylor actually had Back surgery
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U.S. Davis Cup player Dent has surgery
Associated Press
VAIL, Colo. - U.S. Davis Cup player Taylor Dent had back surgery Wednesday and hopes to return to the tour before Wimbledon.
Dent was ranked as high as 21st last year but he's only 1-4 in 2006 and has slipped to 65th on the ATP Tour. He hurt his back in Rotterdam in February.
"This is a minor procedure and I hope to be back for the grass- court season," Dent said in a statement distributed by the ATP. "I have been able to play tennis and am training every day. I am hopeful this will help take away some of the pain during serving."
He's aiming to play in Wimbledon tuneup tournaments at London, starting June 12, and the next week at Nottingham. Wimbledon begins June 26.
Dent's serve-and-volley game carried him to the fourth round at the All England Club last year, and he was a semifinalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
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U.S. Davis Cup player Dent has surgery
Associated Press
VAIL, Colo. - U.S. Davis Cup player Taylor Dent had back surgery Wednesday and hopes to return to the tour before Wimbledon.
Dent was ranked as high as 21st last year but he's only 1-4 in 2006 and has slipped to 65th on the ATP Tour. He hurt his back in Rotterdam in February.
"This is a minor procedure and I hope to be back for the grass- court season," Dent said in a statement distributed by the ATP. "I have been able to play tennis and am training every day. I am hopeful this will help take away some of the pain during serving."
He's aiming to play in Wimbledon tuneup tournaments at London, starting June 12, and the next week at Nottingham. Wimbledon begins June 26.
Dent's serve-and-volley game carried him to the fourth round at the All England Club last year, and he was a semifinalist at the 2004 Athens Olympics.
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No update for ages...and he has pulled out of Queen's I think :scratch:
Will he be back in time for Nottingham and Wimbledon? :sad:
Will he be back in time for Nottingham and Wimbledon? :sad:
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I dunno :sad:
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Out of Nottingham's alternates list :sad:
Nice to see he isn't rushing his comeback...the sensible option. But it sure sucks that he is missing the grass and chances to get points...ranking going into freefall again in August
Nice to see he isn't rushing his comeback...the sensible option. But it sure sucks that he is missing the grass and chances to get points...ranking going into freefall again in August
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Here's an update/interview. At least he can serve again
====================
The Tennis Week Interview: Taylor Dent
Photo By Alex Trautwig By Richard Pagliaro
06/13/2006
Staring intently into the service box of the blue U.S. Open court while swinging his red-and-white Wilson racquet in his right hand, Taylor Dent watched another serve land inside the line and smiled.
For a moment, Dent was right back where he wanted to be: on the court in New York City, but the rather than rushing the net during a match, Dent occupied the blue umpire's chair during a USTA demonstration of the Hawk-Eye line-calling system conducted on a temporary court inside historic Grand Central Terminal on Monday.
The 25-year-old Dent joined former U.S. Open champion Tracy Austin, Olympic gold medallist and ESPN tennis analyst Mary Joe Fernandez, USTA Chief Executive, Professional Tennis, Arlen Kantarian, National Tennis Center director of tennis Bill Mountford and Hawk-Eye founder Dr. Paul Hawkins for the demonstration, part of a promotion for the launch of individual tickets sales for the U.S. Open, which begins on August 28.
In recent months, Dent's tennis has been restricted to hitting forehands and backhands on the practice court.
Recurring back pain prompted the 60th-ranked Dent to alter his service motion in recent years. Dent underwent a risotomy, a procedure in which an extremely hot electric needle probes the inflamed area of the back in an attempt to deaden the nerves causing pain. The procedure does not provide permanent pain relief; in fact, in Dent's case it's effects didn't even last as long as the average ATP tournament.
Less than a year after reaching a career-high ranking of No. 21 following his appearance in the Indianapolis final, Dent has been bothered by back pain that has limited him to five matches this year. Dent's lone victory of the season was a 6-4, 7-5 triumph over Tomas Berdych in the opening round of Rotterdam in February. He retired in the round of 16 at Rotterdam after dropping the opening set to Christophe Rochus.
The serve-and-volleyer whose first serve is one of the most lethal weapons in tennis cannot consistently hit serves in practice due to the sharp pain that strikes his lower back every time he arches back to start his service motion.
"I'll go out there and hit some forehands and backhands and volleys, but it just hurts to serve," Dent said. "And as a serve-and-volleyer, the serve is the most important part of my game, and I can't practice my serve. I'm out there hitting balls feeling so frustrated because I'm just out there hitting to kind of stay in shape: I'm not really working on my game."
Seeing a serve-and-volleyer unable to serve is like witnessing Atlas requiring respite from carrying the world on his shoulders to undergo rotator cuff surgery. Dent has not ruled out playing Wimbledon, but given the fact he has not played a match since February, a more realistic return date may be later this summer. In the meantime, Dent, who has tried virtually every form of back-relief ranging from minor surgery to acupuncture to reiki, continues to consult doctors in an effort to remedy his aching back. He initially sustained two fractures after years of bending his back in an extreme arch during serving. The pain is primarily caused by damaged nerves now, which continue to flare up virtually every time he tosses the ball up in the air to begin his service motion.
"As soon as I find a solution, then I'm ready to go," Dent said. "It's just a matter of finding a solution and I mean that could be in the next couple of days, it could be in a week or two or a month or two. I'm not 100 percent sure when it will be, but I'm talking to a lot of doctors and they have a lot of ideas. I just want to make sure I proceed in the direction that's best for my short-term and long-term health."
Tennis Week caught up with Dent in Grand Central Terminal yesterday for this interview.
Tennis Week: Taylor, last time I spoke to you it was prior to your back procedure. What exactly was that procedure and how did it go?
Taylor Dent: It's called a Risotomy and what they do is go in there with a needle and they kind of test around and make sure they're not hitting the wrong nerve. As soon as they find the right nerve the cut it off, they fry it, from one part (of the nerve) to the next where the pain exists. It's similar to getting an injection, but they don't have to be right on the spot. They can start a little bit further away and kill where the nerve stems. So that actually was OK for about five days and then my back started hurting again. So right now, I'm just kind of looking for different solutions and see what a few doctors have to say about it.
Tennis Week: So it's not an Agassi-type sciatic injury?
Taylor Dent: I'm don't know exactly what Agassi has, but I have had two fractures back there. I've had them for six or seven years.
Tennis Week: And that was caused by the serving or just the wear and tear of being a professional athlete?
Taylor Dent: From the serving. I heard a lot of athletes, like 20 percent of the athletes who do arching motions or offensive lineman in football, they get this, but the majority of them get through and the pain eventually ends. So I'm in a very small category of athletes who this happens to...
Tennis Week: ...Where the pain is prolonged?
Taylor Dent: Exactly. I mean, there is nothing structurally wrong with it. If I didn't play tennis, I'd be fine to do everything. It's just the service that really hurts. So it's just a matter of getting it pain free back there. For the first little bit, the injections were working, but I was warned that they weren't always going to work; that my body was either going to develop an immunity to it or that they were just going to lose their effect so the risotomy was the next step. That didn't work as well as we had hoped so now I just have to try to look at the next step after that.
Tennis Week: Have you tried acupuncture or non-traditional methods like that?
Taylor Dent: Definitely. I've tried all that stuff; all types of stuff. Really, I like to stay as open-minded as possible. I've tried everything under the sun, including more obscure therapies like reiki. A lot of that stuff, like acupuncture and reiki, you really have to believe strongly in it for it to work and I'm more the other way, you know: you have to show me first and I'll believe it later.
Tennis Week: Where are you at then in terms of hopefully returning to the Tour and playing again? You look pretty good and fit.
Taylor Dent: As soon as I find a solution, then I'm ready to go. It's just a matter of finding a solution and I mean that could be in the next couple of days, it could be in a week or two or a month or two. I'm not 100 percent sure when it will be, but I'm talking to a lot of doctors and they have a lot of ideas. I just want to make sure I proceed in the direction that's best for my short-term and long-term health.
Tennis Week: How do you prevent yourself from getting frustrated when injuries prevent you from playing. Less than a year ago, you're in the Nottingham semis, the fourth round of Wimbledon, the Indianapolis final then we saw you here in New York play a fantastic match against Hewitt. And now you're back to trying to just get back out on the court. How do you stay positive and optimistic?
Taylor Dent: I guess everybody's different. My main focus is to do everything I can; everything I can control. It's out of my control that my back is hurting, but I'm doing everything I can to try to improve it, get better and get completely healthy. You know, it's going to happen when it's meant to happen. I can't really control anything that's going to happen in that respect so I just try to roll with the punches and make the best out of it.
Tennis Week: What can you do in terms of training and practice? Can you still hit balls?
Taylor Dent: I can still hit balls. I took three months off to try and get my back feeling better and recover from a few of the procedures that I had done and then I started hitting again and hitting serves. And I noticed within a week of hitting serves the pain returned in my back. At that point, I'd taken three months off and I'd gained a lot of weight. I'd gained like 15 to 20 pounds.
Tennis Week: This was in the spring?
Taylor Dent: No, this was just recently, about a month ago. So then I just started lifting weights again. It's still bothering me when I lift weights, but I just felt I had to do something. I felt like I was exploding. So I'll go out there and hit some forehands and backhands and volleys, but it just hurts to serve. And as a serve-and-volleyer, the serve is the most important part of my game, and I can't practice my serve. I'm out there hitting balls feeling so frustrated because I'm just out there hitting to kind of stay in shape: I'm not really working on my game.
Tennis Week: You've had experience using Hawk-Eye at both Hopman Cup and other exhibitions. How did you like it?
Taylor Dent: I loved Hawk-Eye. There is nothing bad about it in my opinion. I think you get a few traditionalists who don't really like it and say you need to stay traditional in tennis, but I think you see sports trying to accommodate the fans and the athletes and make the sport more exciting using technology. By the time you get done arguing a call, Hawk-Eye could have decided three shots by then. Everyone is concerned about wasting time, but Hawk-Eye totally saves time in the long run because it makes the correct call quickly and you move on and play the next point without dwelling on the previous call. You have one argument and that can last at least 30 seconds whereas Hawk-Eye can make the call in 2 or 3 seconds.
Tennis Week: Has the crowd ever influenced you to challenge a call that you otherwise might not have challenged without that crowd participation?
Taylor Dent: Absolutely, 100 percent. They were more in exhibition matches where everybody is out there having fun. The crowd is yelling at me and everybody on the court knows the ball is a foot out, but the crowd wants to see a challenge so I say: 'OK, I'll challenge and we'll see.' Hopman Cup was a little bit more serious. They didn't get on you if you missed a challenge, but they'd be like 'Ohhhhhhhhh!'
Tennis Week: Watching Hawk-Eye in Miami, I was surprised by how often it confirmed the officials were correct. Were you surprised? Or was it about what you expected.
Taylor Dent: It was about what you think. If you're challenging the system legitimately and not just challenging for the hell of it, you're right about 50 percent of the time and that kind of goes along with 'everybody's right and everybody's wrong sometimes'. I mean, that's just going to happen and over the course of a match you'll find people are right about 50 percent of the time.
Tennis Week: Before Hawk-Eye came into play did you think you were pretty good at judging line calls?
Taylor Dent: Whenever you're done with the match of after the match, you think 'Oh, I may have missed that call.' But you couldn't talk me out of it while I was actually playing on the court because I know that ball I just hit was in (laughs).
Tennis Week: You're committed to the cause?
Taylor Dent: Oh yeah, absolutely.
Tennis Week: Is playing the U.S. Open a possibility and a hope for you given your injury?
Taylor Dent: Absolutely. It's an absolute possibility. I still haven't ruled out Wimbledon.
Tennis Week: Really?
Taylor Dent: Oh yeah, absolutely, because if I find a fix, it can turn around that fix. So I haven't ruled out Wimbledon yet. It would be a bit of a stretch to go to Wimbledon with no match play, but I could try. It would be a bit of a stretch though. I'm still hopeful. We'll see.
Tennis Week: You've had great moments over the years at the U.S. Open: beating Gonzales in that great five-setter, the win over Almagro at the Open last year, the 7-5 in the fifth loss to Hewitt last year. Is the U.S. Open special for you or does every major hold its own special significance?
Taylor Dent: Every major holds a special place in every player's heart a bit differently. For me, this is the biggest tournament. I love coming here to New York and I love playing the U.S. Open. The crowd makes it special — that's what the difference is here, in my opinion — the crowd is just phenomenal. I've played a lot of night matches here over the years and the night matches are a different animal altogether. The day matches, you know the crowd is a little quieter because it's usually hotter out, and at night people are just going crazy; they're really loud and maybe had a little bit to drink so to me it adds a different element to the game, which is great.
Tennis Week: Do you see anyone out there who can realistically threaten Roger at Wimbledon?
Taylor Dent: Roger is the clear favorite at Wimbledon. There's guys here and there who if their serving percentage was really high could challenge, like Andy is very, very dangerous when serving well. Nalbandian, did he pull out of Wimbledon? I know he was hurt at the French, but he's given Roger trouble in the past, but realistically, there's really not many guys. I mean, Roger can adapt his game to do whatever it takes to beat the other guys. So it's very tough to beat him.
====================
The Tennis Week Interview: Taylor Dent
Photo By Alex Trautwig By Richard Pagliaro
06/13/2006
Staring intently into the service box of the blue U.S. Open court while swinging his red-and-white Wilson racquet in his right hand, Taylor Dent watched another serve land inside the line and smiled.
For a moment, Dent was right back where he wanted to be: on the court in New York City, but the rather than rushing the net during a match, Dent occupied the blue umpire's chair during a USTA demonstration of the Hawk-Eye line-calling system conducted on a temporary court inside historic Grand Central Terminal on Monday.
The 25-year-old Dent joined former U.S. Open champion Tracy Austin, Olympic gold medallist and ESPN tennis analyst Mary Joe Fernandez, USTA Chief Executive, Professional Tennis, Arlen Kantarian, National Tennis Center director of tennis Bill Mountford and Hawk-Eye founder Dr. Paul Hawkins for the demonstration, part of a promotion for the launch of individual tickets sales for the U.S. Open, which begins on August 28.
In recent months, Dent's tennis has been restricted to hitting forehands and backhands on the practice court.
Recurring back pain prompted the 60th-ranked Dent to alter his service motion in recent years. Dent underwent a risotomy, a procedure in which an extremely hot electric needle probes the inflamed area of the back in an attempt to deaden the nerves causing pain. The procedure does not provide permanent pain relief; in fact, in Dent's case it's effects didn't even last as long as the average ATP tournament.
Less than a year after reaching a career-high ranking of No. 21 following his appearance in the Indianapolis final, Dent has been bothered by back pain that has limited him to five matches this year. Dent's lone victory of the season was a 6-4, 7-5 triumph over Tomas Berdych in the opening round of Rotterdam in February. He retired in the round of 16 at Rotterdam after dropping the opening set to Christophe Rochus.
The serve-and-volleyer whose first serve is one of the most lethal weapons in tennis cannot consistently hit serves in practice due to the sharp pain that strikes his lower back every time he arches back to start his service motion.
"I'll go out there and hit some forehands and backhands and volleys, but it just hurts to serve," Dent said. "And as a serve-and-volleyer, the serve is the most important part of my game, and I can't practice my serve. I'm out there hitting balls feeling so frustrated because I'm just out there hitting to kind of stay in shape: I'm not really working on my game."
Seeing a serve-and-volleyer unable to serve is like witnessing Atlas requiring respite from carrying the world on his shoulders to undergo rotator cuff surgery. Dent has not ruled out playing Wimbledon, but given the fact he has not played a match since February, a more realistic return date may be later this summer. In the meantime, Dent, who has tried virtually every form of back-relief ranging from minor surgery to acupuncture to reiki, continues to consult doctors in an effort to remedy his aching back. He initially sustained two fractures after years of bending his back in an extreme arch during serving. The pain is primarily caused by damaged nerves now, which continue to flare up virtually every time he tosses the ball up in the air to begin his service motion.
"As soon as I find a solution, then I'm ready to go," Dent said. "It's just a matter of finding a solution and I mean that could be in the next couple of days, it could be in a week or two or a month or two. I'm not 100 percent sure when it will be, but I'm talking to a lot of doctors and they have a lot of ideas. I just want to make sure I proceed in the direction that's best for my short-term and long-term health."
Tennis Week caught up with Dent in Grand Central Terminal yesterday for this interview.
Tennis Week: Taylor, last time I spoke to you it was prior to your back procedure. What exactly was that procedure and how did it go?
Taylor Dent: It's called a Risotomy and what they do is go in there with a needle and they kind of test around and make sure they're not hitting the wrong nerve. As soon as they find the right nerve the cut it off, they fry it, from one part (of the nerve) to the next where the pain exists. It's similar to getting an injection, but they don't have to be right on the spot. They can start a little bit further away and kill where the nerve stems. So that actually was OK for about five days and then my back started hurting again. So right now, I'm just kind of looking for different solutions and see what a few doctors have to say about it.
Tennis Week: So it's not an Agassi-type sciatic injury?
Taylor Dent: I'm don't know exactly what Agassi has, but I have had two fractures back there. I've had them for six or seven years.
Tennis Week: And that was caused by the serving or just the wear and tear of being a professional athlete?
Taylor Dent: From the serving. I heard a lot of athletes, like 20 percent of the athletes who do arching motions or offensive lineman in football, they get this, but the majority of them get through and the pain eventually ends. So I'm in a very small category of athletes who this happens to...
Tennis Week: ...Where the pain is prolonged?
Taylor Dent: Exactly. I mean, there is nothing structurally wrong with it. If I didn't play tennis, I'd be fine to do everything. It's just the service that really hurts. So it's just a matter of getting it pain free back there. For the first little bit, the injections were working, but I was warned that they weren't always going to work; that my body was either going to develop an immunity to it or that they were just going to lose their effect so the risotomy was the next step. That didn't work as well as we had hoped so now I just have to try to look at the next step after that.
Tennis Week: Have you tried acupuncture or non-traditional methods like that?
Taylor Dent: Definitely. I've tried all that stuff; all types of stuff. Really, I like to stay as open-minded as possible. I've tried everything under the sun, including more obscure therapies like reiki. A lot of that stuff, like acupuncture and reiki, you really have to believe strongly in it for it to work and I'm more the other way, you know: you have to show me first and I'll believe it later.
Tennis Week: Where are you at then in terms of hopefully returning to the Tour and playing again? You look pretty good and fit.
Taylor Dent: As soon as I find a solution, then I'm ready to go. It's just a matter of finding a solution and I mean that could be in the next couple of days, it could be in a week or two or a month or two. I'm not 100 percent sure when it will be, but I'm talking to a lot of doctors and they have a lot of ideas. I just want to make sure I proceed in the direction that's best for my short-term and long-term health.
Tennis Week: How do you prevent yourself from getting frustrated when injuries prevent you from playing. Less than a year ago, you're in the Nottingham semis, the fourth round of Wimbledon, the Indianapolis final then we saw you here in New York play a fantastic match against Hewitt. And now you're back to trying to just get back out on the court. How do you stay positive and optimistic?
Taylor Dent: I guess everybody's different. My main focus is to do everything I can; everything I can control. It's out of my control that my back is hurting, but I'm doing everything I can to try to improve it, get better and get completely healthy. You know, it's going to happen when it's meant to happen. I can't really control anything that's going to happen in that respect so I just try to roll with the punches and make the best out of it.
Tennis Week: What can you do in terms of training and practice? Can you still hit balls?
Taylor Dent: I can still hit balls. I took three months off to try and get my back feeling better and recover from a few of the procedures that I had done and then I started hitting again and hitting serves. And I noticed within a week of hitting serves the pain returned in my back. At that point, I'd taken three months off and I'd gained a lot of weight. I'd gained like 15 to 20 pounds.
Tennis Week: This was in the spring?
Taylor Dent: No, this was just recently, about a month ago. So then I just started lifting weights again. It's still bothering me when I lift weights, but I just felt I had to do something. I felt like I was exploding. So I'll go out there and hit some forehands and backhands and volleys, but it just hurts to serve. And as a serve-and-volleyer, the serve is the most important part of my game, and I can't practice my serve. I'm out there hitting balls feeling so frustrated because I'm just out there hitting to kind of stay in shape: I'm not really working on my game.
Tennis Week: You've had experience using Hawk-Eye at both Hopman Cup and other exhibitions. How did you like it?
Taylor Dent: I loved Hawk-Eye. There is nothing bad about it in my opinion. I think you get a few traditionalists who don't really like it and say you need to stay traditional in tennis, but I think you see sports trying to accommodate the fans and the athletes and make the sport more exciting using technology. By the time you get done arguing a call, Hawk-Eye could have decided three shots by then. Everyone is concerned about wasting time, but Hawk-Eye totally saves time in the long run because it makes the correct call quickly and you move on and play the next point without dwelling on the previous call. You have one argument and that can last at least 30 seconds whereas Hawk-Eye can make the call in 2 or 3 seconds.
Tennis Week: Has the crowd ever influenced you to challenge a call that you otherwise might not have challenged without that crowd participation?
Taylor Dent: Absolutely, 100 percent. They were more in exhibition matches where everybody is out there having fun. The crowd is yelling at me and everybody on the court knows the ball is a foot out, but the crowd wants to see a challenge so I say: 'OK, I'll challenge and we'll see.' Hopman Cup was a little bit more serious. They didn't get on you if you missed a challenge, but they'd be like 'Ohhhhhhhhh!'
Tennis Week: Watching Hawk-Eye in Miami, I was surprised by how often it confirmed the officials were correct. Were you surprised? Or was it about what you expected.
Taylor Dent: It was about what you think. If you're challenging the system legitimately and not just challenging for the hell of it, you're right about 50 percent of the time and that kind of goes along with 'everybody's right and everybody's wrong sometimes'. I mean, that's just going to happen and over the course of a match you'll find people are right about 50 percent of the time.
Tennis Week: Before Hawk-Eye came into play did you think you were pretty good at judging line calls?
Taylor Dent: Whenever you're done with the match of after the match, you think 'Oh, I may have missed that call.' But you couldn't talk me out of it while I was actually playing on the court because I know that ball I just hit was in (laughs).
Tennis Week: You're committed to the cause?
Taylor Dent: Oh yeah, absolutely.
Tennis Week: Is playing the U.S. Open a possibility and a hope for you given your injury?
Taylor Dent: Absolutely. It's an absolute possibility. I still haven't ruled out Wimbledon.
Tennis Week: Really?
Taylor Dent: Oh yeah, absolutely, because if I find a fix, it can turn around that fix. So I haven't ruled out Wimbledon yet. It would be a bit of a stretch to go to Wimbledon with no match play, but I could try. It would be a bit of a stretch though. I'm still hopeful. We'll see.
Tennis Week: You've had great moments over the years at the U.S. Open: beating Gonzales in that great five-setter, the win over Almagro at the Open last year, the 7-5 in the fifth loss to Hewitt last year. Is the U.S. Open special for you or does every major hold its own special significance?
Taylor Dent: Every major holds a special place in every player's heart a bit differently. For me, this is the biggest tournament. I love coming here to New York and I love playing the U.S. Open. The crowd makes it special — that's what the difference is here, in my opinion — the crowd is just phenomenal. I've played a lot of night matches here over the years and the night matches are a different animal altogether. The day matches, you know the crowd is a little quieter because it's usually hotter out, and at night people are just going crazy; they're really loud and maybe had a little bit to drink so to me it adds a different element to the game, which is great.
Tennis Week: Do you see anyone out there who can realistically threaten Roger at Wimbledon?
Taylor Dent: Roger is the clear favorite at Wimbledon. There's guys here and there who if their serving percentage was really high could challenge, like Andy is very, very dangerous when serving well. Nalbandian, did he pull out of Wimbledon? I know he was hurt at the French, but he's given Roger trouble in the past, but realistically, there's really not many guys. I mean, Roger can adapt his game to do whatever it takes to beat the other guys. So it's very tough to beat him.
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