Trickier, faster, and lower: the softest surface in tennis is also the hardest to master. Grass demands an astonishing interplay of explosive power and grace: a balance all four athletes masterfully display; a spectacle for the eyes. Call it a flight, a dance, or “just” a rally, these images celebrate the spectacle of footwork on tennis’s classiest courts: West Kensington’s Queen’s.
“Tennis players don’t move; they fly. As they glide across the court, their feet barely skim the ground; and when they do, it’s only for a split second of unshakable stillness before each stroke.”
A timeless charmer, Roberto is the only coach I’ve ever seen feed flawless balls, smoke a Pedroni Mix 01 piña colada-flavoured toscanello cigar, and answer a phone call—all at the same time. Ever since he shared the hyperbole above, I can’t help picturing tennis players as swallows.
“You should watch all tennis highlights twice: once from the hips up, then from the hips down. Just remember that, even if it doesn’t seem like it, the latter is more important.”
Lennie is a baroque cellist who runs group tennis classes at my local park in London. Quintessentially flamboyant, he brings flair and personality to every footwork drill he demonstrates. After noticing his so smooth and natural tiptoeing to get behind the ball for an inside-out forehand, I began to see tennis players as dancers.
I don’t know any ornithologists who could confirm whether a swallow’s flight truly resembles a tennis player’s movement; yet, despite my deplorable footwork, I happen to be related to a professional ballerina who graduated from the Paris Opera Ballet and has never watched a tennis match in her life.
I asked her to review this year’s Queen’s Club Championships women’s semifinalists and finalists’ footwork. Struck by the tension in their calves, the on-point stance, the impeccable low and forward balance, and the solidity of their grip on a tricky surface, she was stunned by the strength and articulation of their ankles and the ravishing lines they created by changing direction. Eventually, she said that Zheng, Maria, Keys, and Anisimova could make the stage should they ever audition for ballet.
Enrico Lixia is a multimedia editor, broadcaster and freelance journalist who splits his time between London and Italy. In his free time, he plays and coaches tennis to kids, teens, and adult beginners.
Ottilie Landmark is a Danish photographer based in London whose work explores the intersection of fashion, identity and culture. She is currently working on her photo book, Bare (to be published in 2025).
