Tennis Atlantic

You can’t help but notice the search term referrers when you manage a blog. It’s a nice way to see what’s trending on the tennis internet. Usually, it’s a recent victory by an up-and-comer that dominates. Our top search for 2013 was Madison Keys, who had a breakthrough year. It makes sense that we get more than our share of visitors looking for info on the young American. After all, this blog provided on-site coverage for three USTA Wild Card events that she won  in 2011 and 2012.

We also noticed a high concentration of search referrals for women’s tennis players. I know that I have lopsidedly covered certain female athletes who I support. The search results show that, too. Andrea Hlavackova, Michelle Larcher de Brito, Andrea Petkovic, Victoria Duval, Marion Bartoli and Sloane Stephens are at the top of the pops.

I suppose we should just make this a women’s tennis blog, since the overwhelming majority of the searchers who find us are looking for WTA players. Junior player Adam Neff, who we highlighted in an interview with his coach, is the only male player in the top 20 search terms. The first professional male player to make the list is Jack Sock at #21, well behind “bartoli boyfriend” and “hlavackova boyfriend”. And, no, I do not count “azarenka bubka” as an ATP player.

I also notice a definite sexist trend here. We get search referrals for “eugenie bouchard hot”, “sabine lisicki butt”, “sabine lisicki fat”, “madison keys hot” and “marion bartoli hot”.

If you found us that way, you’re sure to be disappointed when you discover that the weather was hot and humid when Genie Bouchard took the court in Washington, and that’s how you landed here.

Maybe it’s because we try not to post shirtless ATP player pics, but we didn’t get a single hubba-hubba search referral for the physical appearance of any male player on tour. It leads me to believe that more male fans objectify WTA players than women do to the ATP contingent. Or maybe the women are just getting their fix on other sites.

Either way, it’s slightly disconcerting to me that anyone could ever think Sabine Lisicki is fat.

—Steve Fogleman, Tennis East Coast