In many sports besides regular season matches several different exhibition matches are played. The All Star Game in NBA is an example of traditionalized exhibition match. Also in football, mostly for the farewell of famous player, best players in the World play exhibition matches. Generally these matches are played in same conditions, same rules and same type of fields with regular matches. In this respect tennis differentiates from other sports in terms of exhibition matches.
First of all, tennis has a special tour just consist of exhibition matches. Black Rock Tour, is a tour for exhibition matches of former tennis legends. Besides Black Rock tour every year many different kind of exhibition matches are played in order to promote the sport and draw attention. In tennis, many of the exhibition matches are played in different and weird places and with different rules. Most of them are played without any rule because they are mostly just a game of tennis rather than a match. Especially, prior to big tournaments interesting exhibition games takes place among tournament’s favorites. İstanbul Cup, Miami and Dubai are famous with their exceptional matches. .
Lets take a look at tennis’ most interesting exhibition matches:
1- Battle of Sexes (1973) – Billie Jean King and Bobbie Riggs : A former tennis player Bobbie Riggs was highly criticizing women in sport and tennis, because of their weak game. 50 year old Riggs claimed that he can easily beat the best women tennis player in that time. In 1973, in one of the most interesting tennis matches in history, Billie Jean King defeated Bobbie Riggs in front of 30 thousand people in the match and 50 million viewers on TV. The match is also known as a historical moment for women in sport.
2- Battle of Surfaces (2007) – Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer:In one the remarkable exhibition match in the history, Rafael Nadal -the king of clay- and Roger Federer -the king of grass- played an exhibition match in a court composed by both players favorite surface. The match is played in a hybrid court -half grass, half clay- build in Mallorca. During the match players had to change their shoes in the changeovers. Nadal won the battle of surfaces in three sets.
3- Continental Tennis (2005) – Venus Williams and İpek Şenoğlu: In the first year of Istanbul Cup, the number one seed of the tournament Venus Williams played against Turkish national İpek Şenoğlu in a special court placed on the Bosporus Bridge. Because of the Istanbul’s unique location the exhibition become the first tennis game played in connection of the two continents (Europe and Asia).
4- Tennis in 321 meter altitude (2006) – Roger Federer and Andre Agassi : Every year Dubai tennis tournament draw many attention by organizing an out of the ordinary exhibition. In 2006, Federer and Agassi played tennis in a court located on top of the roof of Hotel Burj Al Arab. Naturally there were no spectators in the game played in 321 meters high above the ground.
5- Tennis on the water (2008) – Rafael Nadal and Serena Williams: Before the 2008 Miami Sony Ericsson tournament, Rafael Nadal and Serena made history by playing on the water. The players were standing on a special platform in Gansevoort South Hotel’ swimming pool and they were looking like they are actually playing on top of the water.
6- Tennis on top of cars (2009) – Venus Williams and Andy Murray: When comes to be out of the ordinary Miami is pushing the limits. The tournament organizers who make players play on the water probably looked for a way to go beyond and decided to make players play on top the cars. I think there is a slim line between being interesting and being absurd. Those guys are approaching to cross over the line. span>
