I Wish I Played Tennis

Daniela Castillo

I wish I played tennis.

I never gave the game much thought when I was in high school or college. My friends and I pretty much focused on the classics for young boys in southeastern Michigan: baseball, basketball, hockey, and football.

There were tennis courts in Rouge Park, which is near where I grew up. However, we just went right past them without thinking much about that game.

With the U.S. Open starting, however, I can't help but notice how many of those tennis players have smoking hot wives or girlfriends. I know that all professional athletes tend to attract beautiful women. There is simply something about the combination of fame, good looks, and money that athletes have.

Bec Cartwright

Regardless, the tennis guys seems to be able to take it up a notch. I'm not quite sure why.

Fernando Gonzalez is currently dating Chilean pop star Daniela Castillo.

Lleyton Hewitt of Australia is currently engaged to actress and singer Bec Cartwright, with whom he recently had a daughter.

Radek Stepanek of the Czech Republic is engaged to retired (at the age of 20) tennis player Nicole Vaidisova.

By the way, as a somewhat related side note, I would just like to say that I hate anyone who can even contemplate retiring before they're even able to drink legally in the United States. Suck it up, people!

Nicole Vaidisova

No one should retire before they're at least until they are in their mid-20s - even if you had won $2.7 million in prize money by that time.

But I digress.

American Mardy Fish is currently engaged to the definitely not retired attorney - and former Deal or No Deal brief case model - Stacey Gardner.

By the way, did I mention that Stacey Gardner is in her 20s and not retired?

I just thought I should mention that one again. You know, in case Nicole Vaidisova or anyone else needs a little reminder about the proper age for one to retire at.

Stacey Gardner

But, again, I digress.

Anyway, not to be outdone, American Andy Roddick is currently married to fashion model and actress Brooklyn Decker. Ms. Decker, by the way, has appeared in the Sports Illustrated swimsuit issue for four of the past five years. She also has had bit parts in several different television shows over the past few years.

This means that Brooklyn Decker is also in the "not yet retired" category, even though she is 23 years old.

(Yes, I know I should probably give the whole "Nicole Vaidisova retired when she was 20" thing a rest. I just can't help myself.)

Anyway, my point to this whole thing (besides reminding everyone that 20 year olds should not retire under any circumstances) is to illustrate that guys who play tennis professionally seem to attract an above average quality of women.

Brooklyn Decker

All of this makes me wish that I hadn't walked past those tennis courts all those years ago and that I had learned to play tennis when I was younger.

Either that or that I had entered into a profession where I could have earned $2.7 million at a very young age and had retired by the time I was 20.

Either one of those scenarios would have worked out quite nicely for me. Really.