SURVEY FINDS MCENROE “MOST CREATIVE”

Business Wire – Survey on Net Finds McEnroe “Most Creative” – Mar 22, 1999 – As the action heats up down at the Lipton Tennis Championships, John McEnroe has won another contest without even swinging his racket. Over the past two months, several hundred tennis players and fans from around the world voted for the “Most Creative Tennis Player in History.” When the dust had cleared, Mac was the winner in a landslide, taking nearly 30% of the votes.

This contest was sponsored by www.SmartTennis.com and Dr. John F. Murray, author of the newly released book, Smart Tennis: How to Play and Win the Mental Game (published by Jossey-Bass Inc., a Simon & Schuster subsidiary). Dr. Murray is also an award winning sport psychology columnist.

Creativity has long been associated with intelligence. It involves coming up with many possible solutions to a problem. Expressions of creativity include fluency of ideas, flexibility and originality. Those selecting McEnroe often cited his remarkable capacity to find a way to win. Others remembered his maniacal temper tantrums as creative ploys.

In order of finish, the top 20 players named in the survey were: (1) John McEnroe, (2) Jimmy Connors, (3) Ilie Nastase, (4) Bobby Riggs, (5) Martina Navratilova, (6) Arthur Ashe, (7) Rod Laver, (8) Martina Hingis, (9) Michael Chang, (10) Andre Agassi, (11) Monsour Bahrami, (12) Brad Gilbert, (13) Gabriella Sabatini, (14) The Jensen Brothers, (15) Stefan Edberg, (16) Johan Kriek, (17) Bill Tildon, (18) Henri Leconte, (19) Boris Becker, (20) Yannick Noah.

Dr. Murray’s Smart Tennis (April, 1999) outlines a complete system for understanding and improving mental skills in tennis. These sport psychology principles also apply in other sports, performing arts, and business situations. Smart tennis and business professionals endorse its principles:

Lindsay Davenport (World’s No. 1 Player for 1998): “The game with yourself is often tougher than the battle against any opponent. Smart Tennis shows you how to win the inner match while having fun along the way.”

Vic Braden (Fox Sports Commentator & Tennis Researcher): “Smart Tennis is a must for players at all levels from beginners to Wimbledon champions! An outstanding book for understanding and improving your mental game.”

Bill Foster (President of Foster Coaching/Consulting Group): “If your goal is to succeed in business, then learning and using the techniques in Smart Tennis is a must.”