Spirit of '77?

Sharp-dressed men

Video: Moda y Tenis se mezclan en Valencia

Although you'd probably never guess it from reading my blog, but my interest in tennis is probably as low as it's been in the 30-some years I've been following it. Sometime around the end of Boris Becker and Steffi Graf's careers I found myself watching it less and less (is it my recessive German blood acting out?), and even though I'm fascinated by the amazing talent of Roger Federer, I still don't get anything close to the thrill I used to get back in the Borg-McEnroe-Connors slash Evert-Navratilova days. That being said, I've never seen tennis cross over into the mainstream like it is now since its 1977 heyday. Recent photo spreads of Robby Ginepri in Ocean Drive magazine and Novak Djokovic in GQ, and ads for Franc Vila watches starring Juan Carlos Ferrero (Mr. Boutique Hotel) and fellow Spaniard Tommy Robredo -- plus campaigns featuring Roger Federer, Andy Roddick and Maria Sharapova EVERYWHERE -- has me thinking I'm in the minority here.

Of course, is any of this really necessary when all we really want to see is this?

(Hat tip to: TennisServedFresh, TeamWTA and BoyCulture)