(For nothing on Earth is perfect.)
Ivan Lendl
"He will stand for all time as one of the greatest stars the game has ever seen."
When I think about the evolution of tennis, I do not think in terms of eras. I think in terms of turning points.
Moments when someone steps forward and changes not just how the game is played, but how it is understood.
Ivan Lendl was that man.
He wrote the near perfect blueprint for modern tennis.
Not because anything in this world can ever truly be perfect but because what he built was so disciplined, so precise, and so far ahead of its time that it came as close as anything ever has. The way he trained, the way he prepared, the way he controlled himself and the match, it all became the model that others would follow.
And they did follow.
He will stand for all time as one of the greatest stars the game has ever seen. The great man from Czechoslovakia, later the Czech Republic. A player forged in discipline, defined by precision, and remembered for something deeper than trophies.
We call him the near perfect tennis player.
And therefore, we as The NPB Society refer to this great champion as:
The Near Perfect Tennis Legend.
And his name is IVAN LENDL.
It is also my honor to say this. Ivan Lendl purchased my book, The Near Perfect Body, and what followed was something I will never forget.
What began as a simple exchange turned into a spontaneous and genuinely fun experience.
We had a blast filming together, teasing each other, completely natural, completely unplanned.
And in that moment, he gave me unrestricted rights to use those videos and images on my websites, across social media, in advertising, anywhere in the world, so long as they are used respectfully.
And that is exactly how they will always be used.
I will always remember him that way. Because I remember the feeling as clearly as anything. A little over 40 years ago, in 1985, as I watched him win the U.S. Open, I found myself repeating it quietly in my mind
“Lendl… Lendl… Lendl…”
Not out loud. Not for anyone else.
Just to stay with him. Just to stay inside that rhythm as he devastated the competition.
- Roger
From left to right: Ivan Lendl, Roger Shorr, author of The Near Perfect Body, and Federico Staksrud.
Ivan Lendl, The Near Perfect Tennis Legend who wrote the near perfect blueprint for modern tennis.
Roger Shorr, the man who sees them as they really are; Near Perfect Athletes.
Federico Staksrud, held by many as the top pickleball player in the world today.
A Courtside Moment with
The Near Perfect Body
"The great man from Czechoslovakia, later the Czech Republic. A player forged in discipline, defined by precision, and remembered for something deeper than trophies."