2023 was my first Grand Slam tennis experience & will continue in 2024-25.

[Vladimir Putin]

In 2023, I went to see Wimbledon and the U.S. Open and will see the French Open in 2024 and the Australian Open in 2025. In all four games, I’m only seeing both the women’s and men’s finals.

At Wimbledon, I saw Markéta Vondroušová defeat Ons Jabeur. The audience was on Ons’ side and unenthusiastically applauded when Markéta beat her. The fans were more enthusiastic when Carlos Alcarez defeated Novak Djokovic.

At the U.S. Open, the crowd was estatic when Coco Gauff defeated Aryna Sabalenka. Enthusiasm was wane when Noli defeated Daniil Medvedev. I was just grateful it was a three-set match and didn’t drag on to five sets.

I already booked everything for Roland Garros this June and still need to book airline reservations for Melbourne next January.

[Stavros]

How have you managed to get tickets for the finals in Wimbledon this year? If you don't get tickets from the ballot the remaining ones are mostly gone long before the tournament starts. Surely tickets for the Paris open do not go on sale until two months before they start?

How To Buy Wimbledon Tickets | Wimbledon Ticket FAQ | Keith Prowse

[Vladimir Putin]

I went the expensive route on Wimbledon. I bought tickets through Keith Prowse hospitality. Guaranteed to get the tickets I wanted, but not something I can do every year.

I got the French Open tickets a year in advance through Roland Garros Travel. In addition to court tickets, I also had to book hotel reservations.

I did put in a request through the Wimbledon ballot for this year but I’m not hopeful.

[rodinuk]

they’ll arrest you

[Vladimir Putin]

they’ll arrest you

Lol because of Interpol?

[Vladimir Putin]

they’ll arrest you

Obviously my handle has not aged well. I picked it in early 2013 because he wasn’t so bad back then. This was one year before he began supporting Russian-backed insurgents in Eastern Ukraine. His biggest problem 11 years ago was Pussy Riot.

I’m thinking of changing my handle to Kim Jong-un. Previously my handle was Hugo Chavez.

[Stavros]

Obviously my handle has not aged well. I picked it in early 2013 because he wasn’t so bad back then. This was one year before he began supporting Russian-backed insurgents in Eastern Ukraine. His biggest problem 11 years ago was Pussy Riot.

I’m thinking of changing my handle to Kim Jong-un. Previously my handle was Hugo Chavez.

Putin was never good. The first indication of Putin's belief in war came with the second Chechen War that began in 1999. Subsequently the intervention in Georgia, the murders, of journalist Anna Politkovskaya in Moscow, and in London of Alexander Litvinenko established that Putin would murder his critics be they in Russia or anywhere else. The key moment is now regarded as the speech he made in Munich in 2007-

"We can tell you the exact day that the United States and its allies should have begun taking seriously Putin's intention to exact revenge on the United States and NATO for what he saw as disregarding, even belittling, his beloved Mother Russia: It was in Munich, on February 12, 2007."
It Should Not Have Been a Surprise: The Threat from Putin's Russia | RAND

The West did business with Russia on the assumption their contracts would last longer than Putin, but he was never that good.

I will assume you comment on Kim is sarcasm...?

[Vladimir Putin]

I will assume you comment on Kim is sarcasm...?

It was! Nope, have no desire to idolize him.

Although back in the 90s, I once used Sloblovidan Milosevic (sp?) as my handle. He's the Serbian leader Bill Clinton and the U.S. was at war with. Maybe for a change of pace I'll use Gandhi as my handle.

[broncofan]

I've only been to grand slam once in my life and it was the French Open when I was a kid. I'd like to go to Australian Open. Although Wimbledon would be amazing experience, I like the tennis best on hard courts. New York is not my favorite city, though it's convenient. Still, I always had most fun watching the Aussie Open over the years. The climate is right too....hotter than hell

Mr. Putin, how long have you been a tennis enthusiast? I mentioned this in other threads, but I was a ballboy for a few years as a kid at the Indian Wells tournament. When i was done doing that i would still skip class a couple days and go every year. It used to be at a smaller hotel called the Hyatt Grand Champions and the players would complain about lack of practice courts. But it was fun to see Edberg, Becker, Connors, Chang, Graf, Serena Williams, Courier, Agassi. Lendl didn't come and the rumor was he wanted "appearance money" which they don't even allow anymore. That was the rumor.

Anyhow, do you play tennis? How long have you followed?

[Stavros]

Broncofan, next time you are in the UK I recommend the Wimbledon Tour. Costs around £25 which is a guided tour taking in the Centre Court, the tv studios and other areas where you can see across the courts with lots of interesting information, like the outside court nobody likes playing on (can't remember the number). If it is out of season or you can't get in during the tournament, it is a nice excursion in London if you really like tennis. And yes, there is a shop where you can buy Wimbledon towels, balls and mugs...