Dominic Smith - It's wonderful to have this league

We caught up with Dominic Smith out of the Baltimore league and here's his story!

Which league are you a member of?

I am a member of the Tennis Baltimore League 40+ division as well as the competitive league 3.5 although I'm currently at the in-between rating of 3.25

 

How long have you participated in your league?

I started during the Summer of 2024, so this is my second season.

 

How did you first learn about it?

I googled Baltimore Tennis

 

How often do you play?

I try to get at least 2-3 matches a week, but play as often as possible along with training with a ball machine and occasional lessons

What do you like most about the league?

I love that it's intense and informable at the same time.  I can play as little or as much as I want and there's no pressure except that which I put on myself.

I also love getting to know the players and their different games as well as experiencing all the courts around the city.

 

Tell us about your most memorable match(es)

My most memorable matches are those that I lost in a close tie-break as those tend to stick with me, but they serve as motivation for improvement.

 

Who are your favorite rivals in the league? Why?

Brendan McElroy and I have had several epic battles on the court and I haven't been able to get over the hump and beat him.  Someday...

 

I recently played Miryam Yamadi and she has incredible form and tennis smarts and I look forward to playing her again.

 

Both Walter Parrish and Maurice Evans have great skill on the court and I learn by watching how they move and plan their strategy.

 

Do you have any other interesting comments about your experiences with the league?

Just that it's been wonderful to have this league so that I could reconnect with the sport that I loved growing up, but had let get rusty in my middle age.

 

How did you get started playing tennis?

I grew up in the 80's and seeing the fantastic matches between Borg & McEnroe sealed the deal for me.  From there it was Tennis Camps, Middle School and High School Teams with some local tournaments thrown in occasionally.

 

Do you play to compete, or for fun?

Both!  First and foremost it's fun, but through the competition I get to measure myself against other players and losing is a great motivator for improvement.  

 

I try (emphasize "try") to tell myself that my muscles and fitness level don't care if I win or lose, but my mind and ego knows and I'd be lying if I said it didn't matter :)

 

What level player are you? (NTRP rating)

In the league I'm currently at 3.25    I hope to get up to 3.5 soon, I just have to keep putting in the time through practice and playing matches.

 

What do you love about tennis? 

It's graceful and brutal at the same time with meditative qualities that get me in a zone that no other sport accomplishes for me.

I've heard it described as "long distance boxing" and I'd agree with that.  Tennis people I think would get that, others not so much.   

 

Who are your favorite pro players? Why?

My favorite pro player all-time would be Pete Sampras.  He had such a graceful game and never seemed to have an outsize ego which always turned me off with some of the other players of his era.   Of course I loved the majesty of Federer, Nadal and love Djokovic's unrelenting drive.    The recent crop of men's players like Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are great as well.  On the women's side Martina Navritalova and Steffi Graf and later the Williams sisters set a high bar, which is being met today by Coco Grauf, Iga Swiatek and so many others that I enjoy watching.

 

I watch tennis for entertainment, but also to absorb their styles, steal and learn.

 

Tell us a little bit about yourself, for example: What do you do? Where did you grow up? What are your hobbies (besides tennis)?

I grew up in Montgomery County Md in the DC suburb of Rockville.   My life revolved around playing the drums in many different bands and that is what I still do today, playing gigs all over the area with a large network of musical friends.

 

Besides tennis and music, I love spending time with my wife and daughter, hiking, travelling, biking, going to the movies and lap time with my dog Snowy.