Original drawing by Jota Leal *
From 1982 until Gorbachev/Reagan tore down that wall, Lendl was in the finals of eight straight US Open championships. Not as talented as Jimmy Connors or John McEnroe (his main American rivals at the Open), Lendl became our Boris Badenov, our Ivan Drago in Stallone’s Rocky IV. His power baseline game seemed robotic, humorless, harsh, unrelenting--the Soviet bloc in the cold war era. He “deformed the ball” on the forehand side, welcoming the chance to smack it at close range at an opponent’s body or head. “A man comes to net by his own risk, and should be prepared to defend it,” Ivan said. Not genteel, but effective. “Ivan, do you like America? Would you like to live here?” Lendl had seen the Russian tanks in Prague, had learned to keep quiet. Year after year, we half-created while Lendl half-played “Ivan the Terrible.” After becoming a US citizen, Lendl was finally free to protest: “I enjoy life. I like jokes.” “Nobody hates communists more than me—not even Rush Limbaugh!”
*About the Artist
Originally from Venezuela, Jota Leal currently exhibits at the Gallery of Music and Art in the Forum Shops at Caesar’s Palace, Las Vegas and at Sally Fine Art in Taipei, Taiwan. His portraits feature a unique blend of surrealism, caricature, and whimsical humor. You can see his portraits and learn more about him on his website.
If you wish to make any comments on “Ivan Lendl and the Cold War,” feel free to leave them below or contact me. My other innovative writings on tennis, along with audio recordings, are available on my website.