Aaron Krickstein
1_ _I
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t the age of 22, tennis champion
Aaron Krickstein is ranked #8 in the
world. To date, he's won seven pro
tournaments. In 1983, live on CBS, he
defeated Vitas Gerulaitis at the U.S. Open.
And in 1988, he beat Stefan Edberg.
But when Krickstein talks about all
that achievement, there's not a trace of
racket-rattling or celebrity bravado. He is
soft spoken, straight forward and often
given to understatement. Here's how he
responded when asked to identify factors
that contributed to his success:
• "I guess I was born with athletic
talent, especially eye-hand coordination.
All sports seem to come somewhat easy to
ma"
• "I was willing to work pretty hard to
achieve my goals — to be the best at
something. I'm a pretty determined per-
son."
• "You have to have an organized per-
sonality. If you want something to be done,
you have to find the time to do it."
• "You have to really sacrifice some
things at a young age." (Krickstein had
limited time for friends or social activities
in high school. On week nights, he did his
homework and played tennis. Weekends,
there were tournaments.) "It was pretty
much tennis first:'
• "Good coaching."
• "Having a role model. I always liked
Borg as a tennis player. I watched him play
a lot and wanted to be like him. Watching
him win titles motivated me."
• "Some element of luck, being in the
right places at the right time. But it's a
relatively minor factor?'
• "I have a supportive family."
In addition to support, Krickstein's
family provided the dual gift of good genes
and strong examples. His father and
manager, Dr. Herb Krickstein, is a top-
notch tennis player and athlete. His
mother, Evelyn, plays tennis, too. And his
three sisters all have competed in tennis
tournaments at the national level.
Krickstein's own natural dexterity and
capacity for discipline were apparent ear-
ly on. At the age of five and six, he already
was a champion swimmer. He took up ten-
nis at seven.
Krickstein attended public schools and
University Liggett School in Grosse Pointe.
Then, seeking more tennis time, he moved
to Florida for his junior and senior years,
graduating from the Bradenton Academy.
He turned pro at 16, and became the
youngest person ever to be ranked among
the top 10 players in the world.
As well as trophies, there have been
A
tribulations along the way. Continent-
hopping to various tournaments can make
for a lonely traveler. Merciless schedules
leave little opportunity for taking
vacations.
But the cruelest shots in court life are
the injuries. Krickstein has had a number
of them, including four stress fractures to
the bones of his feet and legs.
Never one to be beaten by bad breaks,
Krickstein has rebounded gracefully in
each instance.
"He's taken a very mature approach,"
his father says. "He just fights his way
through it and gets going again."
That same resiliency has served
Krickstein well in the heat of a game, when
the pressure is on.
"He's known as The Comeback Kid,"
his father says. "He's much better when
he's behind. He's known never to give up.
That's what all the top players say about
him."
"It's never over 'til it's over," Krickstein
says. "Momentum is a big factor. One or
two points can turn a match around."
Those turnarounds and triumphs are
what it's all about for Krickstein. He
doesn't have a killer instinct, his father
says. "He's determined — but not at anyone
else's expense."
After the final match point, there's the
price in having prevailed. "The thrill of
winning tournaments," Krickstein says,
"starting with 128 or 64 world class
players, and being the only one left stan-
ding at the end, is a great feeling. That's
what keeps you playing." ❑
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
27