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Glamorous Gambill Young American could be tennis' next big star
Posted: Tuesday July 04, 2000 03:47 PM
Jan-Michael Gambill was meant to be the next American star of men's tennis -- the glamour boy with captivating looks and a game to match. The one who could fill the massive shoes of Pete Sampras, Andre Agassi, Jim Courier and Michael Chang ... THAT generation of U.S. men's tennis player that had all those who followed wishing they'd been born in a different era. But only now, here at Wimbledon, is Gambill fulfilling that long-held promise and adding some tennis substance to the off-the-court dynamics, which had People naming him one of the world's top 50 most beautiful people. Gambill had one of the toughest opening matches of the men's singles, facing Australia's brash and brilliant Lleyton Hewitt. The pony-tailed Aussie was fresh from beating Pete Sampras in straight sets in the Queen's Club final on grass. Gambill rose to the occasion on Centre Court and swept aside one of the pre-tournament favorites. The big question at that point: Could he maintain that form and make this his breakthrough Grand Slam event? 
The answer has been an emphatic yes. Gambill has served like a demon and behaved like an angel. He has punished opponents with deep and penetrating double-fisted backhands, while all the time endearing himself to the British crowd with his warm and pleasant nature. Not being the ugliest man ever to walk the planet doesn't hurt him either. With each round and each passing press conference, we learn a little more about a young man whose interests go far deeper than merely tennis.
Gambill likes cats, big cats. And he likes cars, fast cars. In fact, fast cars with a cat-like theme. He is involved with the preservation of endangered species and is hands-on in his zoological interests. Gambill is known to bottle feed infant tigers and grapple with these beautiful but dangerous creatures when they are no longer cuddly babes in arm as part of a foundation he's involved in. And then there are the Jaguars. We're talking cars here, not animals. Gambill has a fleet of Jaguars and is ready to add to his collection with his considerable prize money from Wimbledon. He knows more about these luxury vehicles than many a dealer, and is passionate about the cars to the point he insists: "I'll never sell them ... never!" Talking of passions. Yes, he does have a girlfriend. She's from Connecticut. No, he isn't dating pop singer Christina Aguilera. That was the rumor he felt compelled to deny at his latest news conference. Those kind of questions show his star is rising. The tabloid guys don't much care for also-rans. Oh and by the way, Gambill has been signed up by a model agency. I suppose that was once again the lure of the feline species. I mean, how could he resist the catwalk? The serious business is a Wimbledon quarterfinal date with the King of the All England Club, Pete Sampras. Win or lose it, Gambill has made his major splash. It would be a huge boost for men's tennis if he could stay in the game's upper ecehelons. Players with his nice-guy charm and charisma, pugnacious brand of tennis and the intelligence to talk about subjects other than how his second serve is working are rare. This is one endangered species we should hope sticks around for the good of the game.
Phil Jones is co-host of World Sport, the international sports show that airs live on CNN/Sports Illustrated and CNN International. Jones is part of the World Sport crew that is in England covering Wimbledon.
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