The Deuce Club, 10.9

By Jackie, TW Social Director

Hi, everyone! Many thanks for the warm reception last week. As Pete suggested, if you have ideas for Deuce Club topics, please feel free to contact me at my Tennis.come-mail address. A little over a week ago, Rosangel noted that TennisWorld was overdue for another "Who's Hott?" thread (full disclosure: she posted that comment after reminding us of my desire to bear Gilles Simon’s love child). This is obviously a hott topic, as the TWibe has a grand tradition of debating relative Hottness on both tours. It comes up regularly at our TennisWorld > Real WorldFacebook group as well. Our very first discussion thread began as a debate over whether or not Feliciano Lopez deserves the award for “prettiest” player in all of tennis.

TW and Facebook aside, I've had numerous "who's hott and who's not" conversations with friends, even those who don't follow tennis! One friend, Dominick, came up with his own Hott List that had me in stitches, because he described his nominees so simply, as in Janko Tipsarevic (so ... dirty), Mikhail Youzhny (so ... angry), Robby Ginepri (so ... unkept).

But let's get down to business: here's your social director's very first Hott List.  I reserve the right to modify this list whenever I see fit, since I figure my tastes will change over time (I am a woman, after all). You'll notice that it's ranked, with the hottest of the hott at the top:

1. Tommy Haas – Hard to choose which is more handsome, Tommy's looks or his backhand. Or not at all; I'll go with his looks.

2. Feliciano Lopez – Let me tell you from personal experience, when you meet this stud muffin in person, you can almost see steam coming off him, he's that hott.

3. Marat Safin – He's not just hott, he's that particular kind of hott that is best described as smoldering ... and we all know that where there's smoke there's fire.

4. Gilles Simon – My current infatuation; I've tried to figure out why, and I think it comes down to his quiet intensity and boyish charm.

5. Agustin Calleri – His appeal lies in his masculinity, not in being "pretty" like Feliciano or "boyish" like Gilles. He also has a maturity about him, which I'm sure is owed to the fact that he's a father. A man's man and doting daddy with jaw-dropping good looks - now that's hott.

6. Roger Federer – I'm a true TMF KAD, so it feels strange placing him so low on the list. I guess it indicates that my admiration of him isn't based on his hottness, though there's plenty of that to go around. The hair, skin, smile, carriage, and aura make him irresistable. Mirka is one lucky lady.

7. Dmitry Tursunov – Has a great sense of humor, which we know is one of the sexiest traits in a man. Combine that with a ripped physique (maybe the best body on the tour?), and he's a shoo-in for my list.

8. Fernando Verdasco – With a nickname like “Hott Sauce” how can I not include him? He'd be higher on the list if he didn't give off such a prima donna vibe ... and if he ditched the over-gelled faux-hawk!

9. James Blake – Was quoted in People Magazine as saying, “Hopefully [women are] interested in a clean-cut guy who will treat them right.” That alone warrants a spot on the list - unless, of course, that's just his way of luring young ladies into his clutches.

10. Mario Ancic – Belongs on an “Adorable List” more so than a “Hott List,” but sometimes adorable is hott, no? So he makes the cut.

Runners-up:  Robby Ginepri, Ernests Gulbis, and Jonathan Eysseric. I’m indecisive!

Thoughts?  Putting the list together was tougher than I imagined. I mean, it can be hard to explain why someone is hott because that's a pretty viscerally-driven judgment (in other words, someone is hott because he or she is ... hott, right?). And I can think of a bunch of other players who are, well, endearing.

Now, it's your turn to share your Hott 10 list. Though all the focus has been on the ATP, I really want to hear the TW men lay out their case for the WTA Hott 10, as well!  So, both lists are allowed, and let's keep it to active ATP/WTA players only (sorry, Pat and Gabby!).

List your Hott 10 and briefly explain why they make the list - is it the eyes, the hair, the figure, or something unrelated to physical appearance, like that big fat Nike contract? Maybe it's the way he or she talks, laughs, or maybe even – gasp! – plays tennis.  Whatever the case, just make sure to keep it pretty clean (you can review the site rules here), and let the fun begin!