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John McEnroe Pays Homage To Respected Tennis Physical Therapist Gary Kitchell On French Open TV Broadcast

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By Randy Walker

@TennisPublisher

While commentating on the French Open on television network TruTV, John McEnroe paid homage to Gary Kitchell, the beloved tennis personality known around the world of tennis as one of the best physical therapists in the sport. Kitchell passed away in Vero Beach, Florida on Sunday, May 18 after a long illness.

McEnroe, commentating alongside younger brother Patrick McEnroe, took the opportunity to acknowledge Kitchell, with whom he worked with for many years, when discussing an ankle tape job that Ben Shelton received in his first round match at Roland Garros.

“(Ben) was having his ankle work done, and I talked to him about how it was jammed and it reminded me of my late great friend Gary Kitchell,” said McEnroe, the four-time U.S. Open champion. “He just passed away recently, because he literally did that exact move to me and a bunch of other players. He worked with Ivan (Lendl). He worked with Michael Chang, Jim Courier. You can go down the list. Great man. So I want to just say, Gary, you’re up there, man. We love you, and thanks for everything you did for the sport of tennis all these years.”

Added Patrick McEnroe of Kitchell, “(He was) one of the unsung heroes of the sport, working behind the scenes with a lot of players.”

John then continued, in discussing the situation with Shelton and how important physios like Kitchell are such an important part of the sports, “When the trainer came out at the end of the fourth set, and Ben was looking like he was struggling. Then suddenly, the guy worked on him for a few minutes, and then he comes out. And there was no signs of any problems. So, these guys play an important role in our sport, and Gary’s one of the main men there. So, rest in peace my friend.”

In addition to working with players like McEnroe, Lendl, Chang and Courier, Kitchell also worked with current pros such as Tommy Paul and Reilly Opelka. In 2021, Kitchell hosted Paul and Opelka for a special exhibition match at The Boulevard that you can read about here: https://worldtennismagazine.com/an-entertaining-qa-with-reilly-opelka-tommy-paul-from-vero-beach-florida/20458

Reilly Opelka, Tommy Paul Entertain For Charity In Vero Beach, Florida

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eilly Opelka, the No. 26-ranked tennis player in the world, and Tommy Paul, the No. 43-ranked player in the world, showed off their skills in a special charity exhibition match in front of a sold-out crowd Thursday December 9 at The Boulevard Tennis Club.

The special event, organized by Vero Beach’s world renowned sports physical therapist Gary Kitchell, benefitted the Sally Wilkey Foundation and could mark the start of annual December tennis charity exhibition with big-name tennis professionals during their brief off-season.

“I’m very grateful for these two top young Americans who are definitely stars on the rise,” said Kitchell of Opelka and Paul, both of whom he has worked with on the ATP Tour. “For them to come and support the Sally Wilkey Foundation, and on of personal level, come and support me as a friend, it means a lot to me.”

The event started with an entertaining question-and-answer session with Opelka and Paul, moderated by Kitchell, followed by a one-set match between the two upstart American tennis stars, won by Opelka 7-6 (7-5) in front of an enthusiastic and appreciative Vero Beach tennis crowd.

Opelka and Paul, both age 24, are part of a new generation of U.S. tennis players who are looking to return American men’s tennis to the upper echelons of the game. An American man has not won a major singles championship since Andy Roddick won the U.S. Open in 2003 and the United States has not won the Davis Cup since 2007. Both Opelka and Paul have played Davis Cup for the United States, captained by Vero Beach native son Mardy Fish, and both have showed glimpses of breaking through into the top 10 in the world rankings. Opelka reached the singles final at the Canadian Open in Toronto, one of the biggest events on the ATP Tour, and the semifinals at the Italian Open in Rome. Paul is fresh off winning his first ATP singles title at the Swedish Open in Stockholm last month.

Opelka, who stands at 6-feet 11-inches tall, is known as one of the fastest and best servers in tennis. However, it was Paul, who stands at 6-foot-one, who shined more with his serve, delivering no less than three aces during the one-set match. While Opelka mainly hit his huge kick serve during the night, he did connect on several rocket forehands, including a passing shot winner to close out the match at 6-5 in the tiebreaker.

The Sally Wilkey Foundation is a non-profit organization that enriches the lives of vulnerable local children through tennis. It helps to fund tennis for children who would not otherwise be able to afford to play, offering weekly tennis lessons as well as educational support, meals and equipment.