TENNIS in DEPTH.

Jim Courier is hosting Monday night’s Tampa Tennis Classic at the St. Pete Times Forum, an exhibition event that has attracted notable American men’s players Andy Roddick and James Blake, along with top 15-ranked women’s standouts Victoria Azarenka (No. 6) and Vera Zvonarena (No. 14), plus doubles player Rennae Stubbs.

All proceeds benefit Raymond James Courier’s Kids, an inner-city youth tennis initiative that supports the First Serve tennis program at St. Petersburg’s Bartlett Park. Courier instituted the program eight years ago.

A product of Bradenton’s Nick Bollettieri Tennis Academy, Courier won 23 professional singles titles and earned more than $14 million in career prize money.

He will be 40 on Aug. 17.

“It doesn’t mean a ton to me right now, but maybe it will when I get up to it,” Courier said. “I’m not overly reflective about that line in the sand. I’m hoping to get there. It’s a good place to be.

“I’m pleasantly surprised with how I feel. Given the mileage I put my body through – like a car, it’s not necessarily about the years, but the mileage – I feel like my body has held up pretty well. That’s a lot of road work, court work, starting and stopping. It’s not what your body was built for. But I came out of it OK. I’m as excited and engaged in life as I ever have been.”

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