Dear Rafa,
We’ve been through some tough times bud.
There was the summer of 2009, when you lost to Soderling at Roland Garros. I was stuck at work, hovering around the Recreation Center gym tv, in hopes of glimpsing another comeback score. Instead I wound up staring at the ESPN ticker scroll for five minutes in confusion.
There was the entire year of 2011. A continuation of the high levels of play that helped you snag lots of trophies, butttt this one guy named Novak Djokovic kept beating you in what felt like ALL of the final rounds. I’ll be honest. It was torturous watching him win all of those trophies. On the plus side, it gave me a new tennis anti-hero to despise. I know. I know. It’s silly. Still every good story needs a dragon to slay at the end (by this time you had already slayed the original: Federer).
Then there was 2012. If I close my eyes, I can still see the backhand pass (in HD and slow motion. Funny how memories work) you missed to potentially go up 5-2 in the final set of that epic Australian Open final. 2012 was also the year of more increasingly severe knee injuries that forced you to take an extended break. I bet if you checked your twitter archives you would find lots of “I just want him to be healthy and on court again” tweets. HAHAHAHA RIGHT.
Now we have added 2015 to this list. A year that’s troubling to describe (remember when I wrote about your doubts during Roland Garros?), but in hindsight the causation is clear. 2014 gave you your most worrisome health troubles. Yes, the knees are famoose for being rickety, but many do not realize its a side effect of a solution for your primordial foot bone defect. Back, wrist, and appendicitis/surgery though is a new beast. You’ve already admitted it took longer than usual for the back to heal. Which would explain some of the service troubles, but you still don’t have the full confidence to place it well or switch up your patterns. I was also reading the other day about an NFL player who had an appendectomy as well. He said it took 6 months before he felt like he had his full core strength back. The outsiders will cry “Excuses! Excuses! It’s decline!” But honestly, I don’t feel like we use logic to problem solve enough in tennis. Anyways, I would vaguely classify 2015 as a lack of control. Control of your focus, mind, tennis strokes, topspin ;), preparation for the season and control of our reactions as fans.
We’ve also had some amazing times together Rafa. Remember 2008 Wimbledon (No more Claydal limiting narrative qualifiers in these parts!), 2009 Australian Open (I won’t be mad if you pause to watch the highlights with Verdasco. Just remember to switch back to this tab!), the 2010/2013 US Opens (the best surprises of your career as a fan), or being the closest man in tennis to completing a double golden career grand slam? Hell you were even world number 1 leading into the 2014 edition Wimbledon. The Rafa fandom has been waiting for your usual Rocky comeback, but now everyone feels as if you’re practicing the script for Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler.
Last night, I glimpsed the poise and control that we’ve all been searching to find in you. It’s often described as “switching a flip” in tennis. Instead you maximized your tennis. You dug your heels in, cut out all errors, defended like hell, and made Fabio hit wicked winner after winner. Unfortunately, Fabio obliged. Did that guy hide two extra nitrous boost tanks in his trunk? His tennis was fast and furious. Like you always say “that’s sport.”
Still you fought. Yet through the impending, glaring signs of another close loss I never felt prouder to be your fan. I remembered why I admire you so much and why I devote so much energy to being positive about this year. These results are not indicative of the progress. Vamos Rafa por siempre. Now may I leave you with some words of your own?
“So when I saw him play, when I saw his attitude, I see the eyes that he has when he has to shot, has the difficult shot, the decisive shot. Is very special. I don’t see a lot of sportsmen with that self-confidence, with that intensity on his face when he had to hit the important shot.
So for me, he’s a great example, great inspiration. I always say the same. I don’t have idols. But that’s closest thing that I have: him.” — Rafael Nadal on Tiger Woods
We’ve been through some tough times bud.
There was the summer of 2009, when you lost to Soderling at Roland Garros. I was stuck at work, hovering around the Recreation Center gym tv, in hopes of glimpsing another comeback score. Instead I wound up staring at the ESPN ticker scroll for five minutes in confusion.
There was the entire year of 2011. A continuation of the high levels of play that helped you snag lots of trophies, butttt this one guy named Novak Djokovic kept beating you in what felt like ALL of the final rounds. I’ll be honest. It was torturous watching him win all of those trophies. On the plus side, it gave me a new tennis anti-hero to despise. I know. I know. It’s silly. Still every good story needs a dragon to slay at the end (by this time you had already slayed the original: Federer).
Then there was 2012. If I close my eyes, I can still see the backhand pass (in HD and slow motion. Funny how memories work) you missed to potentially go up 5-2 in the final set of that epic Australian Open final. 2012 was also the year of more increasingly severe knee injuries that forced you to take an extended break. I bet if you checked your twitter archives you would find lots of “I just want him to be healthy and on court again” tweets. HAHAHAHA RIGHT.
Now we have added 2015 to this list. A year that’s troubling to describe (remember when I wrote about your doubts during Roland Garros?), but in hindsight the causation is clear. 2014 gave you your most worrisome health troubles. Yes, the knees are famoose for being rickety, but many do not realize its a side effect of a solution for your primordial foot bone defect. Back, wrist, and appendicitis/surgery though is a new beast. You’ve already admitted it took longer than usual for the back to heal. Which would explain some of the service troubles, but you still don’t have the full confidence to place it well or switch up your patterns. I was also reading the other day about an NFL player who had an appendectomy as well. He said it took 6 months before he felt like he had his full core strength back. The outsiders will cry “Excuses! Excuses! It’s decline!” But honestly, I don’t feel like we use logic to problem solve enough in tennis. Anyways, I would vaguely classify 2015 as a lack of control. Control of your focus, mind, tennis strokes, topspin ;), preparation for the season and control of our reactions as fans.
We’ve also had some amazing times together Rafa. Remember 2008 Wimbledon (No more Claydal limiting narrative qualifiers in these parts!), 2009 Australian Open (I won’t be mad if you pause to watch the highlights with Verdasco. Just remember to switch back to this tab!), the 2010/2013 US Opens (the best surprises of your career as a fan), or being the closest man in tennis to completing a double golden career grand slam? Hell you were even world number 1 leading into the 2014 edition Wimbledon. The Rafa fandom has been waiting for your usual Rocky comeback, but now everyone feels as if you’re practicing the script for Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler.
Last night, I glimpsed the poise and control that we’ve all been searching to find in you. It’s often described as “switching a flip” in tennis. Instead you maximized your tennis. You dug your heels in, cut out all errors, defended like hell, and made Fabio hit wicked winner after winner. Unfortunately, Fabio obliged. Did that guy hide two extra nitrous boost tanks in his trunk? His tennis was fast and furious. Like you always say “that’s sport.”
Still you fought. Yet through the impending, glaring signs of another close loss I never felt prouder to be your fan. I remembered why I admire you so much and why I devote so much energy to being positive about this year. These results are not indicative of the progress. Vamos Rafa por siempre. Now may I leave you with some words of your own?
“So when I saw him play, when I saw his attitude, I see the eyes that he has when he has to shot, has the difficult shot, the decisive shot. Is very special. I don’t see a lot of sportsmen with that self-confidence, with that intensity on his face when he had to hit the important shot.
So for me, he’s a great example, great inspiration. I always say the same. I don’t have idols. But that’s closest thing that I have: him.” — Rafael Nadal on Tiger Woods
Comment