#I love how honest rafa is with roger

[zingaplanet]

Insight to Federer and Nadal's private convo during the Match In Africa + the in-laws reuniting:

[surreality51]

Hellooo 😊

When/why did you get into fedal?

And what's the next fic about plz 👀👀?

Have a lovely evening (?) (i don't know your time zone) 🥰

"When" is easy: when I saw the headlines that Roger was retiring and then I watched the sobfest that was Laver Cup and it Changed me.

"Why" is a much harder question, but the short answer is, "because I love my husband."

"Wait, wtf is this girl inhaling" you might say. Okay, that one might need some unpacking, so strap in, folks: like most people, I have a Type that I find insanely attractive. Apparently mine is "tall but not John Isner tall, slender build, long limbs, high level of coordination, feather light on their feet, movements so smooth who needs fucking butter, strong hands, laid back and relaxed vibe, self-assured and confident without being arrogant, comfortable with who they are and unapologetic about it, talented, creative, competent in everything they do, has a soft/wooby side that they're not afraid to show, emotionally intelligent, knows what they want and is not afraid to go after it, thinks strategically but lives in the moment, knows when to push through and when to relax, has a clear vision of where they're going and how to get there, calm and composed exterior but has a silly streak a mile wide, king of nicknames, high empathy, classic personal style but with a modern twist, looks good in a suit, nice hair."

That's how I like my men, that's who my real-life husband is in a nutshell, and that's probably why I like Roger so much.

As for why I like Rafa, well it's because I have eyes. Even though Rafa doesn't exactly fit my type, I do appreciate it when someone has that much booty and tanned skin on display. And I also have a soft spot for the introvert who is honest, sincere, hardworking, maybe not as naturally talented as others but knows how to use their strengths to achieve their goals, is extremely driven, makes up for any shortcomings through dedication and perseverance, understands their own abilities clearly but maybe doesn't always understand their real worth, can be a ridiculous ball of anxiety and has to employ various methods to get that shit under control, cannot be on time to save their life, super focused on the outside but a hopeless mess on the inside, always gives it their all.

(Spoiler alert: it me)

So there are really two reasons why I like Fedal:

On the conscious level, it's because I'm a sucker for poetry, symmetry, and contrast. (Can you tell that I was an English Literature major?) I think @zingaplanet summarized the lyrical appeal of the Fedal rivalry/dynamic the best in her biblical post here. I can't explain it better than Z did in that post, so I'll just point out that the intimacy and uniqueness of Roger and Rafa's relationship is so beautiful--and obvious--that I just want to roll in it like a cat in a warm blanket. Seeing a relationship like they have is gonna get me every time; I'm an absolute sucker for it.

But on the subconscious level, I think Fedal appeals to me because Roger and Rafa in some ways remind me of me and my husband as individuals. So obviously I want them to be married and share jokes together and hug and kiss each other and smack each other on the ass and hold hands and basically live happily together forever. The end.

**EDITED TO ADD: I got so carried away that I forgot your second question: I don’t want to spoil it, so I’ll just say that the fic I’m working on is the next installment in the “Carlos Moya Is Tired of This Shit” series, so you can expect Roger and Rafa being completely ridiculous and Carlos standing on the sidelines watching the disaster unfold.

[rafasbiscuits]

I'm curious if anyone else feels sad at the rise of Carlos Alcaraz...part of me wants to root for him. More than his brilliance, he seems like a really nice guy. BUT...I don't want Rafa's supreme legacy challenged in any way, shape, or form. I selfishly want Rafa to always be Spain's biggest icon and for his tennis records to be untouched. So I find myself rooting against Alcaraz. Plus, I just miss Rafa...

omg I def understand u anon!! (And u are def not the only one)

Now don't get me wrong, I love Carlitos, he is a great kid and ik he has a big future ahead of him, but I have this feeling of bitter against him, I am a Rafa fan first and foremost, more than anything else. And ik this might sound toxic but I just can't shake this feeling off.

See, Carlitos is just like us, he looks up to Rafa as well. But I'm scared of what might happen if the young Spaniard surpasses Rafa's brilliance. I want Rafa to be legendary forever, to be looked up as the Spanish Legend, King Of Clay forever. Only him. I wonder sometimes is this what the Sampras-Agassi fans felt when Roger appeared and beat Pete? I don't know but damn it doesn't feel great.

As much as I want Carlitos to be the future of tennis, a big part of me just wants Rafa to stay forever, and a part of me that I hate just don't want that (Carlitos as the future) to happen, I want Rafa's legacy to be only his. Untouched. I want him to be the Spanish tennis king forever. ik it's impossible but I can't help it. It's selfish, yes, but I want the future tennis fans to search up Google and when they search up "Greatest Spanish Tennis Player Of All Time" only Rafael Nadal is there. The only single answer.

Even Rafa likes him, why should I, as a mere fan feel this way? But you see, just because we are fans doesn't mean we shouldn't feel what we want to. I know that fans wants to respect their idols/celebs/athletes alot but we shouldn't ignore our own feelings. So it's okay to feel this way, it's selfish, but aren't we all?

I always wish and hope that Rafael Vs Carlos will never ever happen. It did already but I don't want to experience it anymore. What if Carlitos beats Rafa? I don't think I can deal with that, people will start to adore Carlitos more and declare Rafa as "finished" I can't deal with that, I seriously can't. I will pretend to be happy for Carlitos but ik deep down that I will always want Rafa to win. Even though the man I want to win will be so very happy for the boy I want to see lose. I can't help but feel so bad. But I just cannot help it.

And I beat myself up cause Carlitos is such a great kid. But I will be honest sometimes that I didn't want him to win some matches, I didn't want him to be number 1. At the time. See, my motto is fake it till you make it.

Every era comes to an end, and another era will bloom and continue. Maybe the future era will surpass the past's greatness, but all we can do right now is just focus on the present, support the athletes we want to support and love because we will never know when their retirement will come. Like how the Federer fans already lost their fav tennis player, maybe they stopped watching tennis, or maybe they found another younger player to support. It's just how life works.

Your feelings towards this is valid, definitely, and you aren't the only one. trust me.

(and I miss Rafa too, but he'll be playing in Monte Carlo so yay!!)

[karlyanalora]

Serious OC Asks

James- 14

Gunmar the Grey- 3

Crispy- 5

14.Who was the first person to tell them they loved them? Romantically? Platonically? Familial?

James Rogers is the son of Peggy Carter and Steve Rogers in the alternate universe where MCU Steve showed up, told Peggy his life story, and she sent him home. (You can read how that all went down here.) Peggy put that future knowledge to good use, rescuing her Steve and doing lots of cool stuff. Unfortunately, this resulted in an early death for both of them and per her request, Howard Stark sent their son James to be raised by MCU Steve.

James grew up with the words “I love you” on his lips. Steve and Peggy constantly told him that they loved him and he’s never been afraid to express all the forms of love there are.

Platonically, it’s Damian Wayne who says it when he initiates a pact between him, Jon Kent, and Colin Wilkes to be brothers in arms throughout all time. James knows Damian does not take the term brother lightly and he sees it as the platonic “I love you” it is.

Romantically, it’s the thousands of young girls screaming from the sidelines that they love him because he’s Captain America’s son with their cheap celebrity crushes. But the first time it sinks in is when Julie Power quietly confessed that she liked him. It doesn’t go anywhere and he doesn’t return her affections, their relationship doesn’t change it all, but it’s the first time James realizes someone could see him for who he is and love him like both Steve’s loved his mothers. (Yes, MCU Steve gets married.)

3. Who in their childhood frightened/hurt them? Have they overcome that? How? How do they view that person now? How would they react to meeting them again?

Gunmar the Gray, or just Gray, is Bular’s whelp. He’s still just a baby, so this is hard to answer. He’s never been directly hurt by someone. He has too many people protecting him for that. But he is frightened by goblins. A few have snuck into the Lake home in an attempt to harm him, but they’ve always been stopped before they could. Just the sight of one will make him burst into tears now.

5. Who do they trust the most? Why?

Crispy is a Coruscant Guard and Rafa’s boyfriend, and he trusts his ori’vod Fox above everyone else. Fox will always be honest with him and do his best to protect him. If Fox does or says something, there must be a reason. Fox has earned that trust time and time again. Crispy has no reason to doubt him.

[game-set-canet]

Sleepover weekend! Tell me about your favourite ships in the tennis fandom and if you want to, add one or two headcanons about them while you're at it. Tell me why you love those ships and what's the best part about their relationship. Bonus points if you include Fedal :D

oh, I love this!! 😍😍

let’s start in a classic way: I love Roger/Rafa! but let’s be honest: who doesn’t? it’s not very hard to ship these two with each other - I mean, they even ship themselves! 😄

-) Roger always wakes up before Rafa in the morning and he enjoys the chance to see his boyfriend like this: relaxed, deeply asleep. Often Roger would just lie there and watch Rafa for a few more minutes, letting him sleep in while he got up to prepare breakfast

And although I LOVE them together I couldn’t think of any more headcanons at the moment…but I’ll think about it 😂

*** *** ***

Stefanos/Daniil – I have a thing for this “enemies to lovers”/”hate to love” kind of fanfics and who would be better for that than the two of them?

-) neither of them has ever said "I love you" out loud. never. they show it through gestures.

-) Daniil would never admit it, but since they are together, he can't really fall asleep without holding Stef in his arms, without feeling his soft hair against his cheek and hearing Stef’s yawned "good night"

-) Stef loves to take photos of Daniil - his phone is full of photos of him. Serious ones, goofy ones, really really beautiful ones and some X-rated ones. Daniil has only a handful of photos of Stefanos, each one special. His favourite one is a screenshot he took from a facetime with Stef, where Stef fall asleep: facial expression so soft and relaxed, lips twisted into a little smile - Daniil loves this photo

-) “So, is it just sex?” – “You really think I would spend my day with Daniil Medvedev, who can be so cocky, sarcasm and know-it-all like no one else just for sex?” – silence - “So, is it love?” - Stefanos turned his head away, he didn't say a word, but Nick understood the silent answer, grinned and began to hum the wedding march to himself, but loud enough for Stef to hear. Stefanos blushed.

*** *** ***

Nick/Jack – I mean, I don’t even know if there is someone shipping them and although I adore their friendship so so much, I can picture them as a lovely couple as well

-) Jack had never thought that anyone could love a person as much as he loved Nick and yet he knew that Nick loved him even more and Jack doesn’t understand this since he was nothing special, average and yet Nick looks at him like he is the most beautiful, amazing person on earth.

-) Nick would be lying if he said the latest article about him didn't hurt him; the journalist wrote a lot of disrespectful stuff and although Nick never let on, the hatefulness hurt but he never told anyone that he does care about those headlines. "I've already talked to our lawyer," Jack said that without further explanation and Nick gave him a questioning look, "What?" - "I said I've already talked to our lawyer. We're suing this journalist. Those are all lies he's spreading." - "Why are you doing this?" - "Nobody writes something like that about the man I love and gets away with it. Nobody." And Nick couldn't put into words how much this meant to him.

*** *** ***

thank you so so much for this!! It was great fun and I hope you like the headcanons 💜

sleepover weekend!

If you like my headcanons, feel free to send me pairing requests (Tennis, MotoGP/2, F1) and I’ll try my best 😊🤗

edit: i won't write about kyrgios again. this was written and published before the domestic violence allegations against him became public and I believe Chiara.

[rafanad]

Do you think Rafa doesn't like Roger anymore? Recently he's just been destroying the fedal narrative, maybe they've fallen out.

Hello there! First of all, Happy New Year, I hope you will have an amazing 2018! 💙Regarding your question…. listen. I wanted to say this for a long time and not just regarding Fedal but celebrity stuff in general so now I’m just gonna grab this opportunity to ramble, pls bare with me.

*Rubs hands together* Let’s get this started. Fedal as a narrative and Fedal as the relationship between Roger and Rafa are two different things. I won’t claim that I know much about its history because I’m still a newbie here but what I actually know is that media stuff can be nicely distinguished from the real world. Now, the truth is that we don’t know much about that because that’s how they (famous people) like it - it’s private for a reason. The golden rule when it comes to celebrities is if they don’t want you to see it, you won’t. It’s that simple. They can create all crazy dramatic scenarios but the real, hard truth is that they are most likely always fake and done for a reason. They can tell you anything and claim it as the truth and most probably no one will question it. That’s how it is. Social media and PR is the narrative they create to sell it to the public but it’s not the reality. Now I’m not saying that everything is a lie, because that would be silly. What I’m saying is that everything that comes via media is very, very heavily edited and thought out and its purpose is to sell and create the best scenarios and narratives for the famous person. Their private life can be greatly different from what they sell you through the media most of the time. Or even in best case, it is such a slim and edited part - as it always is with social media anyway - of their lives that it won’t give you much. Now that we established that, no, I don’t think they had a fallout. What is happening here is simple PR management. Roger is obviously milking the Fedal narrative, I mean, I know and I’m sure he loves Rafa but that’s what he is doing, let’s be honest here. That’s just simply good promo for him. Now again, I might be wrong here but what I know is that in the past Rog had been the one to dash this narrative and Rafa was the Fedal hype’s main sponsor. In present time, it’s clearly the opposite and I think it is for a good reason. I honestly think Rafa’s admiration of Roger back in the days was one of a lovesick teenager’s and it has not changed at all. BUT as he slowly matured and became a sporting icon and a top athlete it also became very important to put a distance between himself and Roger image wise. That again, is simply business. They are rivals and I think Rafa needs to draw a clear line between his personal and professional life, because we all joke about the boyfriend comment but I really do believe that he needs to stick really hard to that narrative in order to not gush about Roger. That’s how they built his image over the last couple of years and I don’t see it changing anytime soon. But on the other hand that’s only what it is - his image. His PR persona. They need this in order to establish him to the public as someone who is a focused and professional tennis player, someone who can be taken seriously, yadda yadda.

Of course, I would love it if he became less cold and straight faced when it comes to Roger in interviews but I totally get it and I think many people tend to mess up celebrities PR and real life/personalities/opinions etc. My final conclusion and what I’m trying to teach you guys here is that 98% of everything media related can be and should be questioned, no matter the person and their profession. 

[why-the-face]

Laver Cup: Day 3

Okay, so I took a little longer with this one than the two previous ones, but only because I needed a few days to actually process what had just happened. To be quite honest I'm still not really believing I was actually THERE to experience all of that. But I was! Wow. So anyway...

Emma (@song-of-freedom) and I were Laver Cup experts by this point, so we knew exactly at what time to get to the arena and have enough time to buy merch, get some drinks, and then get our seats without having to either rush or wait around forever for the event to start. I managed to get a nice little gray Laver Cup t-shirt with the roster on it on Day 2, because it looked really cool (the fabric was a bit rougher than I expected it to be, though, tbh), so that's what I was wearing.

There was a bit of a misunderstanding around the seating disposition though (a guy and his son were a bit confused and because they didn't really speak English, it took a little longer to get it sorted, but it was fine).

Now, here's something interesting that happened on Day 3: by then, it was all a lot of fun and games, and enjoying it, and fedal and everything... but when Tomas/Marin lost their doubles match and all of a sudden the score was 9-6, shit GOT REAL, really fast.

A quick rundown of what happened:

.

- As I mentioned on Day 1, the rest of our row were all Rafa fans (and fedal! Let's not forget the fedal love!), and when we saw the schedule for the day we all were a bit stunned. I mean... when you think about it, it actually made no sense. Why would Bjorn get Tomas to play doubles when Tomas had already lost both his singles AND doubles matches?! It would have made a lot more sense to have Sascha or Dom on his place, or maybe even as a doubles team themselves.

- Anyways, by then, it was pretty clear that Bjorn wasn't actually doing a lot of captain-ing, while McEnroe had been actually really clever. He used the big guns on Day 1, let them rest on Day 2, then went all out with them on Day 3, which is when it all actually matters. And it ALMOST paid off!

- When Marin and Tomas lost their doubles, we were ALL stunned in the arena... and the whole fun vibe started to fade.

- I actually felt really bad for Tomas, poor guy. By that point, all the points Team World had won were against him.

- We were super stoked Sascha won, but when Rafa lost, OOOOH BOY! Shit got real!

- I mean, Team World wasn't even doing their funny celebrations most of the time! THAT'S HOW SERIOUS IT GOT!

- Which is good anyway, because during his match, Rafa did seem a bit annoyed at some of their antics. Not that we could blame him. Poor Rafa, he seemed really tired. Still don't get why Bjorn would have him play 4 times (possibly 5 if it had gone down to the last doubles) in 3 days and underutilise Dom.

- Actually, a lot of people around the arena were cheering for Isner to win against Rafa. Some thought it was because they wanted to watch Roger play, but they were even cheering for Kyrgios against Roger, which leads me to believe they actually were hoping to watch fedal teaming up for the deciding doubles.

- I am a huge fedal fan myself, but THANK GOD that didn't happen! Rafa and Roger admitted afterwards that they were going to do the doubles if it had come down to it, and that would only happen if Rafa and Roger had lost their matches. So to ask them to play doubles AFTER HAVING JUST LOST, against two guys WHO HAD JUST WON, would have been suicide.

- Also, we wouldn't have Rafa JUMPING TO ROGER FEDERER'S ARMS WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK!!!!!

- THAT ACTUALLY FUCKING HAPPENED! WHAT!

- Wait, I'm getting ahead of myself...

- Right, so, unfortunately, not a lot of Roger cheering for Rafa this time around, because he was preparing for his match while Rafa was playing. But THANKFULLY, Rafa was there from set 2 onwards of Roger's match and WOW.

- Rafa was cheering HARD for Roger! And you could tell Roger needed that. In set 1 when Team Europe had been pretty much silent and Rafa-less, you could see Roger glancing over to them and getting nothing in return from them. Bjorn wasn't actually talking to him and NO ONE was coming down to talk to him.

- When Rafa came down though, the team once again came around and started supporting him more.

- It was actually super sweet how Rafa would wait until Roger was actually looking at them to fist pump, clap, cheer, and encourage. He'd get up, wait for it, and THEN go "Come on! Keep going! Do it now!"

- Rafa got the crowd SUPER fired up for Roger on the last couple of points, he wanted everyone on their feet and screaming and OMFG HE'S THE BEST HEAD CHEERLEADER OF THEM ALL!

- That last tie break was PURE. FUCKING. AGONY!

- Kyrgios was up 8-5 at one point AND WE FELT LIKE PUKING FFS! And then he actually had matchpoint and I was on my feet, hunched over like Rafa, while Emma was looking away because we couldn't deal!

- AND THEN HE WON!!!!!

- AND THEN RAFA JUMPED ON HIM!!!!!!

- ALL THE FEDAL FEELS, OMFG!!!!!

- We were celebrating so hard when Roger won, I actually turned to the side and hugged the woman next to me real hard! WE WERE ALL SO HAPPY!

- Poor Kyrgios though (never thought I'd say that). You could tell he was really upset with the loss. Whoever thought the players weren't invested in this tournament WAS WRONG! All the players, man! Rafa was EXTREMELY emotionally invested in Roger's match, for instance! And man Roger was pulling out all the punches!

- Did I mention Rafa jumped on Roger? And then Roger went to Rafa and hugged him and apparently thanked him personally? Because I was drowning in fedal feels at that point. And just walking on air and still trying to process what had happened because OMG it all changed so quickly!

- Literally, the ONE time Roger was ahead on the score, it was when he had matchpoint. And he somehow converted it. IT WAS SO FAST!

- It was all surreal and just frankly amazing and I don't know how I'm gonna do it, but I will try my damned hardest to be there in Chicago next year. Especially if fedal are a part of it again. Especially Rafa, man. It would not have been the same without Rafa being Head Cheerleader.

...

- Quick sidenote: the DJ at the arena was DEFINITELY a fedal fan! The song that was played the most during the 3 days was "Came here for love", which was used particularly right before fedal doubles, when the lyrics went "This is what we came here for / We came here for love" and I was just laughing so hard.

Not quite as hard, though, as when the screen started showing pictures of Roger touching Rafa and "I believe in a thing called love" started playing ("Touching yoooooooou / touching meeeeeeeeeee"). I AM NOT MAKING THIS SHIT UP, YOU GUYS!

AND THEN TO TOP IT ALL OFF: they showed pictures of fedal doubles and once again of Roger grabbing Rafa, and what song was used then? "I WANT IT THAT WAY" BY THE FREAKING BACKSTREET BOYS! WHAT!

[tennisandlife]

Hi, there's something I am always curious about. Rafa has been with Xisca for about 10 years (maybe more), still there's no announcement of a wedding or even an engagement. Makes me wonder if Rafa's relationship with Roger has anything at all to do with this? I would find it strange that even after being together with the woman for about a decade there are no fixed future plans or not even anything is mentioned or hinted at. Would love to hear your thoughts on this.

Rafa said he would marry and have kids after his professional career, so we can only take his words for that, although there's no official announcement of anything. Rafa is a very private person so it could also be that he and Xisca have some plans which have never been known to the public. We never know if Rafa's relationship with Roger has another to do with that, although my shipper's heart would absolutely love that idea. To be honest, I wouldn't be surprised if Rafa revealed that he was gay/bisexual, because he definitely gives off that vibe. But in the meantime we can only wait till his retirement and see how it goes.

[imagesofperfection]

Roger’s aftermatch presser

Q. Does it mean a lot to you to put some more distance between you and your greatest rivals with this title? ROGER FEDERER: That's the smallest part, to be honest. For me it's all about the comeback, about an epic match with Rafa again. Doing it here in Australia, that I'm so thankful to Peter Carter and Tony Roche, and just people... I guess my popularity here, their support, that I can still do it at my age after not having won a slam for almost five years.

That's what I see. The last problem is the slam count. Honestly, it doesn't matter.

Q. Had you ever envisioned winning a Grand Slam on a challenge? ROGER FEDERER: Yeah, I guess I've been there before at some point. I can't tell you which finals or -- not a finals maybe, but some matches end this way. So we've seen it before.

I mean, you have to challenge it. If you're Rafa, what other option do you have? Good would have been if he had gotten there, played the lob, and then challenged. Then it's at least replay the point, isn't it?

Of course, it's slightly awkward to win this way. Nevertheless, emotions poured out of me. I was incredibly happy, as you can imagine. Then, of course, I was also seeing my entire support team, Mirka, everybody else going bananas. It was cool.

I knew from that point on, like, I actually did really win. That was a great feeling.

Q. Winning 18 would have been special regardless of where you had done it. Can you tell us how special it is doing it here in Australia. ROGER FEDERER: Like you said, I think it would have been special regardless of where it was going to be. Look, this is a tournament I've not missed. I've not missed the French. I've missed the US Open last year. This is the one I guess that is my most consistent slam potentially.

It all started for me here. I played the quallies here in '99, the juniors in '98. Won my first match maybe against Michael Chang here back in 2000. I go way back. Always loved coming here, you know.

When you win down here, the journey home is not a problem. When you lose, it's just brutal. That's why I feel very fortunate tonight.

Q. After the semifinal you touched upon the fact that you might have tensed up a little in the final set. How were you able to focus coming from a break down? ROGER FEDERER: I told myself to play free. That's what we discussed with Ivan and Severin before the matches. You play the ball, you don't play the opponent. Be free in your head, be free in your shots, go for it. The brave will be rewarded here. I didn't want to go down just making shots, seeing forehands rain down on me from Rafa. I think it was the right decision at the right time.

I had opportunities early on in the fifth, as well, to get back on even terms. I could have been left disappointed there and accepted that fact. I kept on fighting. I kept on believing, like I did all match long today, that there was a possibility I could win this match.

I think that's what made me play my best tennis at the very end the match, which was actually surprising to me. I went through a little bit of a lull in the fourth and the beginning of the fifth set.

Q. I assume it's fair to say he's your greatest rival. What does it mean to win this against him? ROGER FEDERER: We go furthest back, you know. Novak also has been one of my biggest rivals. So have Roddick and Hewitt. I don't like to leave anybody out, to be honest. But I'm sure I've left a couple out. They know who they are.

But Rafa definitely has been very particular in my career. I think he made me a better player. Him and a couple more players have done the most to do that to me because the way his game stacks up with me, it's a tricky one. I've said that openly. It remains for me the ultimate challenge to play against him. So it's definitely very special.

I said that also before the finals: if I were to win against Rafa, it would be super special and very sweet because I haven't beaten him in a Grand Slam final for a long, long time now. Last time I guess was 2007 at Wimbledon in a five-setter. Now I was able to do it again.

We're both on a comeback. Like I said on the court, it would have been nice for both of us to win, but there's no draws in tennis. It's brutal sometimes.

He should be happy. I would have been happy again to be in the finals, like I said on the court. I think this one will take more time to sink in. When I go back to Switzerland, I'll think, Wow.

The magnitude of this match is going to feel different. I can't compare this one to any other one except for maybe the French Open in '09. I waited for the French Open, I tried, I fought. I tried again and failed. Eventually I made it. This feels similar, yeah.

Q. Millions of people across the world saw this match. This tournament has been so wonderful with you, Rafa, Venus, Serena. Do you see this as a kind of celebration of spirit? In some uncertain times now, an event like this can help people and pick people's spirits up. ROGER FEDERER: I mean, I don't know to what extent. At the end of the day, it remains sports. But sports is a powerful tool. Makes a lot of people happy. They forget about their sorrows sometimes. Not always, though, clearly.

But I feel like finals of this magnitude, big Masters 1000s, World Tour Finals, you name it, they are supposed to be a celebration of tennis. That's why I think it's so nice again, to have Rod Laver out on the podium. For us, I was expecting Ashley-Cooper. But Rocket's okay, too, I guess.

It is, at the end, regardless of the outcome of the match, it's like a Super Bowl, whatever it is, it is tennis that is at front and center.

I'm happy we were represented that well tonight with Rafa. He's always great. That's why I hope he's still going to be in the game for a long time and represent the way he does.

Q. This is your first Grand Slam with Ivan Ljubicic coaching you. What does it mean to you? ROGER FEDERER: It's obviously special for the entire team. It was his first Grand Slam final as a player or as a coach. Obviously he was nervous all day. I tried to calm him down (smiling). The same thing with my physio, too. I think I can sense that this is not something that he's seen so many times. Where Severin, he was totally relaxed about it.

It's beautiful for all of us. I know how happy they are because they are more than just a coach or a physio or whatever. They're all my friends. So we spent a lot of time, you know, talking about am I going to get back to 100%, and if I did, what would it require to win a Grand Slam.

Now we made it. We're going to be partying like rock stars tonight. I can tell you that.

Q. The medical timeout, there were some quite adverse comments about that. ROGER FEDERER: What is 'adverse comments'?

Q. Critical comments. I think Pat Cash said it was legalized cheating. Can you tell us what was going on there, what the reason was. ROGER FEDERER: Look, I mean, I explained myself a couple of days ago after the Stan match. Yeah, my leg has been hurting me since the Rubin match. I was happy that I was able to navigate through the pain. For some reason against Stan I had it from the start on both sides of the groin.

After he took a medical timeout, I thought I could also take one for a change and see if actually something like a massage during the match is actually going to help me. It did a little bit potentially. I'm not sure.

And then today after probably -- well, I felt my quad midway through the second set already, and the groin started to hurt midway through the third set. I just told myself, The rules are there that you can use them. I also think we shouldn't be using these rules or abusing the system. I think I've led the way for 20 years.

So I think to be critical there is exaggerating. I'm the last guy to call a medical timeout. So I don't know what he's talking about.

Q. We know you've been asked about retirement for about 10 years now. ROGER FEDERER: Seven.

Q. Your comment on the court where you said, If I'm back next year, it does invite some comment on that. How much should we read into what you said there? ROGER FEDERER: I mean, this is all about, you know, knowing that I have only so much tennis left in me. If I do get injured, you know, maybe if I miss next year. Who knows what happens.

So it was just a way... You never know when your next Grand Slam is going to be, if ever. You never know if you're going to have an opportunity at this stage, I felt I could thank so many people at once. It's a live audience. It's a moment for me to be appreciative of them.

Yeah, I mean, look, I've had a tough year last year. Three five-setters are not going to help. I just meant it the way I meant it. There wasn't something planned behind it, that this is my last Australian Open. I hope can I come back, of course. That's my hope right now.

Q. You touched on it before briefly. How does Roger Federer at your age celebrate tonight? ROGER FEDERER: I'm a bit more experienced about it. You know, I just don't show up and look for something. We've organized a party. The good thing is always to have enough people around to make a party. I have a lot of friends over here now. Made a lot of friends also locally. Then also a lot of people have just been on this trip for some time now. So we're going to be about, I don't know, 20, 30, 40 people depending. It's better to party in a big bunch than all alone with one glass of champagne. I'm sure it's going to be good fun.

I liked the days when we had the day finals, like 2004, so it wouldn't would be almost 2:00. I still have doping to do. I have a bit of pressure to get that done.

[torentialtribute]

How bad boy Dan Evans turned his life around with Tim Henman’s former coach in his corner

It was 25 years ago that David Felgate first coached the main draw player on Wimbledon – a

A quarter of a century later, he applied his wealth of accumulated knowledge to another player who is probably the host country's best hope for a decent run in men's singles, Dan Evans.

Henman and Evans are contrasting characters – the former one unmistakably from Central England, the other a Reformed tearaway who finished the ban last year after it turned out to have sniffed cocaine.

<img id = "i-818d272b71e1c0e0" src = "https://ift.tt/2YgUiNa image-a-10_1561483493498.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" David Felgate (left) hopes to guide Dan Evans (right) towards success at Wimbledon next month "David Felgate (left) hopes Dan Evans ( right) guide to success at Wimbledon next month "

<img id =" i-818d272b71e1c0e0 "src =" https://ift.tt/2IK2Nea 7180297-image-a-10_1561483493498.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-818d272b71e1c0e0" src = "https://dailym.ai/2OTvk2r /06/25/18/15241490-7180297-image-a-10_1561483493498.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" David Felgate (left) hopes to coach Dan Evans (right) to success at Wimbledon next month

<img id = "i-ee0c76f00b132a33" src = "https://ift.tt/2YlB5Kt -image-a-11_1561483508585.jpg "height =" 44 3 "width =" 634 "alt =" Felgate wants to pass on all his knowledge to the in-form Evans as they are "

<img id =" i-ee0c76f00b132a33 "src =" https://i.dailymail.co .uk / 1s / 2019/06/25/18 / 15241512-7180297-image-a-11_1561483508585.jpg "height =" 443 "width =" 634 "alt =" Felgate wants to pass on his knowledge to the in-form Evans while they climb the ranking "class =" blkBorder img-

]

Yet for all their differences in background, they share the same style of elegant tennis, to the point where Evans studies video clips from the former GB No. 1. Both will testify to the benefits of Felgate & # 39; s no-nonsense brand of coaching.

The results with Evans are surprising. When they first came into contact 12 months ago, he was denied a Wimbledon wildcard and he was still in place 362 in the world, a figure that has been improved by just 300 places, partly due to the two tournaments that he won in the last month. On Tuesday, he made the second round in Eastbourne by beating World No. 41 Radu Albot 7-6, 6-2.

The 29-year-old from Birmingham is no longer the party animal: & We don't have I disagree with some of the things I say, but that's normal, & # 39; reflects the famous simple speaking Evans. & # 39; I am much fitter than a year ago.

However, it was not an easy process. Evans started the 192 season ranked by a challenger in the small Australian town of Playford, and was well defeated in the first round.

& # 39; After that he was devastated, very down done so much work in season and didn't get any rewards, "Felgate recalls. & I think that's where you earn your corn As a coach, we flew directly to Melbourne, he had a very good training with Gael Monfils for a few hours and, as it turned out, he was on his way. & # 39;

Two weeks later he fought through to qualify for the Australian Open, and made up for the second round, forcing Roger Federer into three tight sets, and Federer was quite impressed that he had made a royal call to the British player two months ago to join him in Switzerland

<img id = "i-d21c619d9b1da4f3" src = "https: // i .dailymail.co.uk / 1s / 2019/06/25/18 / 15241446-7180297-image-a-12_1561483541365.jpg "height =" 426 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img i d = "i-d21c619d9b1da4f3" src = "https://ift.tt/2ILqbYS" height = "426" width = "634" alt = "<img id =" i-d21c619d9b1da4f3 "src =" https://ift.tt/2YlB60Z .jpg "height =" 426 "width =" 634 "alt =" <img id = "i-d21c619d9b1da4f3" src = "https://dailym.ai/2J8n4cl 15241446-7180297-image-a-12_1561483541365.jpg "height =" 426 "width =" 634 "alt =" Evans considers himself a man in shape for the grass season that the Surbiton Trophy has won season after winning the Surbiton Trophy

Players-coach relations in tennis can be situated, with the need to get on and off court.

They clearly enjoy each other's company, and although Evans can polarize his opinion because of his turbulent past and frankness, Felgate will declare that he possesses more than any portrait of Jack.

& # 39; Then a deeper thinker than some would expect, incredibly curious, very clever in many ways and he loves the sport. There is actually a lot in common with Andy (Murray).

& # 39; He knows all the results, he is very caring and interested in younger players.

& # 39; There are also similarities with Tim: he always played with Pole, asked questions, loved the teasing, and Dan is like that.

This is why the player rushed to YouTube during the clay course season to watch Henman's run at the 2004 French Open semi-finals.

& # 39 Without being Tim, he didn't have the biggest shots in the world, and neither did I & # 39 ;, says Evans. & # 39; I wanted to see how he won his points on clay and that helped me work out my own game style and I thought I was pretty good at it. & # 39;

] Evans (right) can polarize his opinion, but he is talking instead of getting rid of it, now

You ask, inevitably, I don't know what to do, about who

I know what I want, & Evans says, & # 39; want out of life, & # 3 9; says Evans. & # 39; It's hard if you're younger, I thought I'd be wrong if I didn't go out. Now I know that I miss it very much and that I prefer to spend the evening with my girlfriend.

& # 39; There is always something better to do than wake up the hangover, that is no longer in the plans. I had a few beers one evening in Indian Wells (in March) and pitched the next morning. I certainly feel healthier as I get older. I want to take better care of my body. "

Felgate did not feel the need to lay down the law: & # 39; I never told him to go out one night, but he actually regulates himself well.

& # 39; He had one at Indian Wells, maybe I have two blown-down tires this year, I don't mind, most players do that. He is not an angel, he is just a normal guy. I like to work with Dan every day , because it's fun. We talk about football, he loves the horses, doesn't take himself too seriously. & # 39;

A key to get the player in the best shape of his life is invisible work of the exercises done on the practice

& I actually do a lot of fitness on the field, which suits me well, the stuff we do with Dave is physically heavy & # 39 ;, says Evans

<img id = "i-536e7e4bf83b90c9" src = "https://ift.tt/2IKOJRW image-a -20_1561484321784.jpg "height =" 461 "width =" 634 "alt =" Tim Henman's study clips on clay in 2004 helped Evans to adapt for the French Open

] Studies Tim Henman's clips on clay in 2004, helped Evans adapt to the French Open

Tim Henman's study clips on clay in 2004 helped Evans adapt to the French Open

<img id = "i-b0fc1cf0887a8ea7" src = "https://ift.tt/2YfIsmy" height = "423" width = "634" alt = "While he was defeated in the first round, Evans found that he & # 39; pretty good & # 39; played in Paris as his rankings & # 39; class = "blkBorder img-

<img id =" i-b0fc1cf0887a8ea7 "src =" https://dailym.ai/2WPmxkZ /2019/06/25/18/15241940-7180297-image-a-19_1561484320357.jpg "height =" 423 "width =" 634 "alt =" While he was defeated in the first round, Evans found that he & # 39 ; pretty good & # 39; played in Paris as his rankings rise "

& # 39; Many of his exercises are hard work and over disciple rule and don't miss out, so you have a strong foundation.

& # 39; We have a lot of two-to-one for 45 minutes without a break and it is ball-busting. I think he has technically improved my salvo & # 39; s enormously and that my ministry is definitely a lot better & # 39;

Felgate developed his methods largely over his nine years working with Henman (where he made three Wimbledon semifinals) and an eight-year association with Croatian WTA player Donna Vekic

Evans, critical of the Lawn Tennis Association's emphasis on sports science, was intrigued to discover that Federer also favors the type of work he has with Felgate when he went to train with the Swiss superstar at his home in the mountains.

& # 39; Many of them, his exercises and so on, are fairly simple. Maybe what people say about Roger is how hard he works.

& # 39; I might look smooth, but there is no mess and every shot I have has a purpose.

& # 39; When I was there one day, the wind was incredible, I was on the other side of the field, I knew I had to practice better because of that. , like when I played Rafa in the semi-final this year with the French.

& # 39; We practiced non-stop for two hours, it didn't bother him, he laughed. To be honest, I thought he might not want to practice because the wind was bad, but he was ready for that and ready for it.

<img id = "i-a1aaee296dca8d97" src = "https://ift.tt/2IM6LTP image-a-21_1561484361759.jpg "height =" 521 "width =" 634 "alt =" The sessions are intense with Evans revealing that Felgate & # 39; s coaching made him fitter "

sessions are intense with Evans revealing that Felgate & # 39; s coaching has made him fitter

& # 39; I suggested ask him many questions I thought I could get away. I didn't want him to think I was a scourge and he never wanted to practice with me again. I'm 29, I can't act like an 18-year-old asking non-stop questions, but he was very nice, very cool. & # 39;

Andy Murray concentrates on doubles and is probably Evans, who represents the best chance for a British man entering deep into Wimbledon, because he can no doubt beat most players on the grass.

& # 39; Then & # 39; s hands are right there with Tim & # 39; s, in terms of natural feeling, & # 39; says Felgate.

& # 39; Sometimes I am not sure if I know how good he is. & # 39;

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[lostinprocrastination]

I mean...of course he doesn't always win. Sometimes he's in a bad day, or his opponent is having the match of his life (even Dustin Brown has bested him - in Wimbledon, no less, if I'm not mistaken). As in life, you win some, you lose some. I'm sad for a couple of hours but whatever, it happens. Even against Roger it's usually a very close contest, the win or loss decided by who manages to me more surprising or aggressive in the deciding points.

And then there's this guy. The ONLY one who's able to really get into his head and shrink him, make him weaker, smaller, ALWAYS letting his guard down (except on clay, but you know, it's clay), I can't even explain it. Maybe it's the way he's always mocked him publicly and perhaps he continues to do so in the locker room. Maybe he does something worse when the world is not watching, because he always plays to the public for us to love him, but if you pay enough attention you can clearly see how fake he is, how much the other guys don't really have a lot of love for him, to put it mildly, even though they pretend they do in the public eye for some reason (maybe because most of the public actually does love him and they don't want to seem petty to them, that seems like a perfectly reasonable concern). Roddick, however, would say it plain and clear in his interviews even though it cost him a lot of the public's appreciation and god bless him for that. Surely he's missed in the circuit, though I remember when he was active many many people actually hated him. Roger, the height of class and discretion, sometimes lets little things slip, and if you put them together you get the big picture. Rafa, bless his good soul, doesn't even have to watch himself to go ahead and say anything bad about the guy, or anyone really (whenever he does, and it's extremely rare, you can be SURE it's about something he thinks it's really wrong - as I'm sure his notorious beef with my highly regarded compatriot umpire Carlos Bernardes, whatever side you fall on that, and I myself think Rafa was a little too harsh, was not just about himself, but how he might treat others, again, I'm sure, even if he's wrong about that). He seems to love everybody and not for nothing not even the most outspoken guys ever have anything bad to say about him, quite the contrary - he's one of the most beloved playerd among his peers, if not the most beloved one.

Honestly, with the way he's been playing lately, with the best serve and more winners than he's ever produced in his career, his fear of this one guy is the one thing he has to work on the most, and that should have happened years and years ago.

Like I said in another text post yesterday, I sincerely don't know if I'm more upset that he lost or that the other one won. I mean, if Rafa hadn't reached the final, I'd still be VERY upset that he won. It makes me angry when he wins anything, anywhere, against anyone. My only hope was Nishikori, to be honest, but he usually chickens out against him too, so...

Sigh. I can't turn on the TV right now. I wanted to go back to sleep because I have a headache (completely unrelated, I just slept on a bunch of pillows I use to put on my back while I'm sitting on my bed and it always happens, just to make it clear, it's not drama over this match at all) and just took a pill for that, but I can't even do that. It's just so frustrating. I don't know.

[dpinoycosmonaut]

A MONOPOLY OVER HEARTBREAKS?

by Bert A. Ramirez / September 8, 2018

               Rafael Nadal, defending champion in the US Open, is done without being able to defend his title the way he should, on the finals’ ultimate stage.  He again fell victim not exactly to the man opposite his side of the court but to a nagging, seemingly constant presence in his legendary career: injury.

               Nadal had just engaged Juan Martin del Potro, his semifinal rival, in a scorching first set, losing in the tiebreaker 7-3, but the next set saw him gradually losing that spunk and fortitude that’s been his trademark, eventually offering less and less resistance as Del Potro continued to slam his patended big forehands.  It was clear Nadal’s movement was limited at this point, and that something was wrong with the man known the world over as the toughest competitor in the sport, probably in any sport for that matter.  True enough, after the second set won by Del Potro 6-2, Nadal shook his head and went to the umpire to tell him he’s had enough, the pain in his right knee too searing for him to offer any resistance worthy of a champion that he is.

               "That was not a tennis match at the end.  Just one player playing, the other staying on one side of the court," Nadal said afterwards.  "I hate to retire, but staying one more set out there, playing like this, would be too much for me."

               He was in tears in the postgame conference when asked if playing on hard courts made it harder for his knees, which have a history of tendinitis over the years.  He knew that another heartbreak has come to pass, another opportunity has been wasted. Earlier in the third round, that right knee began to act up when he defeated Karen Khachanov, getting it taped before completing a four-set victory.  His five-set classic win against Dominic Thiem in the quarterfinals, which lasted four hours. 49 minutes, must have surely taken its toll on that knee of his.

               The retirement betrays a pattern in Nadal’s career that has seen him deprived of what could have been at least a very good chance at victory if injury did not rear its ugly head time and again.  Just last January, Nadal was gliding through the Australian Open when he suddenly pulled up lame with a hip injury and retired in the fifth set of his quarterfinal match against Marin Cilic.  In the same event in 2014, he looked all-too-powerful in eliminating old rival Roger Federer in the semifinals before suffering a back injury in the finals and losing to Stanislas Wawrinka, against whom he was 12-0 to that point, in four sets.

               That’s three Grand Slam events lost by retirement, and many more Grand Slams missed or pulled out from through the years because of injury: 2004 French Open due to stress fracture in his left ankle, 2006 Australian Open (foot injury), 2009 Wimbledon (knee injury), 2010 Australian Open (pulled out in the quarterfinals because of a knee injury), 2012 US Open (tendinitis in knee), 2013 Australian Open (stomach virus), 2014 US Open (wrist injury), 2016 French Open (withdrew from the third round due to a left wrist injury), and 2016 Wimbledon (left wrist injury).

               And how about the other ATP Tour events that he also missed due to such injury episodes?  In 2009, he had to take a two-month sabbatical because of tendinitis in both knees.  In 2013, he was sidelined for seven months for a left knee injury that he opted to rest rather than subject to surgery.  Again, in 2014, Rafa had to miss much of the second half of the season because of a right wrist injury and appendicitis, for which he had to undergo an appendectomy.  In 2016, he again suffered through a left wrist injury he sustained in the Madrid Open, and in 2017, Rafa ended the year prematurely with him in pain because of a right knee injury.

               While injuries are, of course, part of any athlete’s career, Nadal seems to have had more share of the injuries – and a seeming monopoly of the ensuing heartbreaks – than any of his contemporaries, or tennis great from any era for that matter.

               Rob Soria of Vavel, an international sports newspaper, precisely pointed to that when he wrote in 2014, “Following the completion of the 2014 US Open, Nadal will have either been hurt during or completely missed out on six different majors since 2009, which have unquestionably been his prime years on tour.  Suggesting that the former No. 1 player in the world could have grabbed an extra two or three of those titles would not have been a stretch in the least and to be quite honest, it would have probably been a pretty safe bet.

               “At the end of the day, none of us can say with any sort of certainty how many more titles Rafael Nadal would have won had he been healthier during his time on the ATP Tour.  While it may ultimately be nothing more than a guessing game, the one thing tennis fans everywhere can agree on is injuries have robbed us of the opportunity of watching one of the finest players to ever grace a tennis court  from doing what he does best on far too many occasions and that my friends is almost criminal.”

               What’s ahead of Rafa now that injury has reared its ugly head again, and deprived him of a possible 18th Grand Slam title?  His retirement against Del Potro was only his fourth loss in 49 matches this year, but it was the second by retirement in a Grand Slam event due to injury.

               Rafa, who turned 32 last June 3, insists he has to constantly manage his body, stressing that the current injury is not one that will need much recovery from, just careful management.  “Just about do treatment,” he said when asked about the recovery process. “It is not an injury that tells you, ‘three weeks off, you are back.  Six months off you are back.’  I know what I have to do to be better as soon as possible.  I am sure it will not be six months off of course, I was just making a comparison.  I know what is going on with the knee.  But the good thing is I know how I have to work to be better as soon as possible because we have a lot of experience on that.”

               Whatever happens, one can expect that Nadal will go about this the way he always has – all out.  One, however, can only wonder how much of the heartbreaks this seemingly indomitable creature can further take.  We know he can endure physically, and will “punish” himself, as he himself puts it, in order to play the game he loves.  As my own wife, however, puts it, there’s got to be a point where Rafa has to pause and think: After having achieved all this legendary status, is it worth to keep sacrificing yourself, and the opportunity to start your own family, the Spaniard having declared he won’t start a family unless he can devote his full time to it away from tennis?

               “I will keep going.  That is all,” Nadal simply said when asked about his plans.  “These moments are tough but I have to keep going and working hard to get more opportunities.  I am having two great years so I just have to enjoy the moments.  This year has been fantastic until this moment.  I am playing the right way and enjoying things.  I am having success at the age of 32.  A lot of people in this room, including me, didn't think I would be at this level at this age.  I still have a passion for the game so I will keep fighting and working hard.”

               That, it seems, gives one a glimpse of the Rafa Nadal spirit and mindset, if he has not finally gotten it yet.

(Photo from EPA)