In a few days the Australian Open 2021 begins. Complicated with the new wave of the Pandemic, it will surely be an atypical tournament, despite its proximity, even with probable changes in the competition format. Although it is not my favorite Grand Slam, it was the one that gave me my last two great sports joys, Roger Federer’s titles in 2017 and 2018.
I finished the final of 2017 kneeling in front of the television. I received the last point from Roger with tears in my eyes. After a long drought of big titles, Roger once again won a huge cup, as great as his sporting glory.
I discovered tennis in 2008. A few days before the final of that year’s Wimbledon, I read on a news portal about the 10 sporting events that one should never stop watching (at least on tv). The usual, a Real Madrid – Barcelona, a River – Boca, Monte Carlo F1, the American football super bowl, United – Liverpool and other sporting events that I no longer remember from a distance. Among the 10 chosen was a Wimbledon final between Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal.
I had cable, a reasonably large TV to watch the game. Also all the prejudices in the world about tennis, an elite sport, for snobs, nothing that could attract my attention. But, on a Sunday morning, with nothing else to do, I got hooked on the game. In a few minutes my prejudices disappeared and I gave myself to a sport that I find exciting today.
He knew almost nothing about tennis. I had only seen summaries in the sports news about triumphs of Sampras or Agasi or Lendl and Connors in the more remote past, even of Roger the years before. I lived as a layman the encounter between two absolutely different styles of play. On the one hand, the fine harmony, the ballet that is Roger on the court, on the other hand, the bestial delivery and honor that is Rafa in it.
In any other sport, I was sure to become a fan of an athlete or team equivalent to Rafa. I prefer effort, sacrifice over pure talent and blessed by the gods. At the time I was a fan of Mansell and Hill on Senna’s undisputed talent. I have enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) matches in any district football league over Messi and Ronaldo’s Champions League.
But in tennis and with Roger, something different happened to me, unprecedented. He lost that final. He lost the next game I saw (the Australian Open 2009 final), both games against Rafael Nadal, but those two games were enough to make me fall in love with his harmonious game and his infinite talent, his mastery and the way he transforms his game into a symphony. I started, from Roland Garros 2009, to see all the matches I could of the 4 Grand Slams, then I got hooked on the ATP 1000, then the 500 and almost any game where Roger played.
Then I was valuing (and a lot) the undeniable talent of Rafa. Also discovering other tennis players to follow and, by the way, as in all sports, tennis players to hate on the court.
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