The Gays and Tennis Part 108

TY OP!

I'm so happy for Nadal!

Thank you OP!

Djokovic just posted on Instagram, congratulating the champions/finalists

Aw, he's feeling some pressure to do some PR. Cute.

I'm going to Dubai!

The good guy wins! very rare!

No, seriously, has Djocovid ever done something like that for any other slam event?

2 shady comments from Medvedev. Unprompted, he said something like "the rivalry is not over" as a nod to Novaxx.

Also, making a big deal of his wife, ok normal, but it drew attention to Rafa's wife not being there for the biggest moment in his career. He can't even lie about it and say "honey I miss you I see you soon". Come out already.

R7, yes, he did that for the US open as well

Novax DoperBitch: still banned from Australia. Instagram won't save you from Border Force wrath.

Total clown.

Fuck Djokovic.

R8 But Medvedev's wife wasn't there either? And if the gossip is true, Medvedev tries to cheat on her.

Yet another irony in this saga is that Nadal actually did recover from COVID in December.

Compare Federer's sincere congratulations with Djokovic's tepid acknowledgement.

I woke up this morning thinking I’d see who won and see that Rafa is serving for the championship. I couldn’t believe it - but shouldn’t have been surprised with these two…

RAFAAAAAAA!!!!! 😄🥳 🎉

Novax congratulating Rafa.

r12, I think the wife already left the box which made his comments extra hollow, shady little cat.

R13 Rafa and Roger have always been close. I believe there is genuine friendship there, they actually care for each other, despite competitions and playing against each other. On the other hand I don't think Rafa and Nole will ever be friends. They're just too different.

R16 Medvedev's wife wasn't there, she was at home.

Rafa has always been very complimentary of Fed, which is probably the basis of their friendship.

they are only now showing the match on ESPN 2 in the US

Danii needs more therapy with the sports shrink.

[quote] Danii needs more therapy with the sports shrink.

Methinks.

I like that Fed always focuses on the Rafa/Roger rivalry, never referring to the Big Three. I buy that he sees his and Rafa’s relationship as its own entity.

Elated that Rafa won. He is my all time sports hero. Has been for years. Not a tennis player myself so don't get hung up on form and execution, but when it comes to heart, drive, grit, integrity - he's a role model.

Novax and Deviil both suffer from tone-deaf selective memory syndrome, refusing to connect the dots between their bad behavior and the crowd despising them for it.

Small Cat needs to get his ranting under control. He has been downright unhinged at times.

At least he got his mole (not his Nole) under control.

I'm totally cool with Med and NoVaxxx spending the rest of their careers only playing in countries where they feel 'loved'.

That bland Novax tweet looks like it was written in advance by his PR, with only the winners names to be filled in at the last minute.

Eagerly awaiting the first cunty comments Novak's parents make to a reporter about Nadal's historic win.

Actually, r6, the point is that the good guy has won more times than anyone else.

Not lately, R31. The bad guys have been on the march for a while now.

The Rocket appears to have a sweet tooth for Rafa.

R7, we’ll, he hasn’t had to do it very often.

I can't even believe it.

He's won every Slam at least twice. Clay court specialist my ass.

I can't believe, when I started following him in 2005, that he'd be this damn good. For this damn long.

Fuck Novak. (But I have mad love for Fed. Rafa is my guy, but Fed is amazing too.)

I wonder what rafa dopes. Over 6 months without competing, an operation in September...

Obviously Nadal is now the undisputed GOAT unless Federer wins RG lol or Djokovic wins more slams but

a lot of people are paying attention more to the moment of tennis history than the quality of the match, which was utter shit

Nadal was really bad in the first set with his serving and his backhand was an unforced error machine. In set 2, both Nadal and Medvedev choked. For the first 5 1/2 games of set 3, Nadal's level dipped again and it seemed like he was done. Then inexplicably at 3-2 and 0-40 on Nadal's serve, Medvedev started playing just so stupidly. He decided to do the dumbest things on break points and maintained that level of stupidity for the rest of the match. Why he kept going for drop shots when he lost most of those points was a mystery.

It was bizarre how Nadal seemed deflated and tired starting set 3 but then suddenly had endless energy the rest of the match. In set 5 yet again, both players choked! I could not believe how tight Nadal was at 5-4 but then Medvedev gifted the break right back at 5-5.

I despise Medvedev's personality and hope some other young player besides him steps up. The display he put on today with his game was a lesser version of Murray. For the second half of the match he just spun in his forehand and was mostly unable to finish points with it. Not the quality of a possible future #1.

It's not a good look for the game when a 35 year old often-injured player can physically and mentally outlast a 25 year old who should be at his peak.

Is Nadal the best fighter in history? absolutely but Medvedev is a mental midget the likes of Thiem and only slightly better than Tsitsipas and Zverev. The men's game is in shambles now but everyone will instead say Nadal was amazing. He was mentally amazing but his actual tennis level today was well off his peak yet he still won

What the fuck are you on about, r37. The men's final was amazing tennis!

R38 what final did you watch? Nadal's numerous backhand errors

Medvedev's spinny forehand that couldn't end points, repeated attempts at drop shots despite losing the point over and over again?

choking by both players

the drama was amazing but the quality of shots? No. Peak Nadal would have destroyed this version of Medvedev.

yes, nadal had luck that med started playing shit at some point....It was painful to watch what he was doing sometimes.

if Medvedev had kept up the same strategy he used in the first 2 sets it would have been enough to win the third easily. He choked at 3-2 0-40 and started playing like an idiot.

Nadal got very lucky just when Shapovalov self-imploded.

Nadal is the best fighter in history but this slam was filled with luck for him

then of course he avoided deported Novaxx, Zverev, Karatsev and Kokkinakis. Everything broke his way just when he needed it

Tippy the Cow

Nadal "avoided" Zverev, Karatsev and Kokkinakis, R41, because they either played terribly (Zverev and Kokkinakis) or got outplayed (Karatsev).

For me this was the best point of the tournament.

I'd love to see fresh Karatsev and Nadal together.

A better version of the point...

at this rate 40 year old Nadal and Djokovic will be battling for most slams of all time with each tied at 30

these young guys just don't have the it-factor day-in, day-out

You know that Meerkat Fed not only ate all the food in the kitchen today; she started to devour the kitchen too. Luckily the children weren't around...

Phew thank goodness. I was really hoping for a FAA/Nadal final (no bad ending there) but all's well that ends well.

It's too early to count the young guns out. Keep in mind Federer didn't get beyond a GS quarterfinal until he was nearly 22. And even the Big 3 have had their slumps.

One of the reasons Rafa developed such intense mental toughness was growing up playing Federer, always #2 until 2008 Wimbledon. And their joint dominance is what pushed Novaxx’s extreme focus on conditioning, an aspect of his game he could physically control. There is an interdependence and consistency to their playing that the younger players don’t have access to. This is the only time I’ll compare Novaxx to someone I admire, but - the Big Three is like the Beatles, in a way, I believe all three of them would have excelled without each other, but nowhere near the level they achieved playing each other.

(And even if Rafa and Novaxx leave Roger in the dust in Grand Slams, no one will ever best the beauty and elegance of Fed’s tennis.)

in addition to choker Medvedev, biggest loser is Novaxx lmao what a fucking moron! This was his BEST slam and he was in a good position to win his 21st. Now his chief rival won it. Antivaxxers are the dumbest!

I'm not a fan of Nadal or Djokovic and was hoping all the big 3 would be locked at 20 slams but I'd rather Nadal than Novaxx get to 21.

Med choked the match. He was up two set and a break, he has a huge serve, and he choked. All credit to Rafa, though: all Med had to do was open the door a little and Rafa beat it down. Nobody in tennis is mentally stronger than Rafa.

Amazing tennis, a great final.

Moving on

here are the draws for this week:

Montpellier:

Zverev took a WC and is #1 seed. RBA, Monfils and Basilashvili round out top 4

interesting first rounds: McDonald vs. ivashka, M. Ymer vs. Moutet, Kwon vs. Gaston and rematch Gasquet vs. Humbert

Tsonga makes his return to the tour

Cordoba:

top seeds: Schwartzman, returning Thiem, Garin and Sonego

interesting first rounds: Paire vs. Munar, Verdasco vs. Baez, Rune vs. Carballes Baena

Pune:

top seeds are Karatsev, Musetti, Mager and Vesely

interesting first round is Ruusuvuori vs. Gerasimov

What's the next Masters, Indian Wells, right?

Give Nadal a break! He just recovered from Covid weeks ago! It's amazing that he was able to win this after playing for 5 hours!

He must last forever in bed.

R55 thats the point. It is REALLY amazing

I heard one commentator say that Med was ahead on all the stats, from first serves in to total points won. Yet Nadal still won.

Imagine thinking this match was shitty because the two guys hit some unforced errors in a 5 hour match. Do you even watch tennis?

Medvedev needs to be less of a jerk. Ignore the bloody crowd and get on with it. Everyone hated Lendl and he didn’t give a shit. So pleased for Rafa, a fantastic achievement.

R58 do you even play tennis? It's not about "some unforced errors"

compare this to classic slam finals and this doesn't hold up. It had the drama not the quality. Just because it was long does not mean it was a classic

Medvedev's forehand and volleying are simply not up to par

AO crowd were repulsive. Bunch of fucking yobbos.

RAFFFAAAAAAAA!

Woke up in the middle of the night. He was two sets down. "Oh crap, well, it's still a miracle that he made it to the final. Nothing to be ashamed of."

Work up at 8 a.m. and there he was in the 5th set. Unbelievable.

Thanks for the post, R53.

I'm glad to see Domicakes Thiem return, and I'll be happy to see his Domicakes depart as well. :)

R16, he said the TV is probably broken, intimating she left maybe 2 hours ago and went to hotel and smashed the TV when he lost.

I missed his facial features. He is really hard to like.

Wow, just watched Medvedev's post-match presser. There's so much to like and look forward to about Daniil, but lord god he needs a sports psychologist; stat! Monster chip on his shoulder. It's going to be a burden for him to lug that thing around for his career.

From Medvedev the thing I'd most look forward to is his early retirement.

JUST for everyone's f.y.i... the ATP still STILL doesn't test for E.P.O. or similar substances? BECAUSE????

SO look towards 50 year old nadal winning slams winning 3 out of 5 sets, 7 matches in 2 weeks, outlasting, outslugging players young enough to be his sons!...

SORRY, but i cannot and will not believe someone 1) who allegedly had a foot injury right before the tournament started 2) someone who allegedly has all of these injuries over the years 3) someone who plays his style of game and for decades now and 4) who is pushing 36 can do what he did without some "help"..

and no, it's not the same with 40 year old federer or novak, because of their style of game is not as taxing and grueling....

R68 I fully agree, but I also think that all top professional players are doping. It's like cycling - I find it hard to believe that anyone can be a top professional player without doping. I just think that they are all doing it. And testing is a bit of a joke, it's quite easy to evade testing positive as athletes like Lance Armstrong and Marion Jones have proven.

The most interesting thing is that both before and during the match Medvedev was objectively the better player and 'should' have won. But Nadal was more clutch at the important points. So this is a mentality thing. Here are some of the stats:

Aces: Medvedev 23, Nadal 3

Winners: Medvedev 76, Nadal 69

Unforced errors: Medvedev 52, Nadal 68

Break points won: Medvedev 27%, Nadal 32%

Total points won: Medvedev 189, Nadal 182

What was the first serve percentage?

R71:

1st serve in: Medvedev 69%, Nadal 62%

Won 1st serve: Medvedev 71%, Nadal 67%

Thank you, R72.

the 2 areas where Nadal did slightly better than Medvedev

break points 7/22 for Nadal vs. 6/22 for Medvedev.

2nd serve points won: 47% 34/72 for Nadal and 42% 23/55 for Medvedev

those 2

R74 And net points won: Medvedev 56%, Nadal 60%. But that's it, everything else points to that Medders should have won. He choked. That last game, OMG, after breaking back on an actual rare Nadal choke. Missing shots he normally would never miss. I wanted to cover my eyes at what I was seeing.

It was wonderful to see Nadal absolutely beaming when he won.

R69.... but weren't armstrong and jones eventually caught?

sickening that NO ONE will say outloud what needs to be said or at least what is rumored! cowards in the tennis powers that be...

and that includes all of the commentators and former players on ESPN and the TENNIS CHANNEL...

Would love to have tennis channel have a call in show and see their faces when they are asked about this matter! and what they think about the sport becoming even MORE niche and elitist because of ticket prices and what not that the average person whose the TRUE fan of the game can't afford! tgranted, all of them don't care since they are wealthy and most came from privileged backgrounds in the first place except for Martina.....

On another sidenote, how many more years do we have to listen to fowler and the mac brothers!! one a moron, another a loudmouth douche, and the third one riding the coattails of older brother his entire life...

R77 You are right, it wasn't failed tests that brought about the exposure of Jones' and Armstrong's doping but other pressures.. I think it's a calculation on the part of the sport and journalists. They want fans to be engaged and for the sport to be popular for self-interested reasons.

R75 absolutely it was a horrendous choke, 1 that will be the most infamous ever if no other male equals or passes Nadal

Those stats make it even more depressing for Medvedev. Nadal was clutch when he needed to be which is why he has so many damn titles. Hopefully Medvedev learns from this and does better if/when put in a position like this again.

I have to say, this still was such a crazy comeback. I honestly thought it was over at this point:

Interesting take from a local (which I, as a local, agree with) on Medvedev, crowd behaviour and K&K.

I thought that the Melbourne crowd’s behaviour was appalling throughout the tournament, btw.

Yes, the crowd were unsporting and horrid, but here's my theory: players like Medvedev and Djokovic do not typically enjoy crowd support because the general public can sense that they're not good people. On the part of Medvedev, for example, there are documented incidents of racism, antisemitism, sexism, aggression towards ballboys and umpires, and rudeness towards tournament organisers (mouthing 'boring' when Jayne Hrdlicka was praising him).

Oh I don’t disagree R83 - the biggest problem with the crowd not liking Medvedev is that he’s not particularly likeable!

But I’m old school (I first went to the AO when it was on grass at Kooyong) when people didn’t applaud double faults or unforced errors. Maybe it’s time for me to tune out.

R84 I agree, Wimbledon is still the politest and best crowd for that.

I am still fascinated that in the US Open final showdown which was between Medvedev and Djokovic, the crowd picked Djokovic to cheer for, which reduced him to actual tears on court. I think that says a lot and not good things for Medvedev.

R68, you think Novak's game is less grueling than Rafa's?

Nope. He grinds more than Rafa does. He's just slim and flexible. So it SEEMS easier. It's not.

And anyone who's followed Rafa's career can tell you he was playing three or four steps slower than he ever has at the Aussie. He had to will himself to finish line in his last three matches.

It's why this win is so astounding.

The five setter this morning was not the same as the five setter against Fed in 09. Rafa is clearly not near where he was even two years in terms of stamina. It's actually shocking. The fact he was able to beat Med was simply mind over matter. Rafa should NOT have won.

(That was my long winded answer to: I don't think Rafa is doping. He's decline has been similar to others at his age. And that decline is noticeable from space. He won from sheer will and because he's just better.)

R85 in general yes but in the last decade they got quite rowdy when Murray played in a way they didn't back when Henman was a player. They were getting into Raducanu during her debut last year and I think they could very well be over-the-top when she returns to Wimbledon this year

I think the RG crowds are still the worst in terms of booing for no legitimate reason especially if it's an opponent of a French player. The AO crowds used to be polite but now they are definitely in the same league as USO crowds.

R89 Says a lot though that they're still better than the USO, AO and FO crowds.

The forgotten percentage

Mental Agility- Nadal 100% Medvedev 0%

[quote] sickening that NO ONE will say outloud what needs to be said or at least what is rumored! cowards in the tennis powers that be...

[quote] and that includes all of the commentators and former players on ESPN and the TENNIS CHANNEL...

Such an idiotic post by R77. The reason they're not going to talk about it or even suggest it is because they can be sued for defamation.

R91

You hit the nail on the head. Rafa is a chess player on the court.

His physicality is misleading. He's constantly thinking about the game, where to place the shot, how to attack the opponent. This explains his cool. He's a thinker.

R57 Tennis is not about winning the most points, it's about winning the right points at the right time. Nadal lost the first set 6-2, he only managed to win the other sets 6-4 or 7-5. He still won the match.

R68 Nadal doesn't play like he used to anymore. He used to run/chase every single ball, sliding even on a hard court. Now he lets many shots go.

Nadal won because he's smart, mentally tough, and more experienced. He conserved his energy, giving up the first set pretty quickly. Then started to play more aggressively to preserve his body.

Medvedev, on the other hand, ran around so much in the first 2 sets that he was exhausted. His level then dipped and had to resort to drop shots because he was tired. He couldn't run as much in sets 3-5.

I just read that Nadal couldn't compete in 11 Slams due to injuries. Imagine if he'd been healthy for only half of those.

R96 I suspect some of those were silent doping bans.

Nadal is blessed. He is an amazing athlete. Some people are born with a physical ability that cannot be achieved through training.

Yes, genes - who we are is mostly our genes.

R94 is correct. It's not surprising that Med led in the stats. He blew Rafa out in the first set. All the other sets were tight.

Agreed with R94 and R100 but it is not only his endurance but also his brilliant fighting spirit. The guy never gives up mentally. Very few people possess that quality, that is why he is at 21 Grand Slams.

R92... others have suggested and implied this about Nadal and in print I might add and they were not sued by Nadal's camp for defamation...

still believe that commentators and former players who commentate stick together... and that includes my other comment on these people never ever ever talking about the outrageous cost of attending tennis tournaments, much less grand slams and exhibition (laver cup) events that the vast majority of real tennis fans can't afford and the powers that be don't care as long as sponsorships and wealthy people attend. Slew Hester would be turning over in his grave if he saw for example what the U.S. open had become.

and yes, I do agree, nadal is not he player he was, but i'm sorry I stand by my earlier posts and comments...

Nadal DOES play a harder more grinding game that novak, even his stroke production is tiring and violent hence why he has had so many "injuries" and novak for the most part not...

Wawrinka had an foot operation in June, than endless 6 months of rehab and now even we dont know he has been started training. And I am sure he will not win any tournament , not to even mention a slam. And Nadal in 4 months after surgery wins AO? lol

The US Open crowd booed so loudly during the trophy presentation ceremony that Naomi Osaka spent most of it crying. I'll never forget that. Just because it's ~tennis~ doesn't mean that the fans aren't bogans.

Novax Djocovid will not be appearing in another major this year. He’s radioactive. No one will go near him.

R104... at the u.s. open ESPECIALLY at night, half the fans are drunk, they forget tennis is supposed to be a"gentleman's sport"....

nowadays, many cheer at double faults, want to be the LAST person to scream a player's name right before a important point, etc...

and yes, boo players, when said players DARE to criticize them for THEIR ORIGINAL actions!....

Medvedev is a cunt, like all Russian sportsmen. His crying about the crowd was hilarious. He might leave? Lol BYE! No one will miss you.

Are the days of insidious whistling over?

[quote]Wawrinka had an foot operation in June, than endless 6 months of rehab and now even we dont know he has been started training. And I am sure he will not win any tournament , not to even mention a slam. And Nadal in 4 months after surgery wins AO? lol

Yes, because every foot injury is exactly the same and every person heals in exactly the same time.

R102, give it up man!

Rafa has never failed a test. He's very pro-testing.

The myth you're trying to sell, and sell hard, is very 2009 and has absolutely no merit whatsoever. Except by Fed fans who were perplexed beyond comprehension when Rafa couldn't be stopped. But even the most ardent Fed fans have moved on from that nonsense.

Not a Nadal fan here at all, but man do I respect the hell out of him. I agree with R93 that Nadal is always thinking, always trying something new, always looking to improve. It's how he overtook Federer to get to #1. Congrats to all his fans. He's an incredible player .

I still feel like the GOAT thing is not over, but if Djokovic keeps up with his no vaccination stance, he may just miss out on other opportunities. If Nadal can win the AO in the form he was in, barring an injury he's got to be the favorite for the French.

The one disappointment is the continuing inability of these guys to take down members of the Big 3. Medvedev beat Djokovic at the US Open, but Djokovic wasn't playing his best. Medvedev really blew the match against Rafa, but as others point out Rafa was very mentally tough and won more important points when they mattered most, while Medvedev made terrible errors at crucial stages.

I was hoping the younger guys would finally start consistently winning these big titles, but I'm not sure if it's going to happen. I think it more likely the Big 3 will eventually succumb to age and injuries before these mental lightweights can start consistently winning the Slams.

Of course it's going to happen and soon. The Big 3 is a misnomer for the current state. Fed stopped being a factor this decade. Novaxx has dug himself into a deep hole that may turn into a grave. Nadal's sporadic with injuries. Felix, Alcaraz, Ruud, Sinner and a few others are getting mentally and physically stronger every day and should soon consistently be bringing their best. Medvedev, Zverev and Tsitsipas, much as I dislike them, are still on the upward trajectory. We're bound to see a new name as a GS '22 title winner.

Thiem postpones his return to the Tour again.

R110.. has Nadal ever been tested for E.P.O. or similar substances? NO!, because the ATP for some bizarre reason doesn't even test for that!....

R109... you're right every foot surgery is not the same, but you don't find it the least "interesting" that stan can be out for months and months and NOT EVEN ABLE TO PLAY AT ALL, while nadal not only able to play, but right before the aussie open started was saying he STILL? had foot issues, but miraculously went thru 7 3 out of 5 matches in 2 weeks without any issue with said foot? AND playing a tournament the week before as well, so in 3 weeks 10 plus matches and no issues? really?..

No foot injuries and surgeries are THAT different!...So either nadal is full of b.s. or something else is and has been going on....

Thiem has a injury on his knuckles? WTF? Was he boxing and missed?

at this point it is and has been beyond pathetic that Djokovic and Nadal can usually outlast their younger opponents physically and mentally. We'll see what kind of impact Djokovic's self-induced deportation has on him mentally but I mean normally he's a tough nut to crack

there's no acceptable reason at this point why Djokovic and Nadal remain the top 2 contenders for every slam. It would be perfectly fine if they were considered AMONG the contenders but not the favorites. Insane. If this is "peak Medvedev" then his peak isn't all that impressive. Shameful choke for sure. Nadal is a warrior on court and all respect to him. We pretty much have to ignore the former player commentators who always heap praise on the established champions because it mostly certainly is a bad look for the tour that the top younger guys can not regularly beat Djokovic and Nadal. I'm sure if Djokovic had played this event we would have had a Djokovic-Nadal semifinal too

Has NoVax ever been tested for EPO? NO!

Unless he's "tested" by the crooks in Serbia who clean his results and are obvious about it.

R109 lmao, thanks for the laugh. Stan didn't break his foot or something like that. I 'm sure Rafa had no foot injury. They made that up after losing FO and follow that narrative. During Ao Nadal used to say that he hasnt played for so long or my feet is still not good blablabla in case of losing.

we likely won't see Nadal again until maybe Acapulco but even then wouldn't surprise me if he just sat out until the clay season.

Russian asshole used to travel with his female sports shrink...he needs to see her stat!

To be fair, Djokovic and Nadal are no longer dominating the best-of-3 tournaments like masters and other tour events. They only won 2 out of the 8 masters last year.

They are the best during the majors where they have rest days in between matches and their mental strength can outlast the other players over 5 sets.

R121 yes but it should be physically harder for a mid-30s guy compared to a peak fitness mid-20s guy.

What's weirder is Nadal looked down, out and exhausted in the first 5 games of the 3rd set. Then he suddenly seemed like the energizer bunny while Medvedev faded mentally and physically

Interesting tactics, R122.

Pete vomiting on court is pretty unforgettable. Corretja probably vomited in the hotel that night.

Andy vomited at the US Open

[quote]yes but it should be physically harder for a mid-30s guy compared to a peak fitness mid-20s guy.

Genetics. The human body is complex and still mysterious in many ways. Genetics.

The crowd in Hamburg is the worst of any tennis tournament.

Medvedev had problems with his thigh, the doctor rubbed it a couple of times.

sorry but 'never failed a test' isn't the best argument when testing is a bit of a joke. Lance Armstrong and Marion Jones took hundreds and didn't fail them.

Del Potro has a wildcard for the 250 Argentina Open (7th Feb).

Love Rafa. Delish!

I read that Delpo lost most of his money because of his father. He should start an onlyfans now.

Why doesn't the ATP test for EPO r113, if it's such an effective drug? If Nadal allegedly takes it, then surely that should mean many other players take it too. How do you know Djokovic or Federer haven't taken it? Besides, over the years the ATP has tested for EPO.

R129, Lance Armstrong had a whole elaborate system set up to avoid drug tests. There's no indication of anything like that for Nadal. Armstrong and Jones were dogged for years with serious, heavy drug accusations and were involved in all sorts of obvious behaviours to avoid being caught. There's nothing comparable for Nadal.

[R132], just read about it.

I used to be tournament manager for an ATP event and welcomed Del Potro a couple of times. He was such a lovely, low-maintenance guy, and his father was an asshole. Maybe completely unrelated to him ripping off his son, but he was still an asshole.

The reports are that while the father mismanaged up to $30m, Del Potro should still have about $3m, so he's not destitute at least. Arantxa Sanchez Vicario says it happened to her too.

R134 omg can you say which event and all the players you met? Other nice players? Who were the jerks? divas? weirdos?

Good for Nadel, a great player, a great sportsman. He wasn't the most beautiful boy but now he's a very appealing mature man and a class act.

R137

Speak for yourself! In his younger years, he was a babe.

^ this

For [R136], off the top of my head, jerks: Stakhovsky, Haase (although not nearly as bad in later years), Roddick, Rios, Ferrero, Troicki, Gulbis

Divas: Verdasco

Weirdos: Safin was a nutter in an amusing way and had to have absolutely everything done for him, Tursunov,

Nicest: Tsonga, Monfils, Simon, Nadal, Nieminen, Mischa Zverev, Del Potro

Oh, and Dimitrov was absolutely one of the nicest as well.

R140 Is Safin the most handsome man you've ever met?

Wow, I think Jim courier is posting in this thread!!!

Tell me you're Boris without telling me you're Boris.

off topic, but I wonder (and always have wondered) how does one get any of those jobs at tournaments, like the person (job title?) who comes up to the players after a match and talks to them giving them instructions on whatever, or the person who gets to announce the players as they walk onto the court, or the person who get to interview them on the court (not talking about grand slams where former players are the ones doing that) and so on...

Also even if one gets these jobs, it's not like it's a year round going to every tournament and doing this right?....

would be fun to work for a world team tennis team, although none are near me...

I'll never forget hearing Jim Courier calling Safin, McSafin like that McDreamy guy on a doctor show on abc. He talked about his body and clothes if my memory serves...

R145, if you are young, the US Open advertise for ball boys and girls every year.

R145 Suck Jim C's cock and he might put a word in for you.

[quote] if you are young, the US Open advertise for ball boys and girls every year.

Intriguing. Tell me more. How does one sign up to be a tennis linesman?

R149 Ha! that's one of the visible casualties of automation. The AO didn't have linespeople.

R149, you're too late, they got rid of the linesman job at the US Open. They have been replaced by machines.

To be a ball kid at Wimbledon you need to attend one of two schools in South London, as all of them are taken from there.

R146.. forget courier, it's john mcenroe who even more so goes on and on about a player's looks and body and so on....Make me think johnny mac has had some experimentation over the years with the same sex....

r114, if it's not banned than it's not an issue. Do you seriously think one would result to that if they didn't need to. The side effects are extreme. That coming from someone who has suffered with Anemia and that was not discussed. But then whether someone is taking them or not it's moot because it's not banned. Sitting in an oxygen tank isn't banned either so if there is a way to legally get one up, I can't fault anyone who does it.

r114, the surgery was 4 months ago. No one talks about REAL injuries. He wasn't bothered by it at the start of the tournament it was just said incase he flamed out. REAL injured players try to hid it or play it off so their opponents don't try to exploit it.

R154... but it SHOULD be banned, that's the point...

Perhaps the ATP realizes that EVERYONE is drugging and the entire sport would be over, if they went after everyone?

R153 is right . John Mc used tot all endlessly about Nadal’s body on and on. One day he mentioned that he had seen him in the locker room and that he was such a specimen….

To talk endlessly—-sorry

R157, yes, I remember that. But I don't think he said it in a ogling manner. I think it's more like I wish I was young like him, with a great body...

He even said it to Nadal, and Nadal asked, "and what did you think?" it was a fun exchange.

The male physique is something to be admired and observed.

McEnroe on Ivan Lendl's cock.

Just admitting another man is attractive doesn't make you gay...but it doesn't help.

There's no such thing as a straight man!

R161,, true, but when one (mcenroe) goes on and on and not just about one or two guys, but more than a few and not just their bodies, but their facial looks and basically how sexy and studly on court they are, makes one wonder...

Brad Gilbert is another one who talks about the players' bodies. He's quite into fitness himself

Brad Gilbert is illiterate. There's even a parody twitter account about it.

R140 if you wouldn't mind elaborating a bit, what did Roddick and Ferrero do that made them jerks behind the scenes?

Also can you tell us about Verdasco's diva ways? haha I'm not surprised at all

good to see Tsonga back with a win. He often returns from injury during an indoor French tournament I've noticed

1) tsonga's wife is so beautiful...their kids are going to be gorgeous..

2) that is one ugly ass court there in France!

3) i have no doubt tsonga is packing between his legs! I bet it's a sight to see hard, thick and swinging away in the locker room!...

It wouldn't surprise me if Johnny Mac had gotten good blowjobs from men before, but his comfort in discussing men's bodies seems more about him being total cool with his own sexuality, and giving no shits about saying what he thinks/knows.

Shirtless, slow-motion Alcaraz.

Alcaraz is not even cute. Nice body but the mug is really bad.

R171. i think when his face clears up and he gains maturity, he WILL be nice looking, give him a few more years...

When I see Alcaraz’s knees I say “Ack!”

Wishful thinking is fun isn't it, r172.

Who's looking at his face?

Richard Gasquet has nice, masculine legs.

I find Richard Gasquet really hot and fuckable. I bet he's a fun bang.

Daniil had this. Rafa did well to continue to apply pressure and Daniil CHOKED. So happy that Rafa has 21, more than Roger and, more importantly, Novak. I hope he gets the French too. (It's a shame about his hair though.)

It's amazing Novak sabotaged his career.

Rafa is not GAY. Here he is arriving at the airport in Mallorca and the love of his life jump in to his arms so excited that her man is the GOAT.

She couldn't go to Australia because she's on the softball team at her bank and they had a big game against Ibiza and she didn't want to let her team down. As you can see she came right from practice.

Looks like Xisca was a lil late. Prolly got stuck scissoring the sister.

"A warm hug" for the cameras, they can't even fake a kiss.

Sorry, DL. Rafa's not gay.

Having said that, straight men are still notorious pains in the ass towards the straight women who love them.

Rafa probably has issues about PDAs. Do you ever see Novak snogging his wife in public?

Sadly, some men just aren't all that affectionate to their partners in general.

Ima say 'gay'.

R183 but they are affectionate to their buddies? Good to know.

Tell me about it, R183

r184, Just because you grab the inside of another man's thigh doesn't make you gay.

r183, You're DLusional.

“He needs his space when he is competing, and just the idea of me hanging around and waiting on his needs all day tires me out.“

“It would asphyxiate me. And then he would have to be worrying about me… No. If I followed him everywhere, I think there’s a risk we might stop getting along,” Xisca Perello said.

It's better for both of us if I stay home with his sister. Look, we got friendship rings.

watching that video i'm surprised that nadal had to push his own things and pack them into that vehicle himself...

If Nadal has ever doped it was clearly in the beginning of his career when he could run for hours and hours without getting tired. He was big back then, his arms were huge. Lots of muscle. He is a lot more lean now. It doesn't really look like he's doping anymore. He's slower and has lost a lot of muscle. Remember, the Spanish doctor was busted like 15 years ago? If at any time he was doped it was back then, not now.

I think Nadal has great genes, his uncles were soccer players? Very gifted athletic family.

R190 doping has nothing to do with muscles

Rafa doesn't have people doing shit for him or having limos pick him up at the airport @ r180. He's like every other person. I love that and him! GOAT!

Did you notice the 2 SUV's packed with stuff? Tomeu was already in the car. The whole thing was staged and they couldn't even pretend to care about each other. I'll bet there's a squabble over money. No GS bonus for her.

Maybe they're just social distancing?

R102 God you sound so stupid. Can you tell me what steroids (i.e. doping) do?

[R192] Let me try again. God you sound so stupid. Can you tell me what steroids (i.e. doping) do?77

R192, anabolic steroids increase endurance and help with muscle development. That’s why body builders take them: you still have to work out, but if you do they will help build muscle mass faster.

Rafa. King.

I'm a bit of a tennis nerd and am active on a couple of tennis forums. Have been for years. It's amazing how Rafa truly is the little engine that could. Fed was god over there for most of the past twenty years. Novak overtook him (god, his fans make Fed fans seem like the nicest people in the world). Now it's Rafa's turn and it feels so damn sweet.

[quote] Rafa. King.

His last name is Nadal not Rey.

Porque somos homosexuales.

^ surely it's because Xisca is too busy at the bank?

What does she do at the bank? Cash paychecks? Mirka, Jelena Djokovic and Murrays wife are homemakers.

Rafa is not gay.

Maybe if enough people say it enough times.....

Rafa is asexual.

I think he's very charming and sexy though certainly not classically handsome.

I think Rafa is gay. He has had rumors for years. He only trots out the wife for PR purposes. You never see her with him otherwise.

I remember some pap pics a few years ago where Rafa and the wife were walking far apart. They didn't look at each other. They didn't talk and they weren't affectionate. It was weird. They didn't seem close at all.

In that video, the bit where Rafa leans forward to kiss Xisca was edited out, quite obviously. At 1' 40".

Perhaps they just don't like being too affectionate in public r208, because they know it will be papped everywhere.

Here's some of what was edited out of the video.

R210 so, he was doing a Rafa Nadal Academy publicity thing that day which she attended (she's wearing the same outfit)? Not sure that helps your argument... He does look awkward with her.

the "Rafa is gay crowd" are just silly attention-seekers willing to say anything to hear themselves speak. I mean its Datalounge so yeah, I get it, but its just all so tiresome to see this trotted out year-after-year without a shred of evidence. And anybody that has been in a longterm relationship knows that love does not mean demonstrative displays of affection 24-7-365. And public displays of affection are trashy and offensive in the first place, but of course this is datalounge where one is expected to fornicate for the cameras to establish one's sexual orientation.

R211 Exactly. He looks awkward as hell. They are not very affectionate. It looks fake and awkward. I still think she's a beard and that he's gay.

Rafa is married? When?

yeah r213, .... and without a shred of evidence, "I still think" you're a blithering idiot, but hey, that's just how "I feel" and I so there's no onus on me to provide evidence, you are just a blithering idiot, period.

[quote]Rafa is married? When?

in 2019

R213, he's known her and has been in a relationship with her for almost 20 years. Even if you think it's a fake relationship surely after 20 years of knowing each other they'd be comfortable enough with each other to put on some fake PDA for the paps, since that's allegedly the point of their lavender marriage.

Affection could still be awkward even if they know each other, especially if one or both of them are gay.

She seems like the hired help.

If Nadal is gay, the fact that he married the gf/beard so late in his career shows that he intends to be buried in the closet. Even if he didn't want to fully come out, he could easily live in the glass closet after retirement. There was no need to compromise like that imo. So, even if he's gay, it's kind of useless to keep speculating because it will never be confirmed - not that it bothers me, i much prefer pointless gossip than the tennis forums where everyone thinks Tilden was the only gay player to ever exist.

yes, they may have known each other a long time but they don't spend much time together...he's always away and she has her job...people grow apart.

R220

I agree. Spain is such a macho culture.

[quote] where everyone thinks Tilden was the only gay player to ever exist.

As far as I know he was.

Spain is super-gay friendly, r222.

Dimitrov tests positive for Covid for a second time

I thought they were only testing unvaccinated players which is what they did at the US Open and Australian Open? Kasatkina also said she was positive at the St. Petersburg event.

A. Zverev team or Ymer team?

Kinda late.

oh no, grigor! feel better! (you're so HAWT)

The only match I'd want A. Zverev to win would be against Novax or Stakhovsky.

The aristocrat Von Cramm was homo and arrested by the Nazis for it. It ran in his family.

A happy Montpelier moment...

lol and I love how the commentators just laugh

he's pissed!

Rafa has had gay rumors for years. I have always thought his relationship with his girlfriend was fishy. And where there's smoke there's fire...

Juan Martin del Potro will likely retire soon :(

The del Potro news makes me so sad. His forehand is a marvel.

Yeah probably the biggest FH anyone had ever seen.

He does look like he's been laying off the training. And on the Krispy Kremes.

Sunday finals set:

Cordoba: Ramos-Vinolas vs. Tabilo

Montpellier: Zverev vs. Bublik

Pune: Ruusuvuori vs. Sousa

next week's draws are out:

Rotterdam: fairly stacked draw even with biggest choking loser of all time Medvedev withdrawing

notable matches:

(1) Tsitsipas vs. Davidovch Fokina

(8) Basilashvili vs. McDonald

(4) Hurkacz vs. (WC) Tsonga

Musetti vs. M. Ymer

(6) Norrie vs. Humbert

Khachanov vs. Popyrin

Bublik vs. (WC) Murray

other seeds are (2) Rublev (3) FAA (5) Shapovalov (7) Karatsev

St. Petersburg

notable matches:

(1) Sakkari vs. Potapova

Giorgi vs. Alexandrova

(8) Mertens vs. Cornet

(5) Bencic vs. Kudermetova

Vondrousova vs. Cirstea

(2) Kontaveit vs. Teichmann

other seeds are (3) Rybakina (4) Pavlyuchenkova (6) Kvitova and (7) Ostapenko

former champ Mladenovic lost first round in qualifying which must be crushing psychologically

Buenos Aires:

top 4 seeds (1) Ruud (2( Schwartzman (3) Sonego (4) Fognini all have byes

(6) Delbonis vs. (WC) Del Potro

(WC) Baez vs. (WC) Rune

Dallas:

top 4 seeds (1) Fritz (2) Opelka (3) Isner (4) Brooksby have byes

DL fave Giron vs. DL anti-fave Sandgren

(8) Nakashima vs. Millman

other seeds are (5) Mannarino and (6) Cressy

That ball hitting Zverev was hilarious. The commentators busted out and then quickly tried to backtrack with - that’s not really funny. 🤣

You know the ball kid got removed…

Thiem withdrew again

Who is taking care of DL boyfriend Young Grigor?

Will be interesting to see Ruud after he withdrew from AO. He is best on clay, so he should do well in Buenos Aires.

[quote] Thiem withdrew again

Thiem pulled out.

I'd like to see Ruud sit on my face.

Why are we being forced to watch the ugly Zverev and even uglier Bublik instead of the much better looking Ruusuvuori and hottie Sousa?

I'm very much enjoying watching hottie Sousa win in Pune on Amazon Prime (Europe), thanks for asking R245

Haha Zverev LOST. Again.

Sousa's coach in tears that just won't stop. Very touching moment.

Zverev needs a brain implant! asap!.... probably thought "250 level tournament filled with nobodies, it will be like practice for me, and i'll make a few bucks when i win the easy whole thing!"...

R230 And he has a way more positive story than Tilden.

In fact his friendship with Don Budge was amazing

Is the old Zverev making a comeback for 2022?

What a disaster of a final for him.

Still plenty of time to turn things around, but it will be interesting to see how he performs for the rest of the season.

So far, he's shit!

Everytime Zverev and Tsitsipas open their big mouths to say how great they are they lose

Flopos

Zverev

F. Zverev

hey I'd love it if Zverev and Medvedev flopped for the rest of their careers and instead other young guys became multi-slam winners

Felix and Hubie are a doubles team again in Rotterdam.

What a fun dubs team. Felix had a great AO. Hubie shoulda done better.

Felix and Hubie would make such a cute couple - Hubie all goofy and dorky, and Felix all business and brooding.

Felix has a great smile when he's not brooding.

The "machismo" culture of Spain and other Latin American cultures is alive and well.

R259.. well on the other hand, we should all be thankful for a portion of their "machismo" because that portion has handsome built men okay with still wearing speedos and bikini's on the beaches and elsewhere!..

It’s doubles match.

Deplorable Isner and Sock together.

That is one ugly ass tennis court at this new Dallas Open, what is it peach and orange?

And where is the tournament being held at, because it looks like a bad tennis club! In all of Dallas a more suitable, more professional sports looking place couldn't have been found?

[quote] And where is the tournament being held at, because it looks like a bad tennis club! In all of Dallas a more suitable, more professional sports looking place couldn't have been found?

[quote] The Dallas Open will be held at the state of the art Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex (est. 2015) located on the campus of Southern Methodist University. The complex is a preeminent, top-tier facility located prominently on the south side of Mockingbird Lane at the corner of North Central Expressway, formerly the site of Mrs. Baird's Bakery. The Dallas Open, owned and operated by GF Sports and Entertainment, will be building an ATP tour regulated court and arena within the indoor facility.

R263 state of the art,? with those ugly ass cheap looking bleacher seats , awful roof and harsh lighting? and of course the ugly color of the court too!... looks utterly amateurish to me...

For fans of meaty quads and calves you can't really beat Karatsev Vs Griekespoor slugfest in Rotterdam.

Tallon pulled it off in 3. Aslan imploded in the final set tie-break (0-7).

Post-win on-court interview, Tallon has an incredibly sexy speaking voice.

Bigger, sexier and blonder - he's like a non-retarded Shapovalov!

WTF? Shapovalov out to #137 Jiri Lehecka 6-4, 6-4.....in rotterdam.

Well, R267, I happened to catch a couple of his challenger matches late 2021, and noted his AO qualifying scores, and I think he's a good bet to hit top 100 quite soon.

R259 Give me a break, Spain aproved gay marriage almost a decade before the USA

R267, I’ve never seen an uglier forehand than Lehecka’s. He’s going to have huge problems with his wrist and elbow.

Good grief! Latin American men under 50 do not wear speedos or bikinis to the beach anymore. The ideas of some people on here.

R271... handsome built latin/south american men do NOT wear speedos or bikinis on the beaches of rio or anywhere of any beach in south america anymore?...

Delbonis def. Del Potro 6-1 6-3

Juan Martin started crying down 3-5

I hope he can make it to the USO 1 last time

Sabatini and Guillermo Coria were in attendance

also the first time his mother and sister watched him play live

DelPo - such an utterly lovely man. Such a shame he had so many injuries over his career.

DelPo is a future International Tennis Hall of Fame inductee.

sad he retired today

but really his latest knee injury and surgery left him unable to run down drop shots

his backhand was never the same after he started having wrist issues

great career overall but he would likely have done much more if not for continuous knee and wrist injuries

I don't understand. How is it possible that his mother and sister never watched him play live before?

DelPo team.

:(

Sads.

R278 some family members get too nervous. Sharapova's mother for example was the same way and never attended her matches. I'm sure his family saw him as a junior but I never saw them in his pro matches.

10 years ago few would have thought that Murray and Wawrinka would have ended up with better careers than Del Potro but here we are. It's a shame injuries cost him so much time

Alas Shapo is about as bright as a bag of blond leg hair clippings.

[quote]Give me a break, Spain aproved gay marriage almost a decade before the USA

Also in Spain you can wear pink shirts or shorts without immediately questioning the character of those who wear this color. Why the hell is he wearing pink? Is he queer? Is he gay? Is it trying to tell us something that we should know? Pink is just a color.

Now that I've said that, I saw a guy driving a pink MINI Cooper last month, and I did question the circumstances that made him drive a pink car. Was he trying to tell me something that I should know? Hmm.

[quote]Alas Shapo is about as bright as a bag of blond leg hair clippings.

God divides. He's hawt.

oh yeah, straight men in Europe wear very colorful pants. Red, yellow, bright blue, green, etc.

Team Hubie or Team Musetti? Battle Of The DL Boyfriends!

Fucsovics was wearing pink shorts in Rotterdam

Team Musetti, deffo, but I’ll take either or both in the showers post match, r285.

Is that VPL on DL boyfriend @ R286?

R288 Marton was also majorly bulging in the blue shorts he was wearing during the actual match today.

Possible penis enlargement during the off-season?

Sad to see Hubie lose in three to Musetti, who seems ready to step into Fabio's high-drama homophobe shoes. Not a fan after the Instagram "family" incident, and the constant court bellowing is obnoxious. Maybe Fog can give him some of his discarded rainbow headbands.

interesting to see Tsitsipas is now being coached by Enqvist. Not sure if it's just trial or they have a firm deal. Daddy wasn't there yesterday in the box

R291, from what I saw last night on Tennis Channel it just may be for a trial period.

Why the fuck would you bring a baby to a tennis match? Asshole parent.

Continuing the bakery tradition, R263...

Djokovic is on the Indian Wells list while Andreescu isn't. (The US requires non-citizens to be vaxxed to fly in.)

No idea if this means he might get vaxxed after all or maybe hoping the policy will change or doing it at the request of organizers so that fans will buy tickets.

R294... SOMEBODY, anybody, snap a photo of a wet Tiafoe from behind strutting in the locker room after showering! his gravity defying jutting up and out bubble butt MUST be a thing to be hold nude!...

Tallon Vs Marton in Rotterdam - two Alphas going at it hammer and tongs. It's a beautiful thing!

Some Felix behind the scenes...

And a tribute to Delpo.

have roger, novak, or rafa commented on del potro's retirement yet?

Felix is all class, in the same vein as Rafa.

yes, he needs more piano lessons before posting his music "skill" online.

[quote] yes, he needs more piano lessons before posting his music "skill" online.

Same applies to Shapo and his rapping “skills”.

ATP is who posted Felix playing the piano.

R300, Djokovic posted a message shortly after the end of Del Potro's last match.

I bet you could feel the sincerity just ooooozing from his public message for Del Potrò, r305.

R306, honestly, they seemed to have good chemistry on court, and played some terrific matches.

DAMN AND DOUBLE DAMN does Giron have a great ass or what! whew! plump, juicy, shapely bubble and nice legs too! well done camera man (and director) filming that lower body on his upset over #1 seed Fritz at the Dallas Open...

Giron and Tiafoe best asses on tour not even close

agreed R309! oh to see those asses wet and nude in the locker room during and after a shower!...

WAB (Wet Ass Booty)

Domicakes. This may be a private account, so you may have to request to follow.

Giron is built for pleasure

FAA reaches his 9th final!!!!

but it's against Tsitsipas...

both are in good form

It's going to be Fucktastic Felix against Shittypants in the Rotterdam final.

Can Felix finally get the monkey off his back and win a final?

Should be an exciting final. Felix played great, aggressive tennis against Rublev, really going after his groundies. He looked very comfortable at net. AND he served well. Looks like it's coming together for him.

Go Felix!!!!

I know they can't help it as a fellow tall person myself, but watching to giants play tennis is just so boring. Like, watching golf boring.

omg two I meant to write.

Ivanesic's game was boring. And Krajicek's. Pete was a little bit better cause he was so good at net and could move.

Ivanesavic, fuck

Ivanisevic was hot, though; shame he's a big homophobe.

Isner is actually low-key handsome in person and comes off very nice. It's been shocking to hear the things about him via twitter and DL, because he never seemed like a neanderthal in my interactions with him (I could believe he was a Republican, but in the old-school, country club way where they vote with their economic interests and are mildly racist but don't give much of a shit about what's going on in your bedroom so long as you aren't "overt").

TL: dr: Team Opelka.

Pretty much everyone on tour seems to like Isner, R322.

The hate on DL is a peculiar OCD thing.

No its not r323.

I see loads of hate for Isner on Twitter - it's hardly just DL - people either hate him for his one-note boring servebot game and/or his bovinely Trumpist politics. I don't doubt he's a treasonably pleasant person to friends, family and other like-minded players on tour.

To me, someone who supports Trump and is "nice to people" is simply gaslighting. I don't believe you can sincerely be both, and that includes if you support Trump for economic reasons.

....and YESSSSSS Isner finally gets dumped out after yet another interminable tie-break when his serve finally breaks down.

It's a fucking crime that he's had the career he's had on the back of a single shot. The most underserving Top 10 player in history.

Opelka def. Isner 7-6(7) 7-6(22) longest tour tiebreak ever

bye MAGA

R322 a couple years ago Isner visited propagandist Sean Hannity's Fox show and they took a selfie together on the set

Isner may be superficially nice but clearly his beliefs are despicable. It's clearly more than "I hate high taxes" if you're a Trumper and Hannity fan

Expressing mild surprise based on interaction that is now a decade old isn't a defense of him; Isner has clearly aligned with some bad actors in the last few years, and it's sad. This is sadness many of us suffer from owing to formerly nice relatives who've gone batshit crazy during the Trump era.

To reiterate: Team Opelka.

At this point, anyone who says they support Trump and Sean Hannity aren't merely Republicans. The problem goes beyond political party.

Bye, Johnny.

hoping the winner of Brooksby/Giron wins the final but Opelka's serve is a monster so hard to return

Marcass Giron team or Brooksby team?

I love Brooksby's game but his grunt can be annoying. When he plays Nadal (and Djokovic if he does play at all) it's going to be audible hell

Will Giron beat the white boy?

Brooksby is probably more talented (I could see him being Top 10) but Giron's 'derrière' is like the 8th wonder of the world

Persona of color (Tiafoe, Giron, Nadal) have a propensity to have great asses, which makes Thiem’s ass more remarkable.

IF ONLY Giron and Tiafoe would go "old school" and wear those really really short (and very snug) shorts like back in the day 70's/80's!..

and thin white shorts that become see thru when wet with sweat and Giron and TIafoe also go old school by wearing only jockstraps underneath!...

Persona = Persons

What makes Giron a person of color?

Nadal, as well. Being of Spanish descent makes someone a person of color? As opposed to what, Irish?

[quote] What makes Giron a person of color?

[quote] Nadal, as well

Their brown skin.

I think Giron is of Argentinian or Spanish descent. I don't think he's a POC (is Schwartzman?) but Nadal being a "person of color" is kind of a joke on here.

Schwartzman is not.

Both Rafa and Giron have beautiful brown skin and beautiful asses.

Third set.

Brooksby has a flat ass.

draws out for next week:

Dubai WTA is loaded

notable 1st rounds:

Kvitova vs. Giorgi

Kenin vs. Ostapenko

Swiatek vs. Kasatkina

Gauff vs. Pegula

Azarenka vs. Kudermetova

Muguruza vs. Collins

Sabalenka, Krejcikova, Badosa, Sakkari, Kontaveit, Jabeur and Halep also there

Rio ATP

top 4 seeds Berrettini, Ruud, Schwartzman, PCB all have byes

noatable 1st rounds:

Alcaraz vs. Munar

Cerundolo vs. Paire

Garin, Sonego and Fognini also there

Marseille ATP

top 4 seeds Tsitsipas, Rublev, FAA and Karatsev have byes

notable 1st rounds:

Gaston vs. Moutet

Tsonga vs. Simon

Griekspoor vs. Pouille

M. Ymer vs. Gasquet

Doha ATP

top 4 seeds Shapovalov, RBA, Basilashvili, Cilic all have a bye

notable 1st rounds:

Harris vs. Fucsovics

Khachanov vs. McDonald

Bublik, Musetti, Goffin, Evans, Murray also there

the athleticism in the second Dallas SF is really fun to watch

and of course Giron's ass/quads

wow dramatic

Brooksby def. Giron 6-4 6(4) 7-65)

Brooksby saved 4 match points and won on his 1st

R350 I missed the tiebreaker, Giron had 4 match points! how the hell did he lose that match? did he lose the match points on stupid errors or brooksby winners?...

Go Felix! He won the first set and he just broke in the first game of the second set....Go, felix, go

Giron's forehand lost him those mp's.

Giron is really hot.

Tsitsy team or FAA team?

Felix ❤️❤️❤️

Yes! Fucktastic Felix destroys ShittyFlop!

Great to see him win in such emphatic fashion.

I love FAA he is so handsome

The Russians have the tackiest ceremonies.

I just got goose-bumps seeing Felix win.

So great to wake up to Felix taking his first ATP title!! He's been my favorite player since 2018.

Feeeeelix!!!!! Finally, now I can stop hearing about the highest ranked player without a title! (Who is it now?)

The Rotterdam trophies are a bit funny. Oversized pie plate, undersized pie plate.

gams

That dubious honor now goes to #35 Lloyd Harris, R362.

Though Tsitsipas is now 0-8 in ATP 500 finals.

Now he seems on the verge to become the champion everybody thought he'll be a couple of years ago.

He won the tournament defeating Rublev (who is a beast in this kind of tournaments) and Tsitsipas (who defeated him several times in a row).

It must be a relief to win your first title, probably one the first he¡ll win this year

Opelka team or Brooksby team?

George W. Bush at the Dallas final.

W. makes light of Opelka's height.

Brooks Brothers Team!

Chewbacca team!

Yeti team!

Team Brooksby

So happy for Felix!!! 😍🙌🏻😁

I love Felix! So happy for him. We need a new star who's nice.

Oh, while we're at it - RuudBoy Team or Lil' Diego Team?

Casper is looking sexier than ever btw.

Such luscious hair. So jizzable.

Lil' Diego Team.

Sasquatch!

Man, Ruud is handsome. What a sexy dude. And fit as fuck. Let's hope a video of him pounding his gf leaks.

Ruud!

now that FAA finally broke through in a final...look out at every event he enters. He will most certainly be a factor. He almost put Medvedev away in Australia

Felix getting his freak on...

[bold] as of this week there are 35 top 100 ATP players without a singles title. To be fair most of them are young [/bold]

Harris

Krajinovic

Brooksby

Davidovich Fokina

van de Zandschulp

McDonald

Koepfer

Musetti

Struff

Cressy

Griekspoor

Rinderknech

P. Martinez

F. Coria

Giron

Duckworth

Mager

Gaston

Bonzi

Ruusuvuori

Baez

Molcan

M. Ymer

Bagnis

Majchrzak

Nakashima

Altmaier

Thompson

Laaksonen

Otte

Munar

Rune

Lehecka

Berankis

F. Cerundolo

CoCo Gauff has lost her last 3 matches, and glowering from the stands was her hateful looking, zero expert on tennis father. If she had a brain, and her father a real job, she would probably fly. These prodigies never learn.

R383... I personally still do not believe Coco will be some great champion, perhaps not a champion at all....

her forehand is STILL a sketchy shot, as is her 2nd serve, I always look for improvement in young players especially as they gain maturity and experience and what they do in the short off season... So far, it looks like she hasn't done anything in that regard...

How very dare you!!!

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

'Because the principles of decision making on my body are more important than any title or anything else. I'm trying to be in tune with my body as much as I possibly can.'

Speaking from his tennis base in Belgrade, Djokovic confirmed that he has not been vaccinated against Covid but distanced himself from the anti-vax movement.

The 34-year-old insisted that he is 'keeping [his] mind open' to the possibility of being vaccinated in the future 'because we are all trying to find collectively, a best possible solution to end Covid'.

'I was never against vaccination. I understand that globally, everyone is trying to put a big effort into handling this virus and seeing, hopefully, an end soon to this virus.

'For me, as an elite professional athlete I have always carefully reviewed and assessed everything that comes in, from the supplements, the food, the water that I drink or sports drinks, anything really that comes into my body as a fuel.

'Based on all the information that I got, I decided not to take the vaccine.'

Djokovic also addressed criticism directed towards him regarding the sequence of events leading to his initial visa approval in Australia.

'I understand that there is a lot of criticism, and I understand that people come out with different theories on how lucky I was or how convenient it is,' he said.

'But no-one is lucky and convenient of getting Covid. Millions of people have and are still struggling with Covid around the world. So I take this very seriously, I really don't like someone thinking I've misused something or in my own favour, in order to, you know, get a positive PCR test and eventually go to Australia.'

Djokovic denied the suggestion that his tests had been tampered with and stressed that an error in one of his travel documents was unintentional.

'I was really sad and disappointed with the way it all ended for me in Australia,' he added. 'It wasn't easy.

'The visa declaration error was not deliberately made. It was accepted and confirmed by the Federal Court and the minister himself in the Ministry for Immigration in Australia.

'So actually, what people probably don't know is that I was not deported from Australia on the basis that I was not vaccinated, or I broke any rules or that I made an error in my visa declaration. All of that was actually approved and validated by the Federal Court of Australia and the Minister for Immigration.

'The reason why I was deported from Australia was because the Minister for Immigration used his discretion to cancel my visa based on his perception that I might create some anti-vax sentiment in the country or in the city, which I completely disagree with.'

Djokovic's bombshell interview comes after Sportsmail revealed that the 34-year-old faces another visa saga after being included on the entry list for next month’s BNP Paribas Open at Indian Wells.

While the tournament is following tour protocols - which have held back from making the jab compulsory - it is entering the United States which remains hugely problematic for him if he continues his stance of refusing to get vaccinated.

A somewhat cagey tournament press release buried the fact that he had entered, while emphasising the appearance of others such as Rafael Nadal. That is because getting on a flight to the USA is very difficult without being jabbed.

Exceptions for the unvaccinated are limited to a few categories, such as a ‘humanitarian or emergency exemption’ or persons whose presence is in the ‘national interest’.

Therefore it remains unclear where he might play after this month’s appearance at the Dubai Championships.

So, no Nole in Paris, no?

Djokovic is such a cunt of a turd. A couple of weeks ago, rumour had it that he was considering getting the jab so that he could compete without all the Australian drama at the remaining slams. Now that he suspects (as we all do) that anti-covid mandates will be “softened” (the UK and France will almost certainly be reviewing their protocols), he’s finally dropped the mask, as it were. He can blab all he wants about not wanting to be associated with the anti-vaxxer movement, but he is whether he wants to or not.

And now he can start putting pressure on the three remaining slams—you want me to play? Get your fingers out and start putting pressure on the PTB to get me into your tournaments.

Again, he is such a cunt.

Stan is playing the French Open

For someone who so wants love from the crowd, he really seems to do everything to make the world hate him. He's going to be boo'd wherever he goes.

"A couple of weeks ago, rumour had it that he was considering getting the jab so that he could compete without all the Australian drama at the remaining slams." - Yes, "rumour" r389, a rumour that to me sounded completely implausible and not based on anything coming from Djokovic's environment, but from some guy who's written a forthcoming biography on him. I think we can safely say that this biography is not going to be very reliable.

I want an interviewer to ask him exactly what "information" he has learned that made him decide not to get vaccinated? What did he learn and who told him? How does he know something that all credible doctors and scientists don't know? How are so many millions of people perfectly healthy and thriving after having been vaccinated including almost all of the top 100 players on tour yet it's not right for him ?

what a fucking liar, nutjob and narcissist

I think he knows he’s hated, [r391]. He’s said that he always turns cheers for his opponents into cheers for himself—“Roger!” and “Rafa!” get translated into “Nole!” In his head, and boos are translated into cheers.

well Nadal won't have to worry about sharing the 21 slams stat unless Djokovic either folds or countries drop mandates

My problem with Djokovic is not that he won't get vaccinated - that's up to him; an entirely stupid choice in my opinion, but still his to make. My real problem with him is that he obviously faked a positive Covid test just so he could enter Australia. Either that, or he totally violated all public health regulations and went around meeting and embracing dozens of people while knowingly infected. But, I think it's more likely he arranged for a fake test.

he knows his fake poz test has been outed and he's trying to save face. Most people focused on his vaccination status rather than his scheme to get around being vaccinated and the Aussie rules. He thinks he's smarter than everyone else.

It's the ludicrous lies that get me. He says he isn't anti-vaxx yet he's willing to put his career on the line over refusing to get vaccinated. That's pretty anti-vaxx to me. Then he wonders why no-one likes him. I'd kind of have some sympathy if some other tennis player had had a severe reaction to the vaccine but every other tennis player who travelled to Australia had had the vaccine. He thinks he's some kind of special. He's like a walking personality disorder.

Contrarian opinion - I actually respect his conviction if he's willing to forego playing in the majors.

I do think the Oz fiasco was a cluster fuck and very badly handled.

R398, unfortunately the anti-vaxxer tennis players have a precedent in Jérémy Chardi’s negative reaction to his Covid-19 jab, and often cite him as the reason they’re hesitant if not totally anti-vaxx (see Pospisil and Herbert, for example). It’s statistically extremely improbable, but these people will clutch at any straw they can.

You know, guys, I am pretty sure that Novak could have got a fake vaccination card from his government or doctor (especially since there's very, very strong suspicion that his poz test was faked) - or he could simply have kept his mouth shut and not disclosed whether he was vaccinated or got an exemption. No-one would have known because the AO wasn't going to tell anyone who had an exemption. But no, he HAD to post on social media a smug photo with an announcement that he had an exemption. This seems ideological for him. He wants people to know that he isn't vaccinated.

His PR team really does not know how to read the room. I think Djokovic is the best tennis player I have ever seen but I have always disliked his antics. Now, I just think he is dumb and a liar. Btw, the Ryanair tweet made me LOL.

That was my point r399, that getting vaxxed is his choice to make. My problem with Djokovic, however, is that, on the contrary, rather than foregoing the Australian Open, he appears to have lied and presented a fake positive test (or violated health regulations and not isolated even though he knew he was infected and contagious). Now he's been caught out he of course has to say he's willing to miss the major tournaments as a matter of principle, but to my mind, he has no problem in trying to bend the rules or lying if that will get him into the slams.

R393.... well said....

My theory all along has been that whatever special brew of PEDs the Novaxx team has concocted contraindicates the vaccine.

Not at all unlikely, r405

Pablo and Carlos having fun in the tub. Fanning furiously!

[quote]For me, as an elite professional athlete I have always carefully reviewed and assessed everything that comes in, from the supplements, the food, the water that I drink or sports drinks, anything really that comes into my body as a fuel.

This from a doper.

R407....YUM. Thx.

Novaxx is a swirling mess of conspiracy theories and jaw-dropping self-importance. His downfall is delicious; I certainly hope he is shunned by his peers.

R410.. with novak's mindset i'm surprised he hasn't joined scientology!..

Gorgeous Garin goes down in flames against Coria - 6-2 6-0.

I'm thinking maybe he was distracted by Coria's prominent perky penis?

I don't understand it but Garin has been in and out of a slump for the past 2 years. He was rocky last year too but managed some wins here and there. This season he's started out badly too but has a few wins. He's a solid player with decent power on his forehand, can hit backhand winners here and there and solid serve plus great movement. It must be all mental. Until last year it looked like he was in the running to be the next clay phenom but now that falls to Ruud.

The one who's in the biggest trouble so far this year is Harris who now falls to 0-4 matches

lmao Djokovic is now the only top 100 ATP player who is unvaccinated!

I wonder if he'll try another fake covid poz test to play RG? Their new rule says someone infected within the last 4 months doesn't need to be vaxxed. He's arrogant enough to think he could try the Aussie scheme again but pull it off this time

Has any reporter/journalist asked him the simple questions of "why is everyone vaccinated and you're not? what do you know that they don't? how are 99 other players in the wrong, and you're in the right?"....

During the Daniel/Misery match, Townhouse and a male commentator on Tennis Channel were discussing Misery's massive and thick lower body. Reminds me of Cames Jourier and John McEnroe.

Misery's legs as a marvel of nature.

"ATP no longer lists player residences "on privacy grounds."

Many in top-level tennis, of course, are tax havens."

Norrie team or Ottie team?

wow didn't expect RBA to beat Murray's ass 6-0 6-1

I can't remember when Murray won just a single game in a match before?

Fed beat Murray 6-0 6-1 at the YEC London in 2014. He was up 6-0 5-0 and clearly threw him a game. Murray had a winning record against him for years, before that.

Murray obviously can't sustain form for 2 straight matches and he's 35 this year. Too bad World Team Tennis isn't a thing anymore.

Yeah, I always liked Misery and his sexy legs but it's time to hang it up.

RBA is on fire in Doha. After dumping out Misery 6-0, 6-1, he's just dispatched ADF 6-1, 6-1

With certified half-wit Shapolalov losing today, RBA could have this in the bag if he continues in this form.

What is up with that new style of shorts that some of the men are playing in, with that "burnt" look to them? that is just about the ugliest thing i have ever seen a male tennis player wear!...

Sweet moment between Felix and his childhood idol Jo-Willie...

Happy to see Lucas Pouille manage to finally string together some wins and get the semis in Marseilles. Definitely a talent that's been going to waste.

His big run was at the Open, right? Like he beat Rafa in the quarters?

R427 he was Top 10 in 2018 and reached the Semis of the Australian in 2019. He got injured at the end of that year and was out for a long time and has struggled for any form since he resurfaced last year.

He also had a great ass. Does he still?

No DL boyfriends playing this week?

R429 - he's packing front and back, I believe

R430 DL Boyfriend Update w/c 02/14/22:

Uber-Dreamy Marton went out today in Doha; Hubie's having a week off; Carlos is playing tonight in Rio; Felix beat Tsonga in Marseilles today; and my boyfriend, Hugo Gaston, lost today to Shittypants in Marseilles

Thank you R432.

R431 Viva la France!

Djokovic makes his return to tennis next week in Dubai. He's there practicing now.

Nadal meanwhile is already in Acapulco

Hugo Gaston is so cute. I want to see him being gangbanged by 10 men.

Adorbs dollface moment with RBA in Doha.

What about my boyfriend Tommy Paul R432? He hasn't been visible.

R438 Tumescent Tommy just won to go through to the Semis in Delray Beach about 5 minutes ago.

More great news: Shittypants has flopped again in Marseilles. Lost to Safiullin in straight sets!

Berrettini is having way more trouble with Monteiro than expected.

First match on a friday is never a good idea

Filip Krajinović shows his stuff!

^ I approve!

I miss Feli.

Feli's ass in a jockstrap was nothing short of divine.

r436 Get your head out of the gutter. Tu me dégoûtes.

R445 and he ALWAYS wore see thru when wet white shorts to show it off too! he knew exactly what he was doing!... I don't even know if other male players even wear jockstraps anymore?....

BUT THE GREATEST jockstrap wearing player I EVER SAW (i'm old school so bear with me! laugh) was when I saw handsome at the time TIM MAYOTTE win the 1981 NCAA title right before he turned pro.... of course back then, the shorts were super short and snug, but in mayotte's case, not only was this the case, but his white shorts were COMPLETELY SEE THRU as the match wore on and became wet with his sweat! his ass skin and jockstraps straps shown as clear as the brightest day! it was beyond erotic, blatant and obscene! and yes, BEYOND AWESOME!!..

Gratuitous Joe Salisbury thirst trap

Jenson Brooksby's mom - a humungous DEPLORABLE!

Do you feel better R449, now that you've found someone else to hate?

Brooksby's mom also thinks Present Bush is great.

not shocked about Brooksby's mother because unfortunately almost all white American players are right wing idiots. He's young though so who knows how his views will turn out

a real career week for Ostapenko in Dubai. It's her second biggest title after RG and her path to victory was:

def. Kenin 6-1 6-2

def. Swiatek 4-6 6-1 7-6(4)

def. Kvitova 5-7 7-5 7-6(9)

def. Halep 2-6 7-6(0) 6-0

def. Kudermetova 6-0 6-4

it's not often that a player outside of a slam has to defeat 4 other slam champs just to reach the final

True and the three-setters, too. That's some mental strength.

R452... Every single American male player (except for Tiafoe?) is a right wing nutter and comes from well off families..

IS there any american male player who is currently on tour who didn't come from privilege or some form of it (i.e. connections, wealth, etc.)..

is Giron a right winger?

so far Alcaraz seems to be having the career some were thinking Coric might have. Both came on tour as teens and right away made an impact but clearly Alcaraz has a more powerful game

I know, yet Borna is so handsome.

Alcaraz has a lot more buzz than Porna ever had.

You're surely right, R459. And he's sexy in his beasty way.

Alcaraz has a lot more pus than Wawrinka ever had.

Did he admit to not being on Lil’ Diego team?

[quote] is Giron a right winger?

I don’t know, but we shouldn’t lump him in with Isner, Brooksby, Sock, etc. because he’s not white.

R455, Tiafoe most definitely was not born with any silver spoons. His father was a janitor at the tennis club. Opelka, McDonald, Nakashima, Johnson, Escobedo, Mmoh, Eubanks also show no indication of coming from money. And not sure how you're inferring their political affiliations other than dumb jocks Isner and Sandgren.

R464.. nakashima's parents are both pharmacists, macdonald's father is a oral surgeon/doctor, johnson's father was his coach, etc...

None of these guys had parent's that struggled financially, (i.e. a steel worker) and/or they had "connections"...

tiafoe is the only one of note that rightfully didn't have either..

Wait until you all learn who the favorite Spanish politician of Alcaraz and RBA is.

R466..... the guy from VOX?

Yes, I know, R465. Maybe it's subjective what "well off" means. Those professions are solidly middle class that require a strong work ethic. Not the stuff of Jessica Pegula or that eastern Eurobrat whose name escapes me but his father was a corporate billionaire.

R467 Yes. Santiago Aabascal, the leader of the far-right, slavishly pro-Trump VOX Party.

Personally, I don't give a damn who they vote for and even less who their parents vote for. I dislike Isner for his awful playing style.

[quote]that eastern Eurobrat whose name escapes me but his father was a corporate billionaire.

Ernest Gulbis?

Yes, thanks R470.

R468.. i don't count six figure parents salaries middle class.. to be a top junior in the u.s. or in the world, cost a small if not large fortune.. rackets, strings, shoes, clothes, tournament fees, traveling fees, club memberships, court time, coaching and so on and so on... if a family can spend i don't know 50 thousand? a year EVERY YEAR for their kid, to me they are upper class or wealthy or privileged... either they spend this amount of money OR they have connections of some sort to help..

Giron is a white Hispanic. He's not a POC.

Actually, his first name is Ernests, not Ernest, oddly enough.

[quote]Alcaraz has a lot more pus than Wawrinka ever had

I'm more surprised his teeth look so bad for an 18 yr old

R467.. how do we know this spanish politician is who alcaraz and RBA support? Fill me in...

[quote] Giron is a white Hispanic

Haha. White? No. Certainly not.

Isn't that the case in a lot of countries though, R472? It seems that fewer and fewer countries are subsidizing sports programs to nurture tennis talent so that either the parents have to find sponsors or pay and pray.

This is what former ATP starlet Jared Donaldson (25) looks like today

Millman team or Opelka team?

Alcaraz team or Fog team?

Alcaraz team or Lil’ Diego team?

next week's draws are out!

[bold] Doha WTA: [/bold]

top 8 seeds get a bye-Sabalenka, Krejcikova, Badosa, Kontaveit, Muguruza, Sakkari, Swiatek, Jabeur

notable 1st rds:

Samsonova vs. Cornet should be dramatic contrast of styles

Kerber vs. Teichmann

Rybakina vs. Vondrousova

Bencic vs. Tauson

Gauff vs. Rogers

Azarenka vs. Putintseva

Ostapenko vs. Dodin

[bold] Dubai ATP [/bold]

notable 1st rds:

Djokovic vs. Musetti

Khachanov vs. De Minaur

FAA vs. Basilashvili

Shapovalov vs. Fucsovics

Hurkacz vs. Bublik

Sinner vs. Davidovich Fokina

Karatsev vs. McDonald

Rublev vs. Evans

Murray, Cilic and RBA also in the draw

[bold] Acapulco ATP [/bold]

notable 1st rds:

Medvedev vs. Paire

Fritz vs. Mannarino

Nadal vs. Opelka

Dimitrov vs. Cressy

Berrettini vs. Paul

Giron vs. Millman

Norrie vs. Alcaraz

Isner vs. Verdasco

Zverev vs. Brooksby

Tsitsipas, PCB, Korda, Nakashima also in the draw

[bold] Guadalajara WTA [/bold]

no notable 1st rds

Raducanu, Key,s, Stephens, Sorribes Tormo notable players in the draw

[bold] Santiago ATP [/bold]

top 4 seeds Garin, Ramos-Vinolas, Delbonis, Martinez all get a bye

no notable 1st rds

Rune, Munar, Baez also in the draw

Dallas is not in America?

[quot]Haha. White? No. Certainly not.

He is a rich, entitled white American man. Certainly doesn't qualify for anything else.

Young Grigor and Cressy. Swoon.

R469 There's no way RBA vote for Vox, not all spanish players are right wing (even they are the majority)

R487 I can't find anything online suggesting any support or link between RBA and Vox. He's been very vocal in support of gay rights in the past -whilst not impossible, it's pretty unlikely that he'd support a far right party given that.

On the one hand I marvel at the obsession of DL's political tennis troll, who can suss out the way every player voted in the last 4 elections.

OTOH, I don't vote for my representatives based on the tennis game, so...

I'm not the political tennis troll, R489, but that's a false equivalency. Many of us a root for players to a greater or lesser extent based on their character, not just their tennis. Where they stand politically, which causes they support, their behavior on and off court, etc., make a difference. Of course this could be illusion drummed up by their PR people, but it still makes it more fun to watch if we have an apparent good guy versus an apparent bad guy.

Obviously our voting choices aren't based at all on the candidates' tennis games.

It sorta matters where they stand to me. If the are a right winged nut, I ain't gonna be supporting their causes/brands they are endorsed by. I will still watch them play but that's it. Like Novak (as an example).

I agree with R491. If Carlitos is a VOX supporter (I have not been able to find anything about it), it would be disappointing, to say the least. Likewise, Nadal met with the "exiled" king in one of his tournaments last year. The king is a corrupt, fallen monarch who is a despicable human being. And Nadal invited him.... Thus, Nadal is a fascist (anyone who supports the Juan Crook Carlos, heir to the Franco Regime usually is) or he has very poor PR judgement. I vote for the first one.

Kim Clijsters is so fucking fat!

Alcaraz and RBA in the past have liked Abascal's posts on instagram.

Simply? who people are, who they surround themselves with, their actions and so on are SUPPOSE TO BE MORE IMPORTANT than what they do for a living and if they entertain us by what they do!....

people who stick their head in the sand, people who self absorbed only care about little ole them being entertained is how for example tom cruise has gotten away with who he really is and what's he's involved in for all of these decades!... shameful!

Venus and Serena's nephew Alphonse committed suicide following a diagnosis of Peyronie's disease. I have two friends living with the disease and even though it sounds like a joke of a disease, it can seriously affect the mental health of the patients. That's really sad.

Norrie team or Opelka team?

Rublev def. FAA in tough 2 sets. A great 2 weeks for FAA and I'm sure he'll win a second title or more this year

Stacked Carlos!

Carlos will crack the Top 20 with this win. He really does look like the real deal.

I disagree, R495.

It's a symptom of our diseased hyper-partisan times that an 18-year old tennis player's supposed political beliefs -- which I never would have known, had someone not dredged through the internet to find them and post them here -- are more important than his tennis.

I don't care about Biden's tennis game. I don't even know if he plays. I'm glad he won.

I don't care about Alcaraz's political beliefs. I like to watch him play.

Do you separate everything about a player from his tennis game, R501? Is your enjoyment of the player based solely on how well he is playing? For me that would kill a good part of my interest in watching a match.

Everything? I dunno. Probably not. But up to the post above, I've never seen or heard anything about Alcaraz's political beliefs. And I haven't cared.

R502, this is a tough hard question that I have been asking myself with respect to... Michael Jackson. And I've decided to jettison everything MJ except that one song (Remember the Time) because I have sweet memories associated to that song that I want to live on with me and that would be so hard for me to part with.

With regard to Alcaraz, we have to realize that at 18 your political views are generally those of our parents and then you grow out of them in your 20s. So I'd be cautious not to throw the first stone at him (a caution that obviously doesn't apply to 30-something repugs à la Isner and Co.).

Felix is such a good sport.

I'm not sure the winner takes the big cup with him. I know in Wimbledon or Roland Garros they lift the big ass trophy to show to the public but then they get a smaller one to take with them. Not sure about Marseille specifically though.

Did you see the match R505? Was it good? I'm guessing it was. Looks like a tight two-setter.

Talking of spunky up and coming youngsters: Jack Draper won his second Challenger title within a month, today, and is now just outside the Top 150

There was another Jack Draper back in the 90s, wasn't there? Brunet and kinda hot IIRC.

Or was it Scott? Aussie I think.

Yes, Scott Draper was around in the 90s.

Jack Draper's dad, Roger Draper, was head of the LTA.

Yes, R507, it was a tight match with both playing well. I was rooting for Felix but am also a fan of Rublev even though he goes into Tasmanian devil meltdowns and racket smashes. It's also strange how good he looks off court but on court...not so much.

ITA, R513. I like them both.

[R506], the tournament ships the trophy to the player's home.

It just occurred to me that Chrissie's pencil favorite egg, Eugenie Bouchard has currently 187 points in the WTA ranking, 180 of which she's bound to lose in 2 weeks (she was the finalist of a 250 tournament a year ago). In other words, unless something quite out of the ordinary happens, like Bouchard wins five matches in a row, our girl is bound to lose 1029 (one thousand and twenty nine) places in the ranking and therefore fall off WTA top 1000 for the first time since, eh, something like 2012. Oh, pencil: what to do, what to do?

Bye bitch, don't let the WTA door smack you on the ass on the way out.

Well, most spanish players are conservative and everybody knows Juan Carlos Ferrero is one of them, but most of them are very gay friendly (Feliciano or Almagro are good examples of that) so i doubt they vote for Vox (PP has a lot of different voters and some of them are centrists and liberals), so i won't be surprised if Carlos is conservative too, but he is simply too young and probably not very invested in politics.

I suppose Rune will be very motivated now, he is very invested in sell a rivaldry with Alcaraz (right now it only exists in his mind)

Djokovic makes his return to the tour with a 6-3 6-3 win over Musetti

as of now where else can he play besides Dubai? lol it seems he's going to miss the Sunshine Double for sure and most of the clay season

At least Djokovic will be rested in the twilight of his career.

Here's to Djokovic resting in peace.

What's the likelihood Djokovic will get COVID a third time?

He's an asshole who doesn't care so likely.

we haven't discussed the little drama that happened yesterday between Azarenka and Putintseva lol

the summary

R522, he'll "get" it every time he needs to when that is an excuse for being able to enter into a country with no vaccination.

Vika is not wrong.

Anyone named Putinseva is probably a cunt.

big choke from Verdasco! Up 5-2 in the third against Isner. He failed to serve it out at 5-3 then got a back massage (lucky physio). Then he lost in the tiebreak

Keys had a horrific loss to Harmony Tan 4-6 6-1 1-6

Koslov down1 I repeat Koslov is down!

Playing young Grigor. How can I be of service to young Grigor n Koslov's time of need?

Koslov is lucky loser. Won first set 7-6. Was up 5-3 in second set when implossioned. Now playing again to try to close out match.

this is painful to watch him trying to play through the cramps

Young Grigor won the second set 7-5 after Kozlov's collapse. On to the third.

Young Grigor team or Kozlov team?

lmao can't believe Kozlov is now up 5-2

Dimitrov is pathetic losing to a guy who suffered cramps. Kozlov is much better now physically but still

Koslov beated Young Grigor.

wow so early in the season and we're already getting so much fucking drama on and off court!

now it's time for Zverev vs. Brooksby. This has potential to be a shit show too lol

Asked Novak Djokovic if he will be able to compete at Indian Wells: "As of today, not. I can't go -- can't enter United States. As of today I'm not able to play. But let's see what happens. I mean, maybe things change in the next few weeks."

Brooksby is driving Zverev nuts lol love it

He never fails to make my blood boil, r538. He is the worst of all deplorables.

Zverev's grunt always sounds like he's throwing up

omg it's 4 AM in Acapulco and this match isn't over yet

meanwhile Tuesday play is starting in Dubai.

Has that ever happened before in tennis history when 1 tournament's Monday play isn't over before another tournament that seem week Tuesday play begins? crazy stuff

who the hell is Harmony Tan? shameful Keys... and the thing is with Keys (always touted year after year that this is her breakthough year) she has NEVER DONE ANYTHING to change her game! hit hard, hit harder, one note, way too big backswings and so on...

I have no respect for any players male or female who want to be good, even great, and a champion (who doesn't?) but who year after year never change or improve their games to do so....

that is why i have so so much respect for the likes of martina and chris for doing so!

Alcaraz purveys health...

[quote]who the hell is Harmony Tan?

She's French wench Nathalie Tauziat's 'protégée'

[post redacted because linking to dailymail.co.uk clearly indicates that the poster is either a troll or an idiot (probably both, honestly.) Our advice is that you just ignore this poster but whatever you do, don't click on any link to this putrid rag.]

Fucsovics showing great VPL in his Dubai match against Shopbottom.

Marton's bulge has been SIGNIFICANTLY bigger this season. I love to see players develop in this area year on year!

R544 I have quite a thing for José Morgado. He's a very talented singer as well as a tennis obsessed journalist. He maintains he's straight but he just hasn't met me yet.

[quote]Marton's bulge has been SIGNIFICANTLY bigger this season

I think it's because he has a new clothing sponsor, Hydrogen. Their shorts tend to be quite tight lol

The court for the women in Mexico looks so damn slow.

[quote] The court for the women in Mexico looks so damn slow.

Shapo like.

Australian player Christopher O'Connell looked pretty cute playing Murray, though after googling some images, slightly better with a cap on (he has a bit of a fivehead, nothing major)

Berrettini retires again. It seems like ab strain could be the problem again

so many retirements this week!

Raducanu joins the list after stopping in the middle of the 3rd set against Saville (formerly Gavrilova)

Andreescu not on the Miami list either now. I'd bet on her being the one top 100 WTA player who is unvaccinated..

JJ Wolf has ditched the mullet?

OK new Zverev drama! He really should be defaulted from the singles event for this behavior tonight after losing his doubles match

He didn't like the call on match point which he and Melo lost. So he started yelling at the umpire

but the problem was when they came to the net for the handshake. Zverev STARTED SMASHING HIS RACQUET OFF THE UMPIRE CHAIR WITH THE UMPIRE STILL IN IT

anyone still not believe he could be abusive to his gfs? Check this fucking video this is in PUBLIC

geez, that is scary. He's wearing that brown shitstain shirt too.

WOMP WOMP

That was less than an inch from the Umpire's legs. What a fucking psycho!

If he can do this in public, who knows what he's capable of behind closed doors?

So the current numbers 1, 2 & 3 at the ATP are Toxic Megalomaniac, Snide Racist, and Psycho Killer. Has there ever been such a trio of trash at the top?

From 'The Big 3' to 'The Trio Of Trash'!

I'm working my way back up the ladder. Give me time to class it up, mates!

He's currently losing to Hubie in Dubai, but I'm thinking Alex Molcan would look cute if he turned up at my doorstep, down one knee, holding a bunch of flowers...

Looks like Sinner is sinking Misery in Dubai.

[quote]JJ Wolf has ditched the mullet?

Looks like he has

^^ he looks better w/o it

and great extension on that FH

Zverev should be killed. Yes that's how much I hate him.

A. Zverev posted an apology on his IG

well, at least he went along with what his PR wrote for him. This kind of thing could cost him sponsorships.

Zverev just drips elegance and class. It's easy to see why he's so appealing to his sponsors. Such an excellent ambassador and a true gift to our sport.

Smarmy pseudo-apology: "Baby, I swept up all the broken glass and spackled the holes in the wall. Here's a teddy bear to keep you company until you get released from ICU. I'll keep the bed warm for you until you come back home. I know you'll get me the right kind of beer next time."

He needs to get a suspension of a few months at least. Hit him in the wallet. Likely the only thing the entitled trashbag is really interested in.

Why is Zverev such a psycho?

R575 Ethnically Russian.. their culture is backwards compared to Spain/Switzerland, etc.

If the ATP doesn't issue a months-long suspension and heavy fines, they will set such a bad precedent.

R576 In Spain they also beat women.

R578 Women are beaten everywhere. But is it worse in Russia than in Spain? The facts say that yes, it is. Deaths from domestic violence are far higher in Russia than in Spain.

[quote]"More than 12,000 women died as a result of domestic violence in the 2011-2019 period, according to a new study published by the Russian Consortium of Women's Non-Governmental Organizations. Of those 12,209, 81% (around 9,868 women) were killed by their partners. The remaining 19% died at the hands of other relatives, according to the study."

I believe Putin’s government also de-criminalized certain forms of spousal abuse.

Pliskobot only received a 'four-figure' fine after smashing an umpire's chair, but at least she didn't aim for the legs

Please let's not turn the tennis thread into one about ethnicity. We all know Zverev is a piece of shit and hopefully he'll get what's coming to him, but it's not because his parents are Russian ffs.

R582 Yeah, um, it probably is cuz his parents are Russian. They have a pretty different attitude over there.

Yea, no. Zverev's brother Mischa is Mr. Congeniality and clearly got all of the good Zverev genes other than for best tennis skills. The parents must wonder how one turned out so well and the other was such a bad seed.

R583 Spare us your ridiculous xenophobia. Do you think Medvedev hits his wife? Tsitispas's mother is Russian, do you imagine he beats up women? Rublev? Khachanov? Grow up.

R585 Medvedev is a nasty racist (disqualified from 2 matches for racism towards a Black and a Jewish umpire) as well as allegedly a cheat on his wife. That's the Russian attitude, it's a shitty culture. I cannot imagine Federer, Nadal, or Murray being like that.

R586 Ok we get it. You hate Russians. I cannot imagine any of the players I mentioned above being abusive to women, yet you maintain it's some kind of genetic pre-disposition. I didn't think we had an actual eugenicist on DL.

R587 No, I neither hate Russians nor think it's a genetic pre-disposition. I think it's one of their ugly cultural/taught aspects. The statistics and facts just don't lie compared to other countries.

R588 What statistics and facts can you show us that suggest Russian culture teaches men to hit women? You're insane.

ESL.

R590 Thought so.

Thanks to the OP of the new thread (linked).