Impossible to let him go

DAVIS CUP
It was always going to be impossible to let him go

For a long time, I thought it was best for players to announce in advance that it was their last season on Tour. So people get a chance to make an extra effort to see them play, and so the players can be properly celebrated. Well, I changed my mind. I would now love for the players to give us no warning, à la Pete Sampras. Just play that last match and say, “Oh, by the way, I’m out.” Or give us a maximum two-week notice, Serena style. Or a Vanity Fair send-off, Sharapova style. Just, rip the band-aid quickly.

The Rafael Nadal case cemented that change of heart for me. Rafa retiring in that Davis Cup tie in Malaga didn’t hit me in the feels the way it should have. It didn’t hit the sport in its chore the way it should have. Why? Because it’s been a year of this. And a year of knowing it’s coming but not where and then not being sure it’s coming at all. Also, a year of pressure put on Nadal to find the best way to exit the sport. It dragged, and it half-killed the vibe.

It also killed the overall inspiration for the coverage of that King’s departure: nothing will linger in my mind from whatever has been written or aired. Out of all the big-name retirements we’ve recently had, I’ll say that Andy Murray’s video made by Wimbledon was the one to rule them all. Another reason is that, in my opinion, the Nadal legacy is too big, and the career has been too long to be suddenly magnified even more by whatever reporting. Seriously, what hasn’t been said or written about Nadal? About Federer? About Serena? They’re now even too big for the usual champion’s retirement coverage. That’s also why it falls flat.

Rafa leaving is a gigantic hole dug into tennis. That’s all. He changed the game with that forehand, the way a champion is supposed to behave, and the way a champion is supposed to fight on the court. He even changed the English language (if you know, you know). Nadal put a generation or two into tennis, boys and girls alike. You’ll hear them yell Vamos, just to be like him. So I didn’t find a way to care as much as I wanted to about Malaga: I had retired Rafa already at Roland-Garros even if my denial wanted to believe he’d try for another clay rodeo in 2025 as his 2024 parade had been destroyed by his body (again). And I had retired Rafa’s game even before that because he and we all could see the game had been gone for a while. Malaga? Well, it had to be somewhere, and it’s nice that there was a reason for it to be in Spain. And it was very moving to hear him say what closing the tennis chapter meant for him. But that’s all.

So we’re back at the underlying question: Is there a perfect ending for these Legends? Is there an ideal send-off? I’ve reached my answer after that whole year of losing Nadal: No. So don’t bother hoping or planning. And, Legends, don’t bother telling us. Just keep swinging until it’s time to tell the world it’s the last swing. I’m now convinced it’ll be more enjoyable for everyone involved and also that the moment of the ending will hit the fullest. We don’t need to drag that ending. Rip that band-aid.

Side note n°1: It seems to be the thing to do when such a player leaves to share some personal moments you’ve shared with them. I tried, but it’s the same issue: which one do I pick out of nearly two decades?? When I went to his academy for an interview with Caroline Garcia and he crossed the whole room after seeing me just to say hi and chat? All the times he would throw a smile if he’d see me in the crowd at practice? The number of times I asked something during interviews that he misunderstood for something else, got it all the way wrong, then figured out he had and course-corrected after apologizing? The many paragraphs long answers he’d give to make sure he’d cover all I could need? The time he accepted to do a scheduled-for-that-day interview at freaking midnight in Beijing (can’t remember what deadline issue it was, but it had to be done that day)? Or when he nearly obliterated my phone by accident during a round table in Monte-Carlo?

I could go on and on and on. We kinda started our careers at the same time, and he always looked genuinely happy to cross me around. I’d get a “Bonjour” (hello in French), a smile, or a wink anywhere. He never eye-rolled or sulked at a question I’d ask, even when he wasn’t liking it. He never cut - or let cut - our solo interviews when I’d go over the allotted time. Would I have loved for him to be on time once in a while? Obviously. But as he kept saying: “I know, but I’m slow. I’m slow. Sorry”. It’s not even enough to say he’ll be missed out there. He’s taking a huge chunk of the sport with him that won’t regrow after him. There was no player like Roger, nobody like Andy, and there will be nobody like Rafa either.

Side note n°2: Nadal said he was at peace with retirement, which was nice to hear because, like Andy Murray, he struggled to get to that point. And, as I retired him months ago, I’m already curious about what he’ll do next. I’ve said it in the past, and I’ll say it again: the Big 4 will never leave. Roger hasn’t left, Andy is already showing signs he’s not leaving either, Novak has been telling everybody he would not leave. So I don’t believe Rafa is gonna disappear and spend his days golfing or fishing. Maybe that’s also why his retirement doesn’t fully hit for me because I’m like: yeah sure, see you around, Rafa!

Side note n°3: I hope Roland-Garros is already working on a Nadal ceremony for the 2025 edition. Don’t disappoint us.
Side note n°4: You can watch some of the WTA players sending a message to Nadal here, and you can also read Federer's great tribute.

ATP
Sinner, what else?

“There Can Be Only One.” Well, it’s fitting even if there was more suspense watching Highlander. With Carlos Alcaraz out of sorts, it was always going to be Jannik Sinner with the trophy at the end of these ATP Finals. And it’s actually the most impressive thing about Sinner’s new triumph: he was picked to win it from the start, and he delivered. He even added a bonus by becoming the only ATP player since Ivan Lendl in 1986, who won every match in the ATP Finals in straight sets. Beaten for the title last year by Novak Djokovic, the new Italian sports hero finished the job this time as he dominated Taylor Fritz for the second time in the week.

Sinner is the best player of this year, and it’s again a pity that it comes at the worst time with this doping case above his head. I’ve already said what I was thinking about the overall vibe in Turin due to this. I feel like Sinner is just starting to enjoy the effect of the fear factor on his rivals. Most of the Tour was going through it already with Carlos Alcaraz but wasn’t really terrified by Sinner until the US Open. But since NYC, you can feel it in the air: the mental edge. He will partake in what the Big 4 has been enjoying its whole era and what Alcaraz was enjoying until this US swing (until he started to give distress signals in a sport where you can’t afford that): winning a good half, at least, of your matches, in the locker room. When he says he couldn’t have played better in Turin, but also says that there is room for improvement, it’s another warning to the field: he’s at his best now, but his peak is yet to come.

What Sinner may have that Alcaraz lacks - except on clay - is the fact that his game and personality seem to be iron-made for any kind of outside disturbance. I mean, he’s been investigated for doping for months, and he keeps winning. His poker face is strong and his game is easier in a way to control than Alcaraz’s one because it’s more straightforward. I feel he improved a lot this year at avoiding being too predictable, getting better at game plans, and being even more aggressive. He’s lethal from both wings, and he’s relentless. He will not start trying new patterns for the sake of it. He will not risk losing points just to be funky for the crowd. He’s here to win, all else be damn. Long gone are the days when his nerves could fry, and his body could break. He’s writing another page of the Novak Djokovic’s book, in my opinion, regarding the level of domination he can go for. Alcaraz has his work cut out for him for the next decade. It could end fascinating! Even more, if Djokovic comes back roaring in 2025. But again, a judging panel might have another opinion…

Oh, and you know who else might be overjoyed with Sinner’s victory at home? Gucci. They banked on the right Italian, as Sinner is not only turning heads in his country in the sports fans crowd but through every street in the nation, as the NYT reports.

[Side note: who had Taylor Fritz achieving this type of season before the start of 2024?! It’s showing again that each player goes at their own speed on their own path. Fritz, now #4 in the ranking, always looked like a player who could be big (these striking skills?!), and we had started to forget about it. And then he turned into a Grand Slam and ATP Finals finalist, as much as an Alexander Zverev nemesis. Lethal under pressure. Finally going through more winners than unforced errors. Finally looking like he knows why he’s out there and like he enjoys being out there. He impressed me again in Turin as he had at the US Open. No idea if he can keep this up, but I’m here for this intriguing ride.]

QUESTION OF THE DAY 
Are you?

Well, all of you who answered the last poll said you weren’t enjoying watching the ATP Finals so far. 100%. That hurts.

BUSINESS / MEDIA 
Italy is here to stay in tennis

• The ATP has extended its deal with Italy until 2030 regarding the Finals, as the contract with Turin was coming to an end next year. Now the question is: will the ATP Finals stay in Turin? It seems Milan is building a case with an arena that could host 4000 more people.

• The WTA has expanded its partnership with Rolex. “The Swiss watchmaker will become Official Timekeeper and Timepiece of the Hologic WTA Tour and will renew its support of the WTA Finals Riyadh presented by PIF, which was recently held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and won by Rolex Testimonee Coco Gauff. (…) Rolex and the WTA will collaborate to create custom social media content to bring tennis fans closer than ever to the heart and heroes of the sport,” a statement said.

• In the saga of IMG being sold by Endeavor, while somehow everything is more or less sold to another part of the same group, here’s a new episode led by Ari Emmanuel for $450 million. Now, it’s on its way to being sold to management with the participation of a betting company? Apparently. The context remains the same: it’s all about Endeavor getting ready to be taken private by its largest investor, private equity firm Silver Lake.

• Food for thought? Now that Rafael Nadal has officially retired, I’m wondering if Nike will let him go the same way they lost Roger Federer. I kind of think they won’t, as seeing Roger walk away from Uniqlo was a wow moment for them, but not in a good way. But let’s see when Rafa’s deal comes to the negotiation table.

SOME BREAK POINTS… 
Swiatek is ready to “try out new things”

• Iga Swiatek showed great signs for 2025 despite her country losing in the BJK Cup. She fought hard in singles, got some clutch wins and showed some impressive fitness, and, more importantly, seemed to have found some fire back compared to the second part of the season. Obviously very disappointed with the loss but also upbeat about what’s coming next. 
  
  “I definitely played some nice matches this week, although today I just tried to survive physically, but I’m happy that I kept my concentration in the two matches today even though in the previous round my game wasn’t as perfect. (…) They were very close matches; it was nice to win the singles in crucial moments, that’s when I took advantage of my chances. (…) “Now I will start 2025 with new goals, I’m looking forward to it, as I didn’t have much time to train with Wim [Fissette], so it will be good to try out new things,” she said in Malaga.
  

• Billie Jean King shared some of her ideas on how to grow the game in this day and age. I don’t really share any of them, but I’m still throwing them out there in case they might interest you. I agree with what she says about players complaining about the schedule while adding exhibitions to their calendars.
  

• I am just discovering this and… I mean… Where to even start? I will just put it out there: Inside the life of influencers at the ATP Finals 2024. So that’s where we are now.

PLAY HARD, TRAIN HARD, DRESS THE PART 
Forever The Pirate

EDITOR’S PICKS 

You can find other picks here, including my go-to newsletters for anything tech*, anything backstage* or professional sports*, and the one for everything NIL*. If you’re a solopreneur, you might like this one, by the way. I also have a sweet spot for The Creator Spotlight*, which provides examples of other creators’ journeys. If you are a collector of anything sports-related, look at Above the Mantel.

READ: The ATP penned a long-form tribute to Rafael Nadal for his retirement.

READ MORE: TOGETHXR, the sports media company whose founders include Sue Bird and Alex Morgan, is releasing a book called “Play It Forward. How women are changing sports to change the world,” featuring 25 inspirational stories. And look who’s on the cover? Yes, it’s Daria Kasatkina. “For sports fans of all ages, Play it Forward celebrates and elevates the gutsy true stories of activists and dreamers who are changing the game, and the world of sports, for the better,” it says. Sounds like a plan!

WATCH: Players and others are paying tribute to Rafael Nadal in a video made by the ATP.

WATCH AGAIN: I mean, if you haven’t been thinking a lot about Sauron and Mordor since Nov 5th… I personally felt the urge to rewatch The Lord of the Rings right away, and that really hit differently those days. “Ride now! Ride! To ruin and the world’s ending”: that freaking Theoden speech (where in the book the line is from Eomer) is coming back to hit again. And what about his other line, “What can men do against such reckless hate?” Maybe that should be made a mandatory watch now…