Comments on: WFT: RR1 presser & interview

By: sia

sia — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 17:07:00 +0000

Nice to see sis and dad there providing a little cheerleading.

By: sia

sia — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 16:01:12 +0000

Miri, here I go with my own psychoanalysis of the situation (feel free to let me know if I’m out of line). Rafa, eldest child, highly successful … one can only wonder how this part of the family life has affected Mom and Dad’s relationship. For a child to feel like it is his or her fault for their parents’ divorce is certainly not a new notion. If our Rafa is feeling guilty (young men … men in general … sometimes can make life choices based on their guilt)!; I wonder how this is affecting his tennis life?
If it is his professional tennis career (or if he thinks this is the case), that has hurt his parents’ marriage then he may be subconsciously sabotaging his game. I know this is a lot of conjecture, but something is obviously still holding him back. Whatever it is … Rafa get well soon.

By: Kim_Rafa

Kim_Rafa — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 07:19:01 +0000

You can do it Rafa!! You will improve and come back stronger again! VAMOS!!!

By: Denizen

Denizen — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:34:53 +0000

No idea, Mary, but I’d LOVE to know. miri, thanks for understanding the point I was trying to make.

Does Rafa live a pampered life? When discussing buying the Aston Martin, Rafa commented that he doesn’t have many expenses. People and companies give him computers, clothes (Hugo Boss gives him everyday clothes, for example), basically everything he needs or wants. He stays in the finest hotels in their Presidential suites with valets and concierges who are ready to cater to his every need or whim. He gets into the VIP areas in clubs to hobnob with the Real Madrid stars. He doesn’t do his own laundry (just attempting it at the Olympic Village made him think he was a man of the people), do dishes, etc. (this is documented). Basically, he has staff to take care of all the mundane stuff so that all he has to do is focus on tennis and honor his sponsorship and professional obligations. This is not exclusive to Rafa, of course – it’s how it works with the creme de la creme.

All of these privileges are being accorded to a high school dropout, which most of the top players are except for Blake and Ancic and perhaps some doubles specialists, due to tennis players’ peaking at such a young age.

Uncle Toni has tried very hard to keep Rafa’s feet on the ground, but that has to be difficult when you’re the “rock star” of the tennis world, no? I think Rafa’s done as good of a job as possible given his status at the top of the tennis world. But he’s been protected from a lot of unpleasantness and a lot of life experiences that most of us had between 17 and 23, so his parents’ splitting up must have been especially jarring.

By: CC

CC — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 05:18:51 +0000

The year end number one question is beyond annoying! Journos are so one dimensional it’s unbelievable… You show them Rafa! ;)

The interview on Tennistv is luvely. Just when I thought Rafa couldn’t get any more adorable, there he is being just that. Love the hair so much. :D

“The game can improve sure and gone improve…” Vamos!

By: mary

mary — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 03:44:20 +0000

I wonder what that would be like growing up in that state?

By: miri

miri — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:50:47 +0000

All of these athletes live in a state of perpetual adolescence to an extent. Yes they work hard and have to deal with pressure and expectations, but they also get away without having to learn “real world” lessons that most kids do.

By: mary

mary — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:42:32 +0000

“Rafa had an extended, privileged, pampered adolescence”
And you know this for a fact?
I know what it is like to have a rotten childhood & I know what I have observed to be a privileged, pampered lifestyle. Rafa had a very disiplined & focussed childhood. He may have had all the comforts but he didn’t have the luxury of time to spoil himself. For someone who grew up in comfort compared to me, I am amazed & love the fact he has remained so grounded & humble. He has a great family. This is why with his parents split it’s been that much harder on him. That stability at home is dysfunctional now. It’s not something that happen when he was a child that he could grow up & get use to it. It happened when he was numero uno!!

By: Denizen

Denizen — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:28:03 +0000

“I truly feel that the playing through all that ridiculous pain earlier this year was a way of avoiding going home and facing the reality that his home wasn’t the same anymore.”

Well put. Rafa had an extended, privileged, pampered adolescence, and his transition into young adulthood this year was compressed and shrilly unpleasant. Hopefully between the end of this tournament and the beginning of 2010 he can both relax in his home environment and train hard to regain his form and confidence.

By: Atch2

Atch2 — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 02:09:22 +0000

Sod’s nice in his presser. Still don’t like him though.