Wimbly: Times Blog and Q&A #6
Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images
New entries up on the Times site! First, the blog:
Hello everyone,
I am writing this blog before going for dinner. Normally I always write it after I go for dinner either here at the house in Wimbledon or at a restaurant, but today since I am going out for dinner to London, to the city I thought I could write it now.
I will go to one of my favorite places in London and it is not this time El Cambio de Tercio which you all know. I am going to a Japanese restaurant that I really enjoy much here. I love also Japanese food. I had never been to Japan before till this year and I have to say that I also enjoyed very much my time there and the food. Since my girlfriend came today I will go out with her and enjoy a quite dinner (as quite as possible) and come back soon to rest.
Tomorrow there is no play as every mid Sunday here at Wimbledon son an easy practice, and back home to get ready to play on Monday, We are again on the second week of a tournament and that’s alway important! We’ll see how it goes. Not easy!
Thanks all for your support.
Rafa
Rafa? There’s a sushi place very near what I think will be your Davis Cup hotel. If you want directions or someone to show you the way, just let me know.
Now the Q&A:
Q&A: Get your questions into Rafa by e-mailing rafa@timesonline.co.uk and follow his progress in his own words.
Hola Rafa! In a few years time, do you think that you will enter the doubles in Grand Slam tournaments as well? I would love to see you and Marc winning Wimbledon together! Kim Mackenzie
Hi, I don’t think that I will do this. It is already a lot with singles and to also play doubles at Grand Slams would be very difficult. Not easy either to win! But thanks!
Shame – it would be great to see him win a slam doubles title. I totally understand why he can’t, though.
When you play doubles, what part of your game does it help improve? What do you learn from Marc when you play doubles with him? Atch
It’s all about doubles today, huhh? It helps a lot movements, serve and volley. I like to play doubles! Marc is actually a very talented player and his “globo” (overhead?) is very, very good!
Marc! has a lovely lob. And, well, he’s just lovely.
Hi Rafa! I will be visiting Mallorca this summer. Is there any place in particular that you can recommend to visit? (apart from the beautiful Porto Cristo and Manacor of course!) Kim Mackenzie
I think there are a lot of places that are nice! Not only in Mallorca but also in the Balearic islands. Formentera and obviously Ibiza are very nice. It also depends how you go, with family? Young age? etc. Give me more info and I give you a better tip! :-)
Rafa needs all the facts so that he properly formulate his response. Anything else would be reckless.
Hi Rafa, I found out that you trained with Rendy Lu again today. I’m wondering the main reasons you consider for choosing the partner to warm up with before your match, his game, his records in this tournament or just a random choice? Rachel, Taiwan
Yes I did. Rafa knows his coach and we have practiced a few times. As simple as that!
Talking about yourself in the third person? Or a slip up from the person doing the writing/typing?
When was the last time you played a match at Wimbledon other than Centre Court or Court one? Do you think there is a point in Serena Williams’ moan recently about “some players” always get to play at the show courts and others (like her) get moved around? Sharon Lam
I think it was against Youhzny 4/5 years ago? I would haver to check that but I am pretty sure. I see Serena’s point and also the Championships so I prefer not to go into this!
Possibly controversial topic? No way to come out on top with all parties when giving an opinion? Run way!
I’m trying to run a business, and I’m in between you and Rory McIlroy in terms of age, and seem to have the world on my shoulders. I would love to know how a man in his mid twenties can handle this kind of pressure. But if you were to give one tip about temperament, and how you manage to pick yourself up after a fall, what would it be? Tom Nicholson
Wow, this is a really difficult one! I am actually playing tennis, in the end it is only a game. True that we have a lot of pressure but I suppose your thing is more complicated. I can imagine you also get trained to what you do and I am sure you know what to do.
Just a game…with the whole world watching and judging. No pressure.
It was interesting to see you on the bike in your interview with Dutch T.V. Do you view biking as a training too only or do you enjoy it? Christie
Yes I do some biking when I am at home in Manacor. But I don’t remember that interview well. Dutch TV?
Heee! Maybe he hadn’t been drinking responsibly before that one…or he was sleep walking…or he didn’t know the interview he was giving was for Dutch TV…or he did so many they all blur together. Okay, yea. Probably one of those last two.
After Feliciano Lopez’s brilliant win against Roddick, how good a chance do you think he has of winning the tournament? Good luck in the next round! Katharine.
He is playing well and that was a great win. He is again on the second week of the tournament and that’s great for him. Still lot’s of matches so we’ll see how it goes for him and for all of us!
We will see what’s gonna happen.
Since a lot of professional and popular tennis players chose to buy a house and stay there for good in countries like US, Australia, and London, what made you choose to still stay and never leave Mallorca? Alison.
Because for me it is the best place to live. It has got everything I need, weather, food, sea, and most important it is my home where my family and friends are.
And his giant stuffed giraffe is there too.
I know retiring from the tennis scene is not in your mind right now, but do you have a specific target age for your retirement? What would be your plans or how do you see yourself after leaving the tennis scene professionally? Chay
No not really. Lately I have been thinking about football and how much I enjoy that world. Maybe I’ll get more involved on it since I am already involved with RCD Mallorca, the football team!
Since he had to make a difficult choice between tennis and football at such a young age, it would be nice if he could use some of what he earned from tennis (either money, fame, whatever) to help him find a roll in football.
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Miri your comments are just too much! ahahahahahaha
Oh my God, I think I just popped a hernia…Miri…don’t ever stop. Yeah Rafa has to live in Mallorca with his giraffe, ha ha h ha ha. Good thing he mentions his girlfriend at least in blog.
1. Atch2 is on a roll!
2. I guess they rectified Rafa’s non-answer to the temperament question by re-selecting a more elaborated version?
Thanks for sharing the Q & A. It would not be the same without your commentary – love it!
“Marc is actually a very talented player and his “globo” (overhead?) is very, very good!”
“Globo” means “lob”.
Oh heck, I meant to change that to lob when I made my stupid comment. Because overheads? Not really Marc!’s specialty.
I am happy that Rafa is more relaxing about his relationship. Now, He write ” I will go out with her (girlfriend)” with naturalness. It was impossible some years ago. It was a prohibit subject.
Maybe “Rafa” meant “Maymo”? It must get a little confusing ;-)
I also think he was referring to Rafa Maymo.
But he usually refers to him as Maymo or Tintin…
Okay Miri, am I on drugs or does Rafa really have a giant stuffed giraffe? You are one character…NEVER CHANGE!!!
He has a giant stuffed giraffe.
keeps in his trophy room is what we are told
Along with his numerous other stuffed animals…
I’m so happy he mentioned Xisca:)
I think Jürgen Melzer said that after he retires he will play one season in an Austrian football league, whatever team in whatever league is taking him, he will play for them because that’s his big dream. It would be fun if Rafa also played in a football team after he retires.
Miri, just wanted to thank you for your hilarious comments in Rafa’s interviews. I stopped reading his interviews anywhere else and I come here to read them with your comments; they never fail to crack me up!
Miri, it is your witty aside comments that also make me read the presser interviews in this site and nowhere else. And more often than not, I often glean some nugget of obscure Rafa info that might be well known to his old fans but is like a nugget of gold for a newbie fan like me. Thank you!!!
Football…? Fine, bettere than golf. Shame it’s such a rotten world of business nowadays. Maybe you can make it better, Rafa?
Interesting. All the Facebook activity and now mentioning GF. What’s brought that on, I wonder? :)
Oh, and Kim…you try Formentera and Ibiza instead, stay away from Mallorca. OK? ;)
Ah bless a nice quiet evening with his gal!bless, some tlc is what he needs, he has a tough road ahead of him…
Formentera huh, I’ll have to check that one Rafa! Looking to go into football, why am I not surprised, he just loves it doesn’t he.?
Oh Miri, your comments are priceless!
i remember the rafa youzhny match in ’07 on one of the outside courts (court 2?) with rafa coming back from 2 sets to love. the year with all the rain delays. matches on centre and court 1 i think were carryovers from uncompleted matches and other more compelling match-ups.
I remember that too. That was the year he played Soderling and took 5 days to beat him with the multiple rain delays and after the match Rafa commented in his presser questioning why they did not play the middle Sunday. He was put on a far court (graveyard one?) and people said it was because of his comments.
Can’t believe 2 of mine were answered in 1 blog! thats a first! and CC, my holiday is already booked for Mallorca hehe but I will behave, promise!
Im confused, wat do you mean about Rafa meaning Maymo? ¿Qué?
No I think they’ve actually answered the same person twice in the same blog before.
I too saw the mistake of “rafa knows his coach” and I was like uh-oh Benito made a mistake. lol.
I think them suddenly adding the girlfriend in the blog is for damage control/
Wouldn’t disagree, Mrs H.
I thought the football answer was revealing and cryptic at the same time.
ooh i see, yeah he actually called Maymo Rafa then, which is something I really want to know like what he really calls him! because obviously he normally calls him Maymo in the blogs but then does he actually call him by his surname all the time?
You know I am obsessed with Xisca and Rafa — but I noticed during his interview last Sept. on US TV he proudly discussed that his girlfriend was not only Spanish, but Majorcan as well. He has become much more relaxed with her presence and we know he feels the “calm” when she is around. I guess all this new exposure with her could be his maturity. I just worry that she is in the same house as Feli !!!
Hope they got that “quiet” dinner together. Probably couldn’t be too quiet as he told everyone where he was going !
I just read the article about “look who’s helping Nadal” and it said something about Rafa’s parents are back together. Really??? I thought they were just at Wimbledon but not together…. Is this too much gossip or can this be commented on?
Nice, asking Rafa about Feli’s chances of winning! Very nice of Rafa not to point out that Feli would probably have to go through HIM.
Love a man who likes stuffed animals!
Everyone seems to be called Rafa in Spain so confusion is understandable, a Nation of saints.
Feli in the house is no problem; so long as barney stays clear!
Xisca is very pretty, no? so dinner with her must be mighty fine. Next time they send annoying female hacks along Xisca can wield her handbag in defence.
Are blogs like this common? I don’t see them any where else – just happened on to it. I love hearing the real Rafa! It’s hard in the states because you really only see him in matches and post interviews and they aren’t always easy for him. I love seeing the non spotlight side of him. Though I appreciate immensely the spotlight side – because he still is humble and real.
Any hoo – Thank you for your time!