The Year Without Rafa

On Today's Menu: The Topic of Tennis

I didn't watch Wimbledon this year. I didn't see it on TV, didn't watch any live action feed on the internet, didn't read anything in the papers...nada. Anyone who knows me, knows that this is...well, it's a big deal. I haven't missed Wimbledon since I was twelve years old; come to think of it I haven't missed any grand slam tournaments since I was twelve. But Wimbledon...you must understand that in the world of tennis, Wimbledon is the paramount, it brings out the best of the best, the cream of the crop, it is the Mother Tournament of all tournaments. If you are a tennis fan in any way, shape or form, you don't miss out on Wimbledon. You just don't. It's like an unspoken rule.

I didn't want to miss it. If I was home, I would have spent the entire fortnight glued to the television set, spent every morning flipping feverishly through pages of any newspaper I could find, talking about it with anyone who will listen (which is pretty much limited to my Dad), made sure my DVR never stopped recording, and then set into motion the plan of spending the following weeks reviewing said recorded matches. Yes, I am that pathetic. You have more than enough reason to worry.

Anyway, my obvious reason for missing Wimbledon this year is because I am in Spain...where no one cares about tennis. Alright, I'll admit that last statement was a bit erroneous. Everyone here knows who Rafael Nadal is, mostly because he is a Spaniard and is (well, was) world number one, therefore they know a little bit about tennis. For instance, anytime someone asks me about my interests, I halfway get the word "el tenis" out and they immediately respond: "Oh, then you are a fan of Nadal?" They always say Nadal. It's a logical question, but I'm not convinced that means they know the game or who any of the other players are since there are at least five other Spaniards in the top 30. 

In all honesty people, I had trouble deciding how to feel about Wimbledon this year. It's my favorite tournament and if I was home I would certainly have gone through my yearly Wimbledon ritual. But this year seemed so predictable. I hate it when it's predictable. It's boring. The Friday before the tournament started, Rafa, who I will admit is at the top of my list of favorite players, pulled out with a knee injury...stupid knees...so disappointing. That was when I predicted who would win: Roger Federer. It was a no brainer. Rafa is Roger's only vice. When there is no Rafa, Roger always wins. Roger is the perfect player...I have watched him play since he began his career and the only time I have ever seen him flench is when Rafa is on the opposite side of the net. Against any other player he is so cool and so confident. I think that's why I like Rafa so much. He throws Roger off guard and shakes things up so much you just don't know what's going to happen.  But this year...no Rafa...hello predictions...I was right. (Side note: when Rafa pulled out I decided to pull for Andy Roddick, another on my list...did pretty well with that prediction, too).

I sound like a crazy, obsessed fan. If I had the same amount of interest in football, I would be the one wearing the official team jersey, jacket and hat embroidered with the team logo, waving around a big foam finger with one hand and blowing a foghorn with the other. When I found out Federer won today I was with my roommate and I was kind of disappointed about it (which is bad because it was such an historic moment in tennis). I started to tell her about it and stopped halfway through because I didn't want to scare her, but she was actually impressed...or so she said. She told me, "I have never seen anyone as passionate as you are. You take faith and things you are interested in so personally. You keep saying obsession, it looks more like passion to me." She continued on saying that I actually didn't come across as one of those "annoying lunatic fans" but more like someone who "sees a purpose and is passionate." I wasn't really sure what she meant by that last statement, and I really didn't know what to say. I just took it as a compliment and moved on to the next topic.

Anyway, you most likely understand now how much I like Wimbledon. I like Roger. It's hard to not like him. He's a classy guy and an incredibly gifted athlete. He placed a milestone in the tennis world today. I hate that I missed it...

Here is, though, the greatest thing about Wimbledon: There is always next year. I will be there...and hopefully Rafa will be, too.