TV comes first, so I play last

Send Rafa your questions

Hi Everyone,

One more day here in New York and happy to be writing today this blog. Don't ask me why but today I feel like I have the time I need to do so and got something to tell you that is important. It was my second consecutive day without playing and tomorrow I play again.

One thing that is kind of weird is that I played my first round on Monday and my next match, my second round match, is tomorrow, Thursday, and it's the last match!!! Not second or third or even fourth ... last match.

From a technical point of view it doesn't make much sense but I do understand it is a TV thing and also the tournament has told us that it is because they wanted me to experience the night match and the crowds here at that time. I understand although as I say it is strange to have such a big gap during a tournament to play.

So a calmed day that I thought would be shorter at the tournament. It is always the same with me. I intend to come back early and in the end always something comes up. I practiced not too early, at 12.15 noon with Tomeu my friend who is here as a hitting partner. I had planned to come back to the hotel at 2pm or so. But in the end, once again I only managed to get to the hotel by 6pm.

The reason for that is that I had a meeting with Ivan Ljubicic. Ivan has recently been elected and appointed as the European Player Board representative. We had a meeting and went through the stuff that the board has been discussing at the meetings in these past days. Things have changed. The president of the ATP left, he resigned, I suppose since he knew he did not have the support of a lot of people, and I believe that things will go better now.

We have had lot of talks lately and I see now that the players are more together. The meeting today with Ivan is one more example. There is an open channel of communication now open with our representatives and we can get things done together. It was important to meet and our commitment is there. I am happy to spend time trying to help improve the game. Now we know what's cooking and we can give our input since we are in the Player Council.

Hopefully we can work for the better of the game.

Send Rafa your questions

Comments

[Georgie Walker]

Love you Rafa.
Just wondering why you bite your trophies when you have won a tournament?
Georgie
xxxx

[Ann]

Hello RAFA from Australia
Great to read your blog
many thanks for taking time out to do it for the fans
We all LOVE to hear from YOU

Re - change of image ?
Rafa
Please wear what you like and feel best in
I actually prefer you in blue top and white but you are great in any thing you wear
One question tho
Have you thought of cutting your hair a little shorter ??
I have noticed a few others have short new hair styles - eg Tommy Robredo -Carlos Moya -Marat Safin tommy Haas etc
You also would look even better with a new hair style
GOOD LUCK with the US Open and congratulations on a perfect year of excellent results
I am so happy for you

[Clara]

Rafa I dont want to repeat that you are the best, georgeous, well behaved, etc., you know it and everybody else does as well. I would like to suggest you wear the same colour band on each wrist, unless you use different colours as a superstition.

[eileen]

i just watched your match with deheart and i must say rafa that you really bring out the best in your opponents. i'm your biggest fan here in faraway philippines , and i just wish you'd capture this USO title. "One match a time", yes that's the right attitude, and i'm sure you'll get there!

[Judith VBrigade UK]

They want you to play at night, no? OK, so play at night, no? You'll win, day or night, no? Rafa, you're cool .. you're hot.. you're gorgeous.

[Mia]

Rafa,
They're making you play at night because you look so hot and gorgeous under the lights... it's something about the way your sweat glistens extra pretty. (Just thought I'd tell you the truth.) :-)

[akansha]

hi,rafa
howz u?? i know its difficult to play us open after olympics as u r tired.....but all the best ... give ur best shot n win the us open tittle n make ur fans more happy.....i will be waiting for ur blog....
vamos rafa....

[jane]

Hello Rafa. Just to say, good luck from all of us here in Cardiff, Wales and we will be supporting you! From Jane.x

[mona]

hi rafa congratulations for your very proudly playing and your personality! im your biggest fan and i always will remain your biggest fan! and i wanted to tell u i know u are alittle tired but think boy if u win us open too how it'll be!!!!!! oh god!u are the best tennis player ever and everybody knows that and cant deny it so please keep going like this to win this title too! i always prayed for u and i do it now and i'll cause i believe in u and your game and i love u baby.be sure u have all of our supports and believe me u are the most popular tennis player in the world so dont ever give up or feel alone.u have me and also milions fans around the world.
hope to meet u someday and see your championship and more success.

[Fran]

Hola Rafa
Sorry you have the last match of the day it must be cooler in a way but i don't know about the lights still it must have been yesterday so i will get to watch it on eurosport player today on my pc it's one way to catch up on tennis i suppose.
Take care and enjoy N.Y.
Un beso
Fran

[Joyce, Glasgow]

Thanks again for the blog, Rafa. I'm glad you got a couple of days off before playing again. From a selfish point of view, I'm sorry you are playing the last match tonight as I, along with most of your European fans, will be in bed by the time you come on the court. But it will be a great experience for you - vamos.

[Cristina Martins]

Bom dia Rafael!
One more day had past and one more game you have to face it, one step of one time.
I´m trying to think what im going to say today for give you some luck.Hummm…Well…
Ok i think i found something but for that i have to start from the beggining, right?In One of my favorite tv shows we can see the life of a basquetball player ”Lucas Scott” and in one of my favorite moments there was a game, a final game, where one minute can change everything(typical in films and series but sometimes it can be appled in reality:) ). Ok, imagine one game where one minute can make a diference and suddenly the time stopped and in that minute existed a mix of passion and love and a truly conviction of faith and hope in victory and in that minute players and public were together because they feel the same:
“say what you will about the ravages of sports in this corporate age where overpaid athletes expect prima donna treatment, but there's still something so unifying about sporting in its purest form -- when athletes rise above themselves and touch greatness, and in doing so remind us all that we all have greatness inside of us”… and finaly after the push and screams the relief in victory.Players and public could shared different heartbeats in one night but in the end the feeling was the same.A beautiful moment…
See tomorrow:) Cristina.Portugal

[Bob Gaffney - Hawaii]

Hi Rafa,

Thank you for taking a few sentences of your blog to mention your involvement in the Player's Council and the ATP. As one of your fans and a ticket buyer I must admit to some concern about rumored and projected changes to tournament scheduling and structure. I certainly look forward to opportunities to see you compete and practice in person, however, I also recognize the importance of a schedule which allows adequated rest for players. I'm looking foward to a day when the media announces agreement between the players and the new ATP president on plans beneficial to both players and professional tennis fans.

I always feel a bit sorry when you have to play a night. But living six time zones to the west of New York I must admit to enjoying the chance to watch you on television in the afternoon.

In your match with Ryler de Heart play well and best luck.

Vamos Rafa!

[Ging Muscat]

"Now we know what's cooking" - I love your grasp of colloquialisms, Rafa, though not sure how you'd say that in Catalan... and your 'word inventions'...

Keep up the blogging - we love it!

I wrote you a rather long post with 2 questions, so I sit and wait to see if it makes in on here :)

Vamos!