Vamos, @RafaelNadal!
As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.
Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game—even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.
I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level. Your whole process. All those rituals. Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear... All of it with the highest intensity. Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique—it was so you.
And you know what, Rafa, you made me enjoy the game even more.
OK, maybe not at first. After the 2004 Australian Open, I achieved the #1 ranking for the first time. I thought I was on top of the world. And I was—until two months later, when you walked on the court in Miami in your red sleeveless shirt, showing off those biceps, and you beat me convincingly. All that buzz I’d been hearing about you—about this amazing young player from Mallorca, a generational talent, probably going to win a major someday—it wasn’t just hype.
We were both at the start of our journey and it’s one we ended up taking together. Twenty years later, Rafa, I have to say: What an incredible run you’ve had. Including 14 French Opens—historic! You made Spain proud... you made the whole tennis world proud.
I keep thinking about the memories we’ve shared. Promoting the sport together. Playing that match on half-grass, half-clay. Breaking the all-time attendance record by playing in front of more than 50,000 fans in Cape Town, South Africa. Always cracking each other up. Wearing each other out on the court and then, sometimes, almost literally having to hold each other up during trophy ceremonies.
I’m still grateful you invited me to Mallorca to help launch the Rafa Nadal Academy in 2016. Actually, I kind of invited myself. I knew you were too polite to insist on me being there, but I didn’t want to miss it. You have always been a role model for kids around the world, and Mirka and I are so glad that our children have all trained at your academies. They had a blast and learned so much—like thousands of other young players. Although I always worried my kids would come home playing tennis as lefties.
And then there was London—the Laver Cup in 2022. My final match. It meant everything to me that you were there by my side—not as my rival but as my doubles partner. Sharing the court with you that night, and sharing those tears, will forever be one of the most special moments of my career.
Rafa, I know you’re focused on the last stretch of your epic career. We will talk when it’s done. For now, I just want to congratulate your family and team, who all played a massive role in your success. And I want you to know that your old friend is always cheering for you, and will be cheering just as loud for everything you do next.
Rafa that!
Best always, your fan,
Roger
this has just made me even more furious. retweeting all this when 100s of people are saying they had a near death experience is just cruel. No one cares that the ones who made it safely had a great experience. So many of us are traumatized. Take accountability @arrahman
@motor_mohan That is true. His lighting and framing in beast edho jewelry store ad mariye irunchu. Prince also looked so artificial. He is technically adept..so everything looks very crisp, but so lifeless. Leo thappikudha paapom
பள்ளிக்கூட மாணவர்களிடம் இத்தனை கோரமான சாதிவெறி இருக்கிறது என்பது இந்த சமூகத்திற்கான இறுதி எச்சரிக்கை மணி. இனியும் சாதியை வார்த்தெடுக்கிற வேலைகளை அரசியலும்,சமூகமும் செய்து கொண்டே இருக்குமானால் எத்தனை இதர பெருமைகளை தாங்கியிருந்தாலும் இந்த மண் பீக்காட்டுக்குச் சமம்.
In my 8.5 months of psychiatry residency, I’ve realised OCD is much more difficult to treat than schizophrenia. I have seen the same set of patients being re-admitted twice and even thrice in a span of just 6 months. My heart cries for them as the disorder has made it..
woman: india is not safe for women
indian men: haan r*ndi aur bol india is not safe for women. you only must’ve opened your legs wh*re. how is it not safe? sl*t
சமூகநீதிக்கும் சாதிஆதிக்க வெறிக்கும் இடையிலான கரடுமுரடான முரண்களை விவரிக்கும் கலைச்சித்திரமே இயக்குநர் @mari_selvaraj அவர்களின் #மாமன்னன். சாதி ஒரு கருத்தியலாக மட்டுமின்றி; அது ஒரு கலாச்சாரமாகவும் வலுவடைந்து கெட்டித்தட்டிக் இறுகிக் கிடக்கிறது. அதனைத் தகர்ப்பது என்பதைவிட; தளர்வுறச் செய்வதே ஒரு பெரும் போராகும். அப்போரினை குருதிக் களத்தில் விவரிப்பதே மாமன்னன்.
இறுதியில் சமூகநீதியே வெல்லும் என உரத்தும் பேசும் திரைஇலக்கியமே மாமன்னன்.
சபையின் நாயகமாக சமூகநீதியை அமர வைக்கும் அதிவீரனின் மாபெரும் வெற்றியே மாமன்னன்.
அன்பு இளவல்கள் @mari_selvaraj, @Udhaystalin
ஆகியோருக்கு எனது வாழ்த்துகள். பாராட்டுகள்.
Thread-
Artists and cinephiles talk at length about contextualisation, artistic license and censorship but choose to remain ignorant on the political aspects of the film and its repercussions on society at large.