Tom Richardson

YouTuber // Freelance Photographer & Videographer

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

I’m in an @MKBHD video! Pretty surreal to be watching and just stumble across it 🙌🏻

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@jackvine91 @Dominos_UK lol

[Roger Federer @rogerfederer]

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

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@NOWHelpTeam Hi, constant problems with broadband going off and on yesterday. Still happening today and cannot contact a member of your team, ringing the the phone and pressing option 3 for technical support literally does nothing.

[Andy Murray @andy_murray]

Never even liked tennis anyway.

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@GadgetsBoy Legooooo

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@British_Airways World tracer says it is due to be delivered thank you :)

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@British_Airways Hello! We are having a situation where we have travelled to GVA from LHR, and one of our bags hasn’t arrived but we don’t have a baggage receipt - because we think it was taken off by the gate agent when he checked our second bag at the gate.

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

We’ve tried almost everything online but because we don’t have the receipt number it’s proving super difficult. Is there any way you could help?

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@GadgetsBoy Can smell em a mile off haha

[BNP Paribas Open @BNPPARIBASOPEN]

We have the best staff ever 😍

#TennisParadise

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@sondesix Agree. Hopefully the update comes before the S25 🤣

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@sondesix Do you feel like it’s signicantly worse from losing the 10X? IMO long range zooming is more of a gimmick on smartphones than we realise - I.e useful but I at least personally never take shots I actually care about from far away it’s more like convenient haha

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@GadgetsBoy 😂🤣🤣

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@GadgetsBoy Smh better off getting a flight and coming back with it 😂

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@GadgetsBoy The one plus is tidy

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@KungFuGadgetsu @leokellr I think retention is an overcooked topic, something to for sure aim for but the talks about aiming for 70% is just crazy haha. I have videos with over 50% retention and they performed worse than others with 25% 🤣

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@GadgetsBoy The rain 🥲🥴

[Tom Richardson @itstomrich]

@RoyalMailHelp Hiya, I have a delivery coming but I’m not going to be available to receive it. I’d like to reject it so it’s returned from sender is this something you could help with?