Patrick Rafter
"When you win a Grand Slam title you're a marked man.
You're the one they all want to beat. When I won that title
I didn't think I had the game to be a grand slam winner. I
just had two hot weeks. I struggled for five or six months
with the expectations, with the pressure I put on myself.
The most difficult thing I found after winning that Open was
to back it up, to see how good you really are. It's not
easy." So, can you name the man behind the quote? It was
actually Pete Sampras at this year's Stella Artois Grass
Court Championships. The tournament witnessed the early
dismissals of many top seeded players, including the man
Sampras was speaking of, US Open defending champion, Patrick
Rafter. Of his results, Rafter said: "(I feel) as flat as I
have ever been in my career. I'm finding it very hard
mentally at the moment. I have to find out what to do to get
my motivation and confidence back." Having observed a "pre" and "post" Rafter over the past
couple of years, it is clear that the Australian is a much
less happy person, and therefore player, these days. So what
has happened? Photo by Ed Zafian Exhibit A: Two years ago, I was walking
around the grounds of the ATP tour stop in
Scottsdale, an intimate tournament that allows many
fans within an arm's length of players. A shirtless
Rafter practiced on one of the few
accessible-to-the-public side courts. A few people
lounged on the grass, enjoying their lunch and an
opportunity to soak up some sun away from the
crowds. I, likewise, was hoped to accomplish the
same. Coach-less and unseeded at the tournament,
Rafter was hitting with an unidentifiable player
and attracted little attention for nearly twenty
minutes I was present. Packing up his equipment,
the Australian (like most tennis pros) sent off
some radar causing a half-dozen autograph seeking
kids to descend into the area. Rafter graciously
signed all autographs, leaving in his path more
than one asking another which player they just
received an autograph from. At least as far as my
line of vision could see, Rafter progressed across
the grounds with little notice. Rafter would lose
his match later that day to future doubles partner,
Jonas Bjorkman. Sept 19, 2000 Patrick Rafter of
Australia in action during the Men's Tennis
Singles, First Round at the NSW Tennis Centre on
Day Four of the Sydney Olympics in Sydney Australia
(Photo by Allsport) Exhibit B: This past year, I was walking around
the grounds of the Newsweek Champions Cup in Indian Wells,
California. A shirtless Rafter practiced on a side court
accessible to the public. People of all ages were packed in
about six-deep along the fences, while other went over to
bleachers to get a view from a distance. ESPN cameras were
rolling as the Australian warm-upped with Carlos Moya, while
Luke Jensen practiced his lines about Rafter's upcoming
early round match versus a rejuvenated Andre Agassi. Upon finishing, Rafter did his bit for the sports network
and progressed to the grounds where he was met by security
guards to escort him across the grounds. He crossed the
grounds in what I soon dubbed "Rafter's Comet," a mass of
humanity surrounding the Australian with a "tail" trailing
behind. This phenomenon was repeated itself during the
tournament, with myself frighteningly being on the wrong
side of the oncoming locomotive of people on more than one
occasion. Later in the tournament, the bleacher seating on a side
court was filled to capacity for a doubles match featuring
the team of Rafter/Bjorkman. As Rafter approached, the noise
level increased and some adult women were reduced to
"Beatles-esque" squeals. Fellow countrymen, Mark Woodforde
and Todd Woodbridge, were practicing on the next court
paused to witness the lively entrance. The comrades
exchanged "hey mates," but the grin on Woodbridge's face
seemed to only be saying "better you than me with all of
this attention." While Rafter lost early in singles in that
Agassi match, him and Bjorkman went on to win the doubles
title. Photo by Ed Zafian
RELUCTANT CHAMPION
by Ed Zafian
Rafter himself says the fun is out of his game: "Now the
pressure's on. Before, it was like, Rafter will he win? Probably not.
Now it's, Rafter he should be winning this match. It's a bit harder
when the expectations are there." Rafter went on further to talk
about life after the US Open win:
"(Winning the US Open has changed my life. I was just talking about this the other day to someone. It's not for the better; it's not me. You know, I' m not enjoying it so much. First of all, everyone notices you a lot more, especially at tournaments, everyone notices you. It's very hard to do private things that you used to do. Especially back home in Australia, it's just very difficult to relax. I mean, sure at times it's nice to have the people the limelight and things. Ninety percent of the time, you can't do what you want to do. There's just a whole lot more requests and things. I'm not a person that likes to say no, but I have to say no to a lot of things. That's the part I don't enjoy."
Can Rafter win another US Open or another Slam? A seemingly silly question, of course! What professional tennis player does not want to win one, two, ten, twenty Grand Slam titles? But it is interesting that even the official ATP Tour website recently offered up the following topic of discussion: "Your opinion of Patrick Rafter - is he truly a great player or just another `flash in the pan'?"
and
after checking them out...
to see summertime's attitTUDES Sports Stud
to return home