I don’t get the vibe from Uncle Toni that he wants Rafa to be the top tennis player at any cost – I think with UT, his philosophy is “if you’re going to try, you have to try as hard as you possibly can.” At least from what I’ve read, it sounds like he’s a perfectionist, but not the kind of person who would drive someone into the ground for his own ambition.

What do you make of Rafa calling tennis his hobby? Is he using that word in the real sense? Because a guy like Agassi would never call tennis a hobby – he’d call it a job. (And of course, Agassi stuck around for a very long time.)

What struck me most from the interview was what he said about Uncle Tony, who sounds like a classic “tennis dad.” It reminded me of Agassi’s discussion of his father on 60 Minutes last night. I don’t think Uncle Tony drove Rafa as ruthlessly as Agassi’s father drove him, and Rafa still has a lot of affection for UT, but the pattern is there. Players who are driven like that don’t seem to last as long as the ones who love the game for itself (like Federer and Santoro, for example). I don’t see Rafa hanging around if he is no longer near the top of the tennis heap. He says as much. Of course, I’m not sure Roger will hang around if he slides down the rankings either, but it’s more likely in my view.
Anyway, very interesting interview. Thanks for posting it.

It’s late over here and I have to sleep, so I’ll write my thoughts on this interview later.

But just a quick note. When I read “What a conceited jerk.” Then scrolled down to see that sweet face with the sparkly eyes and angelic smile and adorable dimples and gorgeous sun-kissed curles, I thought “NEVER!”

Those words just don’t work with Rafa! Even while joking! He’s such a sweetie pie! What a face! <3333

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