Rivard: When tennis and basketball share the court

When he noticed the tweet after his match, Tiafoe couldn’t imagine it.  

“Man, I used to be shedding it within the locker room. Bro, I used to be going loopy,” he mentioned. “That’s my man. So, to see him publish that, I used to be like, ‘Do I retweet it as quickly as he despatched it?’ I used to be like, ‘ what, I’m going to be cool and act like I didn’t see it after which retweet it three hours later.’”  

And that’s not the one episode to carry the 2 sports activities collectively. Tiafoe’s anecdote however, it could be tough to discover a member of the ATP extra intently linked to basketball than Nick Kyrgios. 

The Australian star loves hoops a lot that he walks on and off the court docket in basketball sneakers and is usually noticed carrying a group cap and NBA jersey throughout warm-ups.   

Nick isn’t only a fan. He additionally performs.  

Final April, he proved he had some main expertise at a charity basketball match in Australia.

He can do all of it: shoot, dribble and block. In simply 20 minutes, he racked up 16 factors, 2 assists and a pair of blocks. He could not have been up in opposition to the likes of Steph Curry, however there’s no denying Nick’s expertise.  

For NK and Massive Foe, basketball is a ardour. 

They usually aren’t alone. 

Would you be shocked to be taught that Djokovic, Tsitsipas, Tsonga, Monfils, Zverev, Paul, Munar, Fritz and Isner all play? You’ll be amazed by this 2021 compilation by the ATP, which offers proof that the tennis aces have fashion and substance on the basketball court docket, too. 

They’re good—and never simply of their chosen sport. They’re athletes, by means of and thru. You would possibly even say some are true sports activities chameleons.   

Roger Federer: The way to retire wealthy 

When Roger Federer known as it quits final September, he left tennis because the wealthiest participant in historical past—a file that can seemingly stand endlessly.  

It’s exhausting to think about even his most illustrious contemporaries catching up. Whereas Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic have surpassed him by way of Slam crowns, Roger’s nonetheless received essentially the most gold within the financial institution.  

After all, athletes don’t make their fortune in sports activities however within the places of work of the companies for which they signal on as spokespersons.  

The numbers don’t lie.  

Over the previous two years, Federer earned solely $730,000 on the courts. Off the courts, he collected $180M. He’s been a fixture on Forbes’ checklist of the world’s highest-paid athletes, even in these two seasons he hardly performed in any respect. From 2012 to 2022, he persistently sat at no.7 or larger.  

Contemplating his picture, his qualities as an envoy and his enduring visibility, he could also be on his solution to becoming a member of the very choose membership of billionaire sports activities stars, alongside Michael Jordan, LeBron James and Tiger Woods. 

Right here’s what that roster at the moment seems to be like. 

Richest athletes  

It’s protected to imagine Uniqlo, Wilson, Rolex, Mercedes-Benz, Lindt and Credit score Suisse will stay loyal to Roger for years to return as his private fortune rises into the ten figures. To not point out the truth that he’ll proceed to command sky-high look charges.  

There’s additionally the tremendously fashionable On sneaker model during which he invested in 2019 and whose market capitalization simply hit $6B.

And TEAM8 Sports activities & Leisure, which he based along with his agent and buddy Tony Godsick. Additionally invested in On and Laver Cup, the agency represents Federer, Juan Martin Del Potro and younger star Coco Gauff.  

That alone must be sufficient to maintain Roger’s accounts within the black. At the least for the following few many years. 

Till he retires with Mirka to a distant Swiss canton to relish within the tinkling bells of the cows grazing on the plush inexperienced meadows exterior his mountainside retreat. 

And hasn’t he been the ambassador of Switzerland Tourism since 2021? A job for all times, if he desires it, since he’s typically professed his love for his dwelling nation and mentioned he has no intention of ever dwelling elsewhere.  

Do not forget that Swiss tourism promo video I included in one in every of final 12 months’s posts that includes Roger and a shock visitor star? Right here it’s once more. 

Go, Leo! 

This previous season, an adolescent rose from No.2214 to No.509—a staggering bounce of 1,705 spots within the rankings.  

The teenager could deserve the title of most improved participant of 2022 in my season recap, however he received’t get it, since he earned solely 69 ATP factors.  

Nonetheless, I’m dedicating a complete phase to him, as a result of he’s not simply any teen. Extra particularly, he’s not the son of simply any father. 

With a reputation as widely known as Borg, you don’t should look very far to determine who that father is. So, simply think about how issues go down when he competes in Sweden, their nation. In Stockholm, their hometown.  

At 19, Leo could seem like his dad, however he lacks Bjorn’s maturity and distinctive expertise.

On the age of 19 years and 5 months, Bjorn was World No.4, had raised his first ATP winner’s trophy two years earlier (age 17 years and 6 months) and was months away from securing his first Slam in Paris.  

However none of that issues. Contemplating how difficult it may be to hold on such a legendary surname, only a few youngsters have been in a position to match or surpass their well-known tennis father or mother. I even wrote about it this fall here.   

So far as first titles go, Leo Borg received his on the M15 Sharm El Sheikh, in Egypt. Within the remaining, then ranked No.575, he defeated 18-year-old Bor Artnak of Slovenia (then No.792) in two units (3-6, 7-5, 6-4). 

Leo ended the season with a 69–29 file (together with 30–19 in U15 and eight–4 in U25), however the spotlight of 2022 got here on October 18, when he performed in an ATP 250 match on the Kungliga Tennishallen. 

He’d been awarded a wildcard by organizers, who felt it was the fitting time to provide him a possibility to compete on the principle stage.  

And appeal to tonnes of spectators, after all. 

Was it a blessing or a curse? There’s stress taking part in at dwelling. And there’s stress realizing your dad—not simply any dad—is sitting proper behind you within the stands. 

The child didn’t disappoint. Not his dad, not the followers, not match organizers. Even when he didn’t win.  

Towards titleholder and World No.31 Tommy Paul of the US, Borg performed impressed tennis and took the primary set 7-5 in entrance of a roaring crowd that by no means noticed it coming. 

Let’s face it: the No.577 was the plain favorite to lose to a participant of Paul’s calibre. However that first set proved to everybody, together with Leo, that he belongs within the ATP. It was the primary set he ever received on the professional tour. 

Ultimately, Borg fell 5-7, 6-2, 6-2. The end result hardly affected his rating however seemingly did a complete lot for his confidence.  

Till then, Leo had confronted just one participant of Tommy Paul’s calibre, and that was Tommy Paul himself. Precisely one 12 months earlier, on the similar match and with the identical wildcard, Borg suffered a a lot faster two-set defeat (6-2, 6-2) by the hands of the American, then ranked No.52.

If there’s a participant ranked within the 400s to keep watch over in 2023, it’s Borg. 

LEO Borg.

Electronic mail: privard@tenniscanada.com