As the tennis season concluded, fans on the internet kept themselves busy by sharing lesser-known facts about their favourite players. They discussed interesting incidents and titbits about Andy Roddick, Rafael Nadal, Ashleigh Barty and more in a Reddit post.
From feats in other sports to academic achievements, many amusing facts were highlighted. The original post shared how Elena Rybakina pursued gymnastics and figure skating during her early years. However, she had to quit because she was deemed too tall (via Tennis Majors). The Kazakhstani player, who stands at 1.84 metres (6’0″), then turned her focus to tennis. She also had 15 offers from top American universities which she turned down to focus on tennis.
In the comments, more fans chronicled some amusing facts and anecdotes about popular players including Rafael Nadal. A few of them are listed below:-
Andy Roddick played using a frying pan more than once
Andy Roddick was the last globally popular name from the United States in men’s tennis. He has been involved in many activities outside the court, including playing tennis with a frying pan instead of a racket. And he did not stop after doing it once.
In 2007, a 25-year-old Roddick took some time out of his busy schedule to engage in some tomfoolery with comedian and author Todd Gallagher. The duo played a round of tennis where the 2003 US Open champion had the handicap of using a frying pan. This was part of Gallagher’s book to put some of the greatest debates in sports to the test with professional athletes.
The author, who played tennis for his high school team, wrote that Roddick stretched him thin despite the disbalance. Gallagher ultimately won a close match but titled his book “Andy Roddick Beat Me With a Frying Pan”.
Roddick would pick up the pan again in 2014. This time, he faced Dave Portnoy, president of the media company Barstool Sports. Roddick seemed to have learned from his experience of playing with a frying pan. He defeated the racket-wielding Portnoy in a game of tennis.
Rafael Nadal put six goals past legendary soccer goalkeeper
A Reddit user mentioned Rafael Nadal scoring a double hat-trick against Iker Casillas, the best goalkeeper Spain has seen. The 22-time Grand Slam winner chose tennis over soccer but kept in touch with the latter.
Red Cross organised a charity match in 2008 between two teams labelled ‘Friends of Rafa’ and ‘Friends of Iker’. High-profile names like F1 star Fernando Alonso and golfer Sergio Garcia also participated (via GiveMeSport). However, Rafael Nadal stole the spotlight as he scored six goals against Casillas, who would win the FIFA World Cup just two years later. Not only his goals but fans and fellow players were also left amazed with his skills and technique.
Ashleigh Barty is talented in another sport like Rafael Nadal
A user recollected Barty’s short but memorable cricket stint from 2014 to early 2016. Announcing a hiatus from tennis after the 2014 US Open, her interest in the British Commonwealth sport grew when she met the Australian national women’s team. She said the camaraderie of a team sport drew her in and she approached Queensland Cricket to explore her future in the sport.
Barty impressed everyone with her ability to learn and grasp things quickly. She appeared for a local team in Brisbane, leading them to the title with good numbers. She was picked by the Brisbane Heat for the inaugural season of the Women’s Big Bash League, the top-tier women’s cricket league in Australia. Barty had an average season as the Heat finished sixth. In February 2016, she announced a return to tennis, pulling the plug on her cricket career.
Daniil Medvedev attended university like a normal student and is good at e-sports
A fan on Reddit disclosed that Medvedev attended college like an ordinary student since he was unsure of his tennis career. The Russian attended a special, accelerated school to study physics and mathematics and graduated early. He enrolled in the Moscow State Institute of International Relations to study economics and commerce. Unlike college athletes, he applied like a normal student and juggled academics with tennis practice.
Ultimately, the sport prevailed and he dropped out of university. He also revealed his passion and aptitude for e-sports, saying he took part in national competitions in his teenage years. He called playing video games, especially FIFA, his main ‘gift’ apart from tennis (via rbth.com).
Andrey Rublev is a One Direction fan and even recorded a cover
A user mentioned Rublev is a big fan of the British boyband One Direction and recorded his version of a popular song with his childhood friends. In 2015, an 18-year-old Rublev joined a band that his friends had formed. He said they changed the name to Summer Afternoon after he came in (via Lovetennis).
The group covered One Direction’s hit number ‘Steal My Girl’. The music video on YouTube has garnered over 160,000 views to date. This, however, was Rublev’s only tryst with releasing music as he chose to focus on his tennis career thereafter. Move forward to 1:19 in the video to hear the World No.5, credited in the title as ‘Andrew Rublev’.
