I don’t know if he is or not – we’re not social friends 🙂

But I missed having him around, job-wise.
I’d forgotten, in the circus, but have been reminded this year talking to him (on and off the record) in Australia and at Indian Wells of just how he always makes me look at a situation in a way that I’d usually never thought of before.
This is invaluable.

Thanks for the reply. Hope he’s alright. Always seemed like a wonderful guy to me.

He’s been dealing with some other things. He never really had any intention of playing on the clay.
Except for the Olympics of course.

No, they changed the rule to prevent players from showing up JUST for the prize money when they’re not fit. So they can pull out and get part of it. And give a healthy player a shot at it.

Pospisil did this one year in Australia, before the rule change. He was injured, showed up on the court, played three games, retired, took his checque and vamoosed.

(Not judging – I’d have done the same, haha).

Toni Nadal was not his coach. At most, he was a consultant who appeared periodically and as much as people want to blame him – mostly because they recognize him – he had very little to do with anything, either way. But, as I wrote (and I’m sure you read), he has been quietly pushed to the side anyway.

They expect to show up at events, have everything in place, and be treated like superstars. Of course this likely stems from their observations at combined events, where they see many of the ATP players getting such treatment, but just like every regular player in team sports that ends up sharing a locker room with a superstar, they have to realize that absolute and perfect equality doesn’t exist in sports operating in a capitalist system.