In 2024, a record six Grand Slam singles champions bid farewell to professional tennis. 🧵

First was Garbine Muguruza, forever the only player to defeat both Serena and Venus Williams in Grand Slam finals, and an absolute ray of light.
Next was 3x Major champion Angelique Kerber, who had saved her most inspirational run at Roland-Garros for last.

Losing in a 3-hour quarterfinal epic to eventual gold medalist Zheng Qinwen, a teary-eyed Kerber said she ‘couldn’t have imagined a better final match’. She meant it.

15 years of Nike x Nadal campaigns 🧵

Greatness, It Only Takes Everything (Nadal's retirement, 2024) Don’t Meet Your Heroes, Win With Them (Paris 2024 Olympics)

On a Sunday in October 1993, a 12-year-old ball boy made the short bike commute from his Münchenstein home to the St. Jakobshalle arena, where he collected a piece of silverware.

Here’s the extraordinary story of Roger Federer at the Swiss Indoors Basel… Pushed by his mom, Federer volunteered as a ball boy in Basel from 1992 to 1994 - the clip above shows him receiving a medal from champion Michael Stich in 1993

A standout Swiss junior player, Federer had been presented with an award by Mansour Bahrami and Jimmy Connors in 1992

How Roger Federer actually won the 2000 Olympics: Coming into the Sydney 2000 Olympics, 19-year-old Federer is a longshot bet - he’s ranked 43rd and has never gotten past R4 of a Grand Slam.

Everyone knows his potential, though.

Every seed on his way (#7 Henman, #16 Chang, #1 Safin) falls, and Federer makes the medal rounds...

Based on an original idea by @mrgreen:

ATP tennis players, but make it Wes Anderson

1. Rafael Nadal 2. Roger Federer

At 2004 Indian Wells, Federer invited a 17-year-old Nadal in his box - inadvertently creating a butterfly effect that would change the course of his career

Let’s go back 19 years… 🧵 Federer had been world No.1 for one month, having just won his second Grand Slam at the Australian Open

As is the tradition in Indian Wells, he also signed up for doubles with fellow Swiss Yves Allegro

In the R16, they crashed out to the pair of Tommy Robredo and...Rafael Nadal

I'll always have a soft spot for Ivan Ljubicic's 2010 Indian Wells run at age 31

R16 - d. #2 Djokovic 7-5 6-3
QF - d. #21 Monaco 4-6 6-2 6-1
SF - d. #3 Nadal 3-6 6-4 7-6
F - d. #7 Roddick 7-6 7-6

While No.3 behind Fedal in 2006, he'd say: 'I feel like the No.1 of normal people' One curiosity about tennis I love: So many players having their birthdays during their fav tournament

Ljubicic has his during Indian Wells
Alcaraz has his during Madrid
Nadal has his during Roland-Garros
Auger-Aliassime has his during Montreal
Roddick has his during the US Open

Djokovic once hand-picked him to 'impersonate' Nadal’s lefty forehand before a Grand Slam final

Yet until last night, 33-year-old Matija Pecotic had never competed on the ATP Tour

This is a story of redemption - a classic case of it’s never too late and you’re never too old 🧵 Pecotic was born in Belgrade, Serbia (ex-Yugoslavia) to Croatian parents in 1989

He grew up in Malta, where he ranked No.2 among senior tennis players from 2005-08

Outside the tennis court, he earned academic honors: High School Student of the Year in business and mathematics…