My first encounter with a tennis court was not a happy one. As a 13-year-old in wicked, privileged, sunny South Africa, I was sent to stay with an aunt and uncle who lived in Durban. There were tennis parties for teenagers almost every afternoon during the school holidays in one or another of their numerous friends’ lush gardens. A tennis racquet was thrust into my hand, I was paired up with some unfortunate 13-year-old boy and sent on court. I was, it goes without saying, quite hopeless.
The clay-court GOAT and British great are set for one final tilt at Roland Garros
Fourteen-time champion Rafael Nadal will start his final French Open campaign against the fourth seed Alexander Zverev from Germany. The 37-year-old Spaniard, who has been plagued with injuries over the past 18 months, has dropped down the rankings to 276. The former world number one last competed at the French Open in 2022 when he beat Casper Ruud in the final to brandish a record-extending 14th men's singles trophy. No other player has won more singles titles at the same event.Despite Nadal's