call……
Pause, breathe, and then again—
call……
Gawain took a long, deep breath and tried his best to suppress his joy and excitement, but his blood still boiled uncontrollably.
He was looking forward to the game. Every cell in his body was expecting it. When he closed his eyes, he could clearly hear the cells screaming.
This is not his first Grand Slam match, this is not his first match against Nadal, this is not his first match against Nadal in a Grand Slam or his first match against Nadal on clay…
But this game is still special, unique and irreplaceable.
Because this is Roland Garros, because this is Philippe Chatrier.
Here, Nadal represents a peak that is difficult to surpass. Perhaps, facing Djokovic at the Australian Open and facing Federer at Wimbledon are the ultimate challenges at the highest level in professional tennis, but facing Nadal at the French Open is undoubtedly the ultimate challenge among the ultimate challenges.
As a reborn person, Gawain understands this better than anyone else.
As of 2022, Nadal has won the French Open a total of fourteen times, continuously breaking the record for the number of championships in a single professional tennis event; at the same time, Nadal has only lost three games at the French Open in his career, one to Soderling and the other two to Djokovic.
In short, on this court, Nadal is an absolute god of war, his ability, his will, and his attributes are pushed to the extreme.
Even if he is plagued by injuries, even if he is at the lowest point in his career, even if he is half-health or even at low health, as long as he stands on this court, Nadal can burst out with 200% of his energy. Any player standing in front of him needs endless courage and fighting spirit.
Djokovic is no exception.
These two giant players have met ten times in their careers at Roland Garros, with Djokovic having two wins and eight losses, and is at an absolute disadvantage in the head-to-head record.
At Roland Garros, Nadal is the equivalent of Mount Everest. Everyone is eager for the challenge, but only very, very few people can reach the summit successfully.
Now, Gao Wen has won such an opportunity, standing in front of Mount Everest and looking up at the peak.
The dream finally came true.
For Gao Wen, winning or losing the game is not important; what is really important is the ultimate challenge, challenging Nadal, challenging himself, and challenging his limits.
Today, he will go all out and release all his energy on the court without reservation. Whether he wins or loses, he will enjoy this game, cherish every minute of this game, and make this game a display of all his efforts in this year's clay court season.
He is already prepared.
However, he needs to calm down a little. Being overly nervous or overly excited will ultimately produce the same result, which will cause deviations in the feeling and state of his shot, and ultimately lead to a loss of control over the game. So he needs to stay calm and stay focused.
Then, Nadal showed up.
The design of the Philippe Chatrier Stadium is very interesting. After entering from the main entrance, there is a hall that carries the history of the event and is open to welcome guests from all over the world. Then go down the stairs to the basement, where there is a spacious space, including locker rooms, players' lounges, gyms, etc., where players can prepare for the game.
On the other side of the basement, there is an exit. By climbing the stairs, you can enter an "L"-shaped passage. After turning the corner, you will reach the stadium.
Therefore, when the players come on the field to play, they need to first go to the underground level and then return to the ground before they can step on the red soil.
The two players who were about to take the stage stood at the entrance of the "L"-shaped passage, waiting for the host's introduction before stepping onto the center court to bask in the spotlights of the world.
At this time, Gawain stood at the entrance of the passage, looking down the stairs, and could see Nadal appear in his field of vision at a glance.
"Hey, Rafa."
Gao Wen smiled and took the initiative to step forward to express his welcome.
Nadal walked up the last step, stretched out his right hand, held Gawain's right hand, and gave Gawain a warm and firm hug.
"I'm really looking forward to this game. I can finally wash away Mallorca's shame. Ah, my heart is about to explode."
The tone was light and playful, without any of the tension of an impending final battle.
Nadal shook his head slightly and let out a long breath, his face full of seriousness and worry. "Then you better be careful. Otherwise, it would be embarrassing if I win and advance without a fight before the game even starts. Wait, do you need me to call the on-site doctor for you now?"
Once you get familiar with him, you will find that Nadal likes to make some jokes, and he is a deadpan comedian. He often tells a joke out of the blue, and his serious expression makes his words full of humor.
Gawain didn't say much. He quickly covered his chest and pretended to take deep breaths, then staggered to distance himself.
Nadal couldn't hold it back after all, and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
He took another step forward, stretched out his right hand toward Gawain, shook hands again, hugged him again, and patted Gawain's back heavily.
"Hopefully the players who perform better will take home the win."
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Nadal is always Nadal. He always treats the game with 200% concentration and sincerity, and takes every game and every point seriously.
Nadal is serious about tennis, especially at Roland Garros.
Gao Wen could also deeply feel the hot and scorching energy. He didn't say much, but tightly grasped Nadal's right hand.
After letting go and separating, the two players stopped joking and started preparing for their own appearances.
Directly in front of us, we could feel the heat waves rolling in our faces. The air was burning, and the flame storm carried the host's voice over to us.
Then, you can hear the most special and grand entrance introduction to the center court of professional tennis, which is also the classic introduction exclusive to the French Open:
At Roland Garros, when the hosts introduce the players, in order to show respect for past champions, they always emphasize the player's record of having won the championship here; and this honor falls on Nadal, which has become the most magical scenery of the center court of the French Open every year.
"...Roland Garros champion, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008..."
Even if you don't understand French, the years made up of a series of numbers can accumulate the weight behind time bit by bit. There is no need for more language. The audience at the Philippe Chatrier Stadium has become noisy, and cheers and shouts are rising steadily with the appearance of each number.
"...2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014..."
"Ladies and gentlemen... let us welcome the Spaniard, Rafael Nadal!"
ah.
Ahhhh.
Ahhh! Screams and cheers, applause and shouts, slowly gathered together.
In the end, it turned into a huge wave, completely drowning out the host's voice, and spread out in a mighty manner, with the entire Philippe Chattier Stadium standing up.
The mountains roared and the sea roared.