MacDonald's mind was filled with a surging stream of thoughts, all mixed up with a myriad of emotions.
"Gawain, are you serious?" He stammered and managed to get out these words.
Gawain showed his eight neat teeth and said with a fake smile, "No, I was just joking."
McDonald nodded repeatedly and said “oh oh oh”.
Gao Wen rolled his eyes speechlessly, "Of course I am serious. How could I joke about such a thing?"
MacDonald scratched his head innocently, "Yes."
Gao Wen's face was full of helplessness, but a smile still rose slightly at the corners of his mouth. Looking at the golden sunlight-filled court in front of him, he felt a little emotional.
"Mike, time flies, doesn't it? In the blink of an eye, a year has passed."
"This time last year, we were all busy preparing for the Challenger Tournament. We were all very excited, imagining our celebrations after winning the championship, but also worried about being eliminated in the first round. Everyone was imagining what the world of professional tennis would be like."
Just a few words awakened MacDonald's memory. Thinking of the innocence of that time, it seemed like a lifetime ago, and he couldn't help but laugh.
"Looking back now, Flushing seems like a gorgeous and magnificent dream, so beautiful that it doesn't feel real. All the bubbles will disappear with a slight poke."
"Pressure, pressure."
"Mike."
MacDonald turned his head and looked at Gawain. Although he said he was under pressure, Gawain actually stretched out his body with a relaxed look on his face. His inconsistent words and actions made MacDonald chuckle.
“I’m serious about the pressure.”
"A year has passed, which means I am no longer a freshman, but a sophomore. People's expectations and attention have also quietly changed."
"In the first year, people are more forgiving, whether it's good or bad, and even if the performance is not satisfactory, they will say it is very good for a newcomer on tour, or it is a miracle for a 19-year-old kid."
"But this halo will slowly disappear as we enter the second and third years."
“It’s not just young rookies. Even players who have been in the professional tennis world for many years still have to face the dilemma of high expectations and high pressure.”
“So, defending a title is always harder than winning it.”
“You should know the record of Flushing, right?”
MacDonald could see the mockery in Gawain's eyes, a kind of cynical teasing.
But he knew that this was just a gesture, and the weight of the words themselves was the point—
It has been exactly seven years since no one has been able to defend the men's singles title in Flushing.
The last time someone successfully defended his title was Federer in 2008. From 2004 to 2008, Federer won five consecutive championships in Flushing.
But after that, Del Potro, Nadal, Djokovic, Murray, Nadal, Gao Wen, the champion changes every year.
This year, the heavy responsibility of defending the title falls heavily on Gao Wen's shoulders.
“And it’s not just Flushing.”
"There is only one and a half months left in my rookie window. Next, I will face the pressure of protecting my points like all the players on the tour. The difference in performance in one tournament may be compared with that of the previous year, and it will last throughout the whole year."
"To be precise, from now on, this is real professional tennis."
A familiar yet brand new world.
Although Gawain did not say it explicitly, MacDonald understood it immediately.
"The battle for the world's number one".
The focus of debate throughout the clay and grass seasons has been whether Koeman can overtake Djokovic to become the world's number one.
Especially because Gao Wen has no pressure to maintain points, and there is room for point gain everywhere he looks, which makes the media even more excited.
But in the end, everyone already knew——
Djokovic defended his world No. 1 ranking with an unparalleled performance and put a comma on it with his Wimbledon title, thus preparing himself for the fierce battle for world No. 1.
As Gao Wen said, there are only a few "windows" left for him, which is the US Open series.
While waiting for the Flushing Meath tournament to restart, the entire situation and pressure will be completely different. As the defending champion, Gawain has a full 2,000 points to protect. Once he fails, the landscape of the battle for the world's number one position will be completely overturned, and Djokovic will firmly grasp the absolute initiative in this battle.
No pressure?
That's impossible.
The problem is that MacDonald understands the truth, but he has never experienced it personally. He has never faced or experienced that kind of pressure. He only relies on his own imagination. Everything is just talk on paper. After all, he still cannot truly feel Gawain's current situation.
So, McDonald was still a little hesitant.
Gawain seemed not to notice and continued speaking.
"Mike, I'm ready, can you believe it? I can't wait to take on the challenge."
Gawain's nonchalant tone was filled with irrepressible joy. MacDonald couldn't help but chuckle. He believed that this was Gawain.
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"But I need some help, a little help, otherwise, why do you think I came back?"
MacDonald was slightly stunned, with a suspicious look in his eyes: Gawain came here specifically to find a batting partner?
How is that possible!
"Oh. I came back specifically to see the coach and prepare for the next series." Gao Wen seemed to be able to read the doubt in his friend's eyes and took the initiative to admit, "As for the invitation, it's purely because someone cares too much about winning or losing, so I thought, maybe he should go out and take a look."
MacDonald's cheeks felt slightly hot, and he immediately knew what was going on.
Pah pah.
Gawain patted MacDonald on the shoulder. He turned his head reflexively and saw Gawain's expectant smile.
"Mike, remember when we first started playing tennis?"
"champion?"
"Of course, that is a very, very important part, but as I grew older I realized that there is only one champion and countless players never make it to the ATP finals in their entire lives, yet they still fight and struggle."
“It’s all about the bonus.”
This unexpected turn of events left McDonald feeling helpless.
A smile appeared in Gawain's eyes.
“In addition to the prize money, there is also a fighting spirit that keeps challenging myself and pushing my limits.”
"Michael has also started to enter the challenge again. I cheer for him. I think you should also give it a try and challenge your own limits."
“Maybe, this is not as important as winning the championship, but it is more rare than winning the championship.”
The conversation ended here, and Gawain did not continue.
As for whether MacDonald is willing to be his batting partner, Gawain left it to his friend to choose.
He believed that no matter what choice he made, MacDonald would eventually find his own answer.
Perhaps inviting MacDonald to be his batting partner was a kind of help, but at the same time, Gawain had his own selfish motives. Everything he said just now was true.
Pressure is everywhere. Before entering the second season of his professional career, he embarked on the journey to Flushing Meadows as the defending champion. He also needs to awaken his original intention. So, if MacDonald is willing to accompany him to hit the ball and move forward, time will go back to where it all began...
This is a good thing for Gawain.