ATP Number One Dinner At Waldorf

Marcelo Rios gave me the word about this function and I was lucky to be admitted in. First person I see is Richard Krajicek. He shared Hewitt memories for my feature, said he didn’t even remember he played him until he was reminded of it earlier this year. All around the big room are huge stars like Albert Costa, Carlos Moya, Juan Carlos Ferrero, Karel Novacek, Jonas Bjorkman, Hewitt, Newk, Thomas Johansson, Michael Stich, Tim Mayotte, Manolo Santana, Corretja. The really big guns like Fed and Nadal and Djokovic, McEnroe, Borg did interviews on the red carpet and are in the back room signing stuff and hanging out together in private.

They all file out and Rios is chatting with Ferrero. They are all sitting down in front and are called up one at a time. Nastase is first. Rios gets the last seat next to Courier on the right side. Rios gets a solid applause. All the player applauses are about equal. I notice Rios and Nastase shake hands nicely, even though Nasty said some unkind things about Rios in my book, which I found out this week, Rios read and liked it.

Connors gives Roddick a hug when he is announced. Later on during the discussion, Roddick humbly says it feels good to be the worst player on the stage. Rios says getting to number one “was the best day of my life.”

Hewitt is asked by co-emcee Justin Gimelstob which player he would like to have played on the other side and he smiles and says a match with McEnroe would have been fiery.

It’s an amazing experience to be in this room with so many tennis legends and to be able to listen to them all talk about being the best.

Rios departs the stage first, during photos at the end, but he stays to hang out with his family and former agent Jeff Schwartz.

Hewitt ends up talking with Newk. Ferrero is kind of by himself, he gets a couple of burgers and sits down.

I chat a little with Corretja and ask him if he was #2, right? And he says he was. Aw, you just missed it.

Nadal and Djokovic leave soon after the final photos are taken, but Federer stays over an hour later. When I leave Fed is still there on the side talking with Stefan Edberg and Jonas Bjorkman. Mirka and Godsick are a few steps away. I can’t believe Fed is still here.

Moya stays late also, with his wife and also Albert Costa.

Roddick stays pretty late also, he’s talking mostly with the American writers Matt Cronin, Kamakshi Tandon, Doug Robson, Sandy Harwitt and Cindy Schmerler.

This was a great night for me to talk with players about playing Hewitt – I got memories from Corretja, Zimonjic, Krajicek, Bjorkman. But the highlight of the evening is when the father of Marcelo Rios came over to me and introduced himself and said that he read my book four months ago and liked it very much, thought I did a good job, appreciated the “hard work” that he knew I put into it. He looked me straight in the eye, very seriously, as he told me. The mother of Rios also came over and said “Thank you very much for writing a book about my son” and she gave me a hug.

Then Marcelo himself came over and said with a smile, “So you’re Scoop.” I replied, “And you’re Marcelo right?” We embraced a bit and that was it.

I am very happy that Marcelo and both of his parents read my book and they all liked it.

But what a magnificent evening. To see all these tennis legends in such a historic ballroom as the third floor of the Waldorf Astoria was one of the most memorable moments one could ever have in the tennis world.

Another good moment was talking with Bjorkman, I tell him the story Davide Sanguinetti told me earlier in the day about Rios – he’s a big fan of Rios – Davide said Rios won the Rome final by walkover because Costa hurt his finger. So they needed Davide to play an exo with Rios to make up for the lost final. Sanguinetti was eating lunch when they came to ask him to play Rios. Davide said he ate a lot and was very full. So on the court Davide, told Rios please do not drop shot me as I’m very full. So what happens in the match? Davide said Rios drop-shot him over and over.

Bjorkman got a good laugh about that story.

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