by Beth Rifkin
For many of the European pros, their passion for soccer runs as deep as their talent for tennis. In fact, a number of them probably think of soccer as “the one that got away”. But there’s really no room for such torturous heartbreak on the ATP Tour, so several of the pros have found a way to unite their long lost love with their current professional tennis playing lives.
Such is the case for tennis star Feliciano Lopez, the 6’2” Spaniard with a forceful serve and a powerful forehand. Tennis may come first but Lopez has a special place in his heart for his home town of Madrid and the city’s famous football club, Real Madrid. For those of you stateside, Real Madrid FC translates to David Beckham, Ronaldo, Zindine Zidane, Luis Figo and Raul.
As a season ticket holder, Lopez and his fellow Spanish tennis pros can often be spotted at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium watching a Real Madrid match. Equally appreciated, Real Madrid stars are usually seen in the stands at the Mutua Madrileña Masters Madrid, the ATP Masters Tournament that takes place in Madrid each October. Taking their affiliations a step further, Spanish tennis and soccer players recently joined forces for a malaria fundraiser, organized by ATP world no. 2 Rafael Nadal and Real Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas.
Has hanging out with winning soccer stars rubbed off on the Spanish tennis contingent? Possibly so, considering there’s eight Spaniards ranked in the top 40 – more than any other country. Coached by former ATP pro’s Galo Blanco and Albert Costa (French Open champion 2002), Lopez has had career notable wins over several top players, including Andre Agassi, Marat Safin, Guillermo Canas, Thomas Berdych and fellow Spaniards Juan Carlos Ferrero and David Ferrer. Last summer he made a statement at two Grand Slams; first by defeating Tim Henman in what was the British icon’s last Wimbledon performance and then by pushing Roger Federer to four sets at the U.S. Open.
And despite yesterday’s 2nd round loss to Frenchman Richard Gasquet in the Australian Open, Lopez has recovered quite nicely from a drop in the rankings; in less than a year he has fought back to number 37 from 96. There’s certainly no love loss there!
By the way - thanks for Beckham!
