"I've gotten older too, and I've learned that practice doesn't always bring results. Sometimes the process itself is what is beautiful and meaningful. Maybe that's why I loved this match so much: it showed that some processes do get rewarded. I have never seen players rotate with such perfect rhythm and move like machines in doubles, either before or since. ... Everyone remembers Olympic gold medals, but in my heart, this was the greatest gold medal of all. Thank you."
A match that moved me twenty years ago and became one of my life's guideposts resurfaced, and I finally got to leave a message of thanks. The athlete at the center of it replied, briefly. A match played with everything you have can change someone else's life. I want to live like that too.
