Bob was a little confused, confused and hesitant. He tried to express himself, but he didn't even think clearly, so how could he express himself clearly?
As he spoke, Bob realized that his words were incoherent and disorganized, so he stopped immediately and twitched the corners of his mouth, but failed to raise them.
Then, Gawain's voice came to Bob's ear.
"Maybe...a mid-life crisis?"
Bob suddenly raised his head, and at a glance he could see the serious expression on Gawain's face, but the more serious he looked, the funnier he became, just like a seminar.
Bob rolled his eyes without mercy, "You are just in mid-life crisis, and your whole family is in mid-life crisis."
"Haha." Gawain laughed heartily, "Bob, the more you deny it, the more guilty you feel. We should accept it calmly."
Bob refused to engage in conversation with Gawain and held up one finger, the middle one.
"Hahaha." Gawain smiled even brighter.
Actually... Gawain has some guesses.
According to the development trajectory of the previous life, Bob has indeed been plagued by injuries. Although there are no major injuries, he has constant minor injuries. Those endless minor injuries are a torture to the body, spirit and will, and in
A bomb detonated during a match in Madrid in 2018, resulting in serious injuries——
hip joint.
Bob almost lost his fighting spirit and once thought he would retire completely.
But, he didn't.
Bob chose hip replacement surgery. This surgery is slowly becoming popular, but it is rare among professional players, because hip surgery often means complete retirement. Carrying a metal joint can ensure daily life, but
Unable to return to the fierce competitive arena.
However, Bob is back.
Although Bob never won a Grand Slam championship again, and his best result was only the quarterfinals of the 2019 Australian Open, at the age of 40, he returned to life after undergoing a potentially life-changing surgery.
He went to the arena and fought hard until 2020, when he retired at the "old age" of 42 years old.
He finally completed a battle of his own.
When people discuss similar inspirational stories, the protagonist always seems to be unmoved and has a clear goal and strives all the way, but this is not the case in real life.
Bob is made of flesh and blood. He has his own fears and worries, he has his own hesitations and confusions. The pain of each injury and the difficulty of each rehabilitation are repeated again and again, and the pain is simply useless.
The language describes that it takes more effort and courage to stand up again after falling down.
Of course, Gawain could have said some chicken soup for the soul and told Bob that everything would be fine, but they both knew that wasn't the truth.
After the short joke, Gawain thought for a while, "Bob, do you realize that these troubles of yours are the answers?"
Bob looked at Gawain, his eyes full of confusion, "Are you sure you are speaking English?"
The corners of Gawain's mouth raised, "Okay, actually, everything just said was in Chinese."
Bob said seriously, "Yeah, I'll just say it."
Gawain had to explain, "I mean, your troubles are actually your fighting spirit."
Bob was stunned.
"Yes, your body is protesting, and your condition is slowly declining, so you panic, you are afraid, you are uneasy, and you start to feel pressure. Everything is because you are eager to fight, and you hope to maintain the top level and continue to
Challenge yourself to keep pushing your limits.”
"What you fear is just taking that step."
"Because we all don't know how much it costs to overcome age and injuries. But you didn't give up. You already had the answer, didn't you?"
Deep down, Bob still longs to fight.
Bob shook his head gently, covered his face with his hands, and rubbed it vigorously, "I'm afraid... I'm afraid of holding Mike back..."
Then, Bob put down his hands and looked at Gawain, with some sadness in his eyes.
"Gaowen, you don't know that without me, Mike would still be competitive and he could still win the Grand Slam championship."
Gawain did not let Bob continue speaking, and nodded in agreement, "I believe you."
This is a fact.
While Bob was recovering from his hip replacement, Mike partnered with Jack Sock and continued to compete in the doubles arena and still achieved brilliant results.
Including three championships at Wimbledon, US Open and year-end finals in 2018.
But is Bob really a drag?
The partnership of Bob and Mike also won the Sunshine Double Crown in Indian Wells and Miami in 2018, and reached the finals of two clay court masters in Monte Carlo and Madrid; after Bob returned from injury, they still partnered
Won the Miami championship, still competitive.
In fact, Mike's competitive status also declined later on. After all, time is fair to everyone in the face of age.
"But, Bob, you are worried about Mike, so why isn't Mike worried about you?"
"Maybe, you should talk."
"You are not only doubles partners, but also twin brothers. You share the glory together, and naturally you also need to share the difficulties together."
"If Mike knew about our conversation today, I think he would be sad."
Bob didn't speak immediately, but just sat there quietly, with thoughts swirling in his mind.
for a long time.
Bob raised his head and looked at Gawain, "Are you ready for tomorrow's game?"
Gawain shook his head, "Not ready. Facing Novak, you can never be sure whether you are ready."
Bob burst into laughter, "So, is it because you have won so many times that you are beginning to feel a burden? This must be the first time this year. The pre-match predictions are slightly optimistic about your victory, right?"
The smile on Gao Wen's lips also rose, "If the predictions before the game can be accurate, maybe this year will be a different situation."
Bob laughed out loud.
Gao Wen continued, "No, I have no burden. I think I have nothing to lose. After all, getting here all the way has far exceeded expectations. My only thought now is to go on the court tomorrow and give it my all.
That’s all.”
Bob didn’t believe it, “So, you don’t think about being number one in the world at all?”
Gawain pinched his thumb and index finger, "A little bit, maybe a little bit."
Bob laughed happily again, looked at Gawain quietly, and the corners of his mouth slowly tightened, "You are indeed ready to fight."
Gawain nodded, "Yes. And I can't wait. Bob, challenges like this don't happen every day."
Bob, "What if we lose?"
Gao Wen spread his hands, "If you lose, it means there is another challenge and another goal waiting to be completed. This is the motivation to keep moving forward. I believe it is the same for you and Mike, even if you have been in the professional arena for so many years.
, and I definitely have my own goals.”
Pause and ask, "For example, win tomorrow's game and keep the hope of being number one in the world at the end of the year?"
Bob himself didn't realize it, he nodded slightly involuntarily, clenched his fist quietly, and the flame that he thought had been extinguished was rekindled.
"Bob, you should know that I am the less experienced one, right? Why am I giving you advice now?"
"Are you showing off your youth to me?"
"Ah, it was discovered. So, are you sure it's not a mid-life crisis?"