Match point

To be precise, tonight is not game night, games are just "dessert".

Tonight, Nadal, Gao Wen, Dimitrov, and Murray went out to dine. Murray, the host, took them to an... Italian restaurant. Not only did they dine, but they also enjoyed a moment of leisure. We chatted and joked in the restaurant for more than an hour.

The most exaggerated thing is that there were actually paparazzi following them and filming the four of them dining.

At this moment, the news should have spread on social networks, and they were discussing what the four of them were talking about——

Judging from the photos, the four people were having a great time talking to each other. Nadal also clapped his hands in the sky and laughed. The cheerful atmosphere penetrated the photos and hit his face.

After dinner, Gawain and Dimitrov came back to play games. Nadal said that he needed to rest early and did not join them. The two of them had fun and relaxed for half an hour, and then the scene just happened. .

Therefore, Tobias and Calvelli chose this time to visit, obviously after careful consideration, and did not disturb anything.

Having said that, you still need to be polite, and this led to the conversation just now.

Gawain paused and looked at Calvelli again with a hesitant expression, "Sorry, please forgive me for being rude. I would like to ask if we have met before?"

Such...a cheesy opening line, often used to pick up conversations in bars.

But obviously, this is not the case at this time.

Calvelli glanced at Tobias and did not hide his surprise, "John, are you sure you didn't reveal anything to Gawain in advance?"

"Gawain, you actually remember!"

"Yes, we have seen it. Nike's special project at Roland Garros this year. I am the general manager of the tennis department of Nike's international marketing department. It was the first time we planned such an event for tennis. I made a special trip to Paris. I hope to see the filming of the show from the front line.”

"We met briefly at the scene."

"Oh, Jesus Christ, I didn't expect you to remember."

Calvelli was really surprised, because it was just a very brief encounter, and they didn't even introduce each other or start a conversation.

Gawain lightly shrugged and said modestly, "I'm just blind."

The corners of Calvelli's lips raised, "I also hope I have such a blind ability."

Gao Wen also showed a smile, did not continue the pleasantries, and went directly to the topic, "So, is Nike planning any activities in the offseason?"

Calvelli glanced at Tobias politely, and Tobias made a gesture of invitation, so Calvelli did not continue to decline.

"Of course, Nike did do a series of planning."

"After the offseason begins, we estimate that we will need to be busy for a while, but there is no rush to do these things. We can wait until the year-end finals are over to discuss them slowly, and there is no rush to discuss them in one or two days."

Although the words stopped at this point and did not go into depth, one can feel the excitement in Calvelli’s words——

Clearly, Nike is brewing something big.

However, judging from the tone and context of the words, Calvelli did not come here for this.

"Tonight, I am here on behalf of the ATP."

With a twist, Calvelli's words firmly caught Gawain's attention. He cast a questioning look at Tobias, and Tobias gave Gawain a definite response with his eyes.

ATP?

Gawain blinked, "My urine test was completed on time today."

Calvelli was stunned for a moment, then realized that Gawain was joking, "Haha, I believe you abide by all the rules without any problems." Gawain raised his hands in a gesture of surrender, and complained seriously, "Believe me , I definitely have no intention of complaining about the excessive number of urine tests this year. If it were me, I would definitely ask to check that guy a few more times to see what is going on with him."

Calvelli's smile became even brighter, "If it were me, I wouldn't. My major is marketing. I believe that as long as I watch your game, I can understand how those incredible results come about."

The corners of Gawain's mouth also slightly raised, "So, is Mr. Calvelli speaking as Nike or ATP?"

To hit the nail on the head, this is the key.

Calvelli turned his head and glanced at Tobias, "With this keenness, no wonder he is a top student at UCLA."

Tobias spread his hands, "You know now how hard my work is, right?"

Calvelli's mouth and eyes were full of smiles, and he looked at Kirk again, "I am still responsible for Nike's work, but I also work part-time as an ATP global marketing consultant. I am making some attempts and innovations to see if It can expand the influence of tennis on a global scale."

Gao Wen was a little surprised——

He didn't know that he could still work part-time?
But if you think about it seriously, he really doesn't know much about the management structures of the ATP and WTA, so he doesn't know whether the situation of part-time workers is an exception or common.

For now, the only thing that is certain is that the ATP chose Calvelli to visit Gao Wen. This is a good signal, and this is enough.

Gawain didn't hide it, and gently raised his chin, "So, I guess it's a good thing that you showed up today?"

Calvelli nodded in affirmation, "Indeed."

Then, there was no more going around in circles.

"The thing is like this."

"A few days ago, at a press conference, a reporter asked you what you thought of the rise of young players, and you gave some opinions."

"In fact, the ATP has indeed been considering this matter."

"On the one hand, from the perspective of the training and growth of young players, we like the era of giants, and we welcome the continuation of the era of giants, but at the same time, we also need young players to rise."

“On the other hand, from a marketing perspective, we need to expand the influence of tennis in other markets, not just Europe and North America, so over the years, ATP has been increasing the number of events in Asia and South America; at the same time, We need to broaden the appeal of tennis to the general audience."

Although Calvelli didn’t make it too clear, the meaning was very clear——

Just like when Federer and Nadal suddenly emerged to attract global attention, the Big Four have now joined forces to dominate professional tennis for more than ten years. Their global influence is unquestionable, but at the same time, their fan base is relatively fixed.

If the ATP wants to continue to expand its territory, it needs new blood.

Therefore, the situation before us could not be clearer.

The answer is readily apparent: the new generation.

Compared with challenger leagues such as Wawrinka, Berdych, and Ferrer, it is a wise choice to start with Youth Storm, because they represent the future.

No wonder Calvelli didn't mind Dimitrov staying. Obviously, Dimitrov can also play an important role in this blueprint.

But the problem is-

"What do you need me for? I'm just a player. I don't know anything but tennis."

Gawain is not being modest.