Mailbag (cont.)

Rafael Nadal has not run from tougher questions as he matures on and off the court. Clive Rose/Getty Images

Have you noticed a big change in Rafael Nadal's personality over the past year? Before, he was a humble, quiet kid. Now, it seems as if he is speaking out on a lot of issues, and giving pretty strong opinions (e.g. tour schedule, Agassi, etc.). Is this because he has accepted his role as a leader of the men's tour?
-- Jason, Toronto

• Sure. Though I wonder if this isn't simply a function of a) aging; b) taking on responsibility commensurate with your ranking; c) improved confidence in English; and d) growing comfort with the media, as opposed to a concerted strategy. In other words, one would hope that Nadal would be more outspoken than he was as an 18-year-old. No?

Let's talk another angle for a minute. When is a high ranked men's player going to come out of the closet? Is the world that close-minded that one can admit to illegal drug use, but being openly gay in an individual sport is still going to ruin one's career? Why can't a gay dude be "out" in the top 20?
-- Todd Bird, Louisville, Ky.

• Given how many other topics got the open kimono treatment, I was surprised there wasn't more talk of sexuality in Agassi's book. We've discussed this in the past, but like you, I still say that tennis is ripe for an active player to come out. It's an individual sport, so athletes need not worry about homophobic teammates freezing them out of the offense or razzing them on bus rides. The top players, from whom the rest of the field takes a cue, are non-cavemen. (Do you think, for instance, that Roddick, who invites Elton John to his wedding, is really homophobic?) There's already a sizable gay contingent on the tennis caravan -- coaches/officials/tour employees/journalists/hangers-on. Any smattering of disapproval or ugliness would be offset by support.

As we discussed a while back, Amelie Mauresmo is a good case study. She won countless fans. She lost no endorsement. And after the initial few days of chatter, her sexuality was a non-issue.

Here, incidentally, is an interesting read.

Andy Roddick has 60 matches, 15 tournaments and one win (in Tennessee) in 2009. Serena has 54 matches, 15 tournaments and three wins (we all know which three) in 2009. I know that Serena's strong finish quieted a lot of her detractors, but even without it, she was as present as our most present American man for the year. And no one seems to have a problem with Roddick's record.
-- Andy, NYC

• It's a bit of apples of oranges. Serena has won double-digit Slams for her career. Roddick has won one. The expectations aren't quite the same. But, empirically anyway, we ought to stop for a second and think about whether Serena is really such an underachiever after all.

Shots, miscellany

• You want good news, we got good news. Tennis participation in the United States eclipsed 30 million this year, the highest mark in decades. We can debate where to apportion credit. USTA programs? The Tennis Industry of America? Roger Federer? Tennis Channel? Changing demographics? An economy that makes a $100 round of golf unappealing at best and unaffordable at worst, especially when compared to a $150 racket and $3 can of balls? Whatever, it's a good omen.

• Thanks to everyone who stopped by the Indianapolis event. Programming note for New York readers: Will Leitch and I will be doing a Sports Literature reading/panel on Nov. 30 at Housing Works, 126 Crosby Street, NYC.

• Last week reader Carlos Acosta wrote about how he was injured in an auto accident and asked for help finding a Donnay racket. The responses were overwhelming: tips, links, phone numbers and multiple offers to send Carlos rackets gratis. Thanks to everyone who wrote in. Not to get all Oprah on you, but that was a nice collective show of humanity, everyone.

• More scouting on Brian Lynch, husband of Kim Clijsters. I spoke with one of Lynch's former Villanova teammates, the Denver Nuggets' Malik Allen, who might be new my favorite NBA player. "Brian came in as a Mike Dunleavy type player, sort of a slasher," Allen said. "By his last two seasons, he was mostly a shooter. Great shooter, though. Great guy, too. I bet I know why you're asking. Because he married Kim Clijsters."

• Speaking of the NBA, Lakers guard Sasha Vujacic may be buried in Phil Jackson's rotation, but nice to see he's upholding his reputation.

• Thank M. Ng of Vancouver for an interview with Pierre Paganini, former musician who is now Federer's trainer.

• Agassi answering the Proust questionnaire at Vanity Fair. (Thanks to Roshan Revankar of Los Angeles for the link.)

• Blake Redabaugh of Denver, Colo.: "Federer and Roddick both finished in the top 10 for the eighth consecutive year, joining Jimmy Connors, Ivan Lendl, Sampras, Stefan Edberg, Guillermo Vilas, Agassi, Becker, Bjorn Borg and John McEnroe as the only other players to do so since the ATP began keeping rankings in 1973. Although it's a little too early to call, I would be willing to bet that Nadal (four years in a row), Djokovic (three), Murray (two) and Juan Martin del Potro (two) will be joining them on that list."

• Nice take on the need for quiet, courtesy of Anthony of Ridgefield, Conn.

• Bryan Park of Philadelphia has long-lost siblings: Melanie Oudin and actress Elisabeth Moss.

Have a great week, everyone!