Pat Rafter: ‘Why aren’t we producing players like Spain? I don’t know’

The former tennis No 1 on the current dearth of top Australian players, the excitement surrounding Cruz Hewitt, and a newfound love of padel Pat Rafter is Australian sporting royalty. A man whose genuine friendliness still radiates into mid-life and whose looks once made him an underwear model, with a tennis career that took him to No 1 in the world. He is the kind of person anyone would want on their team, so it is no surprise to see him named as a member of the Aussie Crocs. They are the national squad of tennis-adjacent pursuit padel – a kind of miniature form of the game – and are due to compete in an exhibition at the Sydney Opera House starting 15 August. Continue reading...