TENNIS PLAYERS (Off-Court Shenanigans)

[ponchi101]

Ok. Now I am kind of curious. I agree, partially, that this is silly (the diamond ring). But what else was Gael to give her? She is a millionaire herself, so buying her anything that she doesn't have OR CAN'T BUY herself is difficult. What was he to do? Give her nothing?
Again, I see your posts and I sort of agree. But he was in some sort of catch-22: give her nothing and he gets roasted (maybe even by her). Give her a ring and, well, it is silly too.

[ti-amie]

Maybe you guys don't remember how Marion Bartoli's fiance was raked over the coals when he gave her, for people at their level, what looked like a ring out of a Cracker Jack box and people came to her defense saying it had to be an heirloom in his family?

Also I think it was Kiki Bertens who apologized for her ring saying the original ring was too big or something because the one she used in her announcement was tiny (again for people at their level).

[Suliso]

Why does one need to display any ring in public at all? Such a wasteful tradition...

I mean I give gifts to my girlfriend too occasionally as most guys do, but something like this would feel like I'm buying her in the market or something. Maybe it's just the weird me...

[Deuce]

Why does one need to display any ring in public at all? Such a wasteful tradition...

I mean I give gifts to my girlfriend too occasionally as most guys do, but something like this would feel like I'm buying her in the market or something. Maybe it's just the weird me...

Because the more expensive the ring, the more genuine the love, of course!
What better proof of true love is there than spending as much money as possible on a person - and making sure you tell everyone about it?

Or maybe it’s because most cultures in the world today are incredibly superficial and materialistic, and its individuals so personally insecure, that they depend on ‘social status’ to define them. And so most of what people do is geared toward obtaining a certain ‘social status’ - and the internet (and 'social media' in particular) allows everyone to climb up onto a huge public stage any time they want - the equivalent of desperately yelling “HEY, LOOK AT ME! PLEASE LOOK AT ME! PLEASE LIKE ME! PLEASE!!” - to get their 15 minutes of fame - because without this constant validation, they feel highly insignificant.

"We are so accustomed to disguising ourselves to others that we end up becoming disguised to ourselves." ~ François de La Rochefoucauld

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[mmmm8]

Ok. Now I am kind of curious. I agree, partially, that this is silly (the diamond ring). But what else was Gael to give her? She is a millionaire herself, so buying her anything that she doesn't have OR CAN'T BUY herself is difficult. What was he to do? Give her nothing?
Again, I see your posts and I sort of agree. But he was in some sort of catch-22: give her nothing and he gets roasted (maybe even by her). Give her a ring and, well, it is silly too.

This isn't a commentary on Gael (or Elina) - most likely this is what she wanted and he did right by her.

I just don't get it personally.

[Liamvalid]

Wonder how long before it’s in the pawn shop?

[meganfernandez]

Ok. Now I am kind of curious. I agree, partially, that this is silly (the diamond ring). But what else was Gael to give her? She is a millionaire herself, so buying her anything that she doesn't have OR CAN'T BUY herself is difficult. What was he to do? Give her nothing?
Again, I see your posts and I sort of agree. But he was in some sort of catch-22: give her nothing and he gets roasted (maybe even by her). Give her a ring and, well, it is silly too.

This isn't a commentary on Gael (or Elina) - most likely this is what she wanted and he did right by her.

I just don't get it personally.

Haven't you seen the Sex and the City movie? "See, this is why there's a ring. You have to have something to close the deal." So if there was no ring, Elina would have turned into a bridezilla, put a dead bird on her head, and been left at the altar, sadly to return to her lonely single-girl apartment and petulantly never speak to Gael for a year, only to fall back into his arms once she sees him in the glowing light of the custom walk-in closet he had built for her. So, just buy the ring and avoid the curse of the untraditional proposal.

I don't have an engagement ring. I would have always looked at it and seen a boat or a trip we could have had instead. It's also so baldly patriarchal to me, but if I loved jewelry, I probably wouldn't mind. An engagement ring just isn't me. But I see why other people like one. It's part of the traditional romantic gesture of a proposal. Some people just really love diamonds. It's a symbol, evidently one she values.

I'd be surprised if she wears it very long. Maybe in certain situations. Not just because of the price, but because that thing will cut the hell out of her and rip her clothes. So many women end up taking off their rock because it's impractical.

[meganfernandez]

Wonder how long before it’s in the pawn shop?

Hell, she's keeping that thing no matter what.

[mmmm8]

Haven't you seen the Sex and the City movie? "See, this is why there's a ring. You have to have something to close the deal." So if there was no ring, Elina would have turned into a bridezilla, put a dead bird on her head, and been left at the altar, sadly to return to her lonely single-girl apartment and petulantly never speak to Gael for a year, only to fall back into his arms once she sees him in the glowing light of the custom walk-in closet he had built for her. So, just buy the ring and avoid the curse of the untraditional proposal.

Getting REALLY bored in quarantine, huh?

[meganfernandez]

Haven't you seen the Sex and the City movie? "See, this is why there's a ring. You have to have something to close the deal." So if there was no ring, Elina would have turned into a bridezilla, put a dead bird on her head, and been left at the altar, sadly to return to her lonely single-girl apartment and petulantly never speak to Gael for a year, only to fall back into his arms once she sees him in the glowing light of the custom walk-in closet he had built for her. So, just buy the ring and avoid the curse of the untraditional proposal.

Getting REALLY bored in quarantine, huh?

hahaha! I have seen that movie 15 times. I was in my 20s when the show came out. It was my religion.

[meganfernandez]

Mirka and Roger!

[Deuce]

Mirka and Roger!

Carling Bassett/Robert Seguso.

[meganfernandez]

Carling Bassett/Robert Seguso.

Prides of Canada, right?

[Deuce]

Carling Bassett/Robert Seguso.

Prides of Canada, right?

Well... Carling was Canada's 'sweetheart' back in the '80s.
Seguso's American.
They had a tennis academy in Florida - but it's no longer active, as far as I know.
They had a couple of kids who were playing tennis at a decent level at one point.

Carling had troubles with eating disorders for many years - and she was unhealthily thin. I have no idea what her current condition is.

Here are a couple of interesting quotations from an interview done with Carling about 10 years ago...
Funny Tennis Memory:"I used to travel with Jimmy Connors a little bit and his group of boys. Jimmy…and Yannick Noah is great. Because I was kind of like the girl that was in the boy’s group or something. Without being a threat because I was never one to sleep with anybody or do anything bad.”

Fiercest Competitors Encountered: “You mean on a manipulation level too? On the outside? Chris Evert by far. Not a good person.”

[ti-amie]