I Am What I Am by myscheherazade (PG)

[krisherdown.livejournal.com]

Fandom: MEN'S PROFESSIONAL TENNIS RPS
Pairing: Andy Murray/Rafael Nadal/Novak Djokovic
Length: ~ 1000 words
Author on LJ: myscheherazade
Author Website: cookingontherun
Why this must be read: This fic is perfect as a way to describe the Big Four of tennis.  There is no action - I'm only writing the pairing listing as a threesome because that's what the author did.  The fic was written around US Open 2010, when Rafa was #1 and Novak beating Roger at a major was an unusual event.  We're in Andy's head as he's supposed to be congratulating Novak for that win but is busy being stuck in his own head and texts Stan instead.  It's probably a safe bet that if there's angst involving the end of a Grand Slam in the last few years and not about the Federer/Nadal rivalry, it likely involves Andy and this works perfectly in describing the "fourth in a three-man legend".

Excerpt:

Andy stares at the phone in his hands and thinks to himself, You could at least try to sound happy. Least you could do, with all the times he’s probably done the same for you. C’mon. It’s only a text message, for god’s sake.

But it’s hard—and maybe Novak is just a fucking saint or something, some sort of divinity, an enlightened demigod who knows how to win slams and beat Federer, and deserves the way that Rafa smiles at him, white teeth and crinkles around his lips, a smile that reaches all the way up to his eyes and right through Andy’s heart and— Fuck. He’s pathetic. He really is pathetic.


I Am What I Am