Former tennis star – and world number one - Kim Clijsters quit playing because she wanted to raise a family. Earlier that
year, she had thrown a party for some ten thousand fans. According to
Clijsters, this was her way of thanking the loyal fans for supporting her on the tennis circuit. Quoting fellow star Steffi Graf, Clijsters said that one did not have to hate one’s opponents to thrash them in a tennis match.
Greg LeMond, arguably one of the world’s most famous cyclists, won the Tour de France no less than three times. Seriously injured in a hunting incident, it took him more than two years to recover from his injuries. But he went on to win the Tour de France yet again (in 1989) by mere seconds as he sprinted to the finish line. To the dismay of the French – who were anticipating a French winner!
Diego Maradona scored the - well publicized - goal against England in the World Cup quarter finals by punching the ball in the net with his fist. Well publicized, because Argentina went on to win the World Cup on the strength of Maradona’s performance. Later describing the goal as “the Hand of God”, apparently Maradona still has no regrets. Recovering from a serious illness (the result of divine punishment?), he boasted of it recently in a talk show on television.
Roger Federer is another star who continues to be in the news – and not just for his superb tennis. Finding that his on-court opponent (and arch-rival) Rafael Nadal was having difficulty finding a connecting flight, he gallantly stepped in and offered him a seat aboard his private jet. Perhaps the secret to his success is that he is such a nice guy that his opponents find it so hard to hate him!