remember that time the swiss davis cup team were forced to watch roger & stan do this shit in front of all their salads

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remember that time the swiss davis cup team were forced to watch roger & stan do this shit in front of all their salads
I’ve seen a few takes floating around lately that boil down to: shipping is bad because it devalues friendship. And… I have to say, that one makes me grind my teeth a bit.
Nobody’s dismissing friendship. Nobody’s saying it’s not important, or not allowed. Friendship is important. But shipping isn’t about erasing it—it’s about layering something else on top. It’s not “instead of,” it’s “what if.” What if that same closeness and softness also carried a romantic charge? What if care, vulnerability, and affection could be read two ways at once?
That’s what makes it fantasy. And fantasy has value. For a lot of people—especially younger writers—it’s a way to learn their trade, to practice storytelling, to experiment with sexuality, to figure out how relationships might work. It’s a sandbox, and everyone plays differently.
And here’s the kicker: the friendships themselves are already fascinating. Especially in tennis, where half the time your closest mates are also the people you have to face across the net. Who’s training together, who’s sharing a laugh, who’s edging closer in photos—it’s all part of the texture. Then you’ve got someone like Qinwen Zheng who flat-out says she doesn’t want friends on tour because it would make competing against them too hard. The whole social fabric is messy and complicated and wonderful.
So maybe let’s stop acting like friendship and shipping cancel each other out? They don’t. They can coexist. They do coexist.
And if I want to imagine an extra layer on top of a handshake or a practice session? That’s my sandbox.
Don’t like it, don’t read it. 🔥
Roger Federer defeats Stan Wawrinka 6-7(2) 7-6(6) 6-2 (Quarterfinal) at Western & Southern Open - Cincinnati, 2018.
favourite tennis friendships (2 of 9)
Roger Federer / Stan Wawrinka
‘I still love you, Roger’ - WAWRINKA, Stan
‘If [Stan] wants me to sleep on the floor of his bedroom, I’ll do that - to keep him warm’ - FEDERER, Roger
Roger 🐐and Stan 🐻 2 most great player 👍 2 friends 👬 2 Swiss🇨🇭 in final Good luck 🍀
Pic Sipa
Video from Roger and Stan’s training
Okay, so apparently I’ve accidentally acquired a tennis shipping starter pack. Didn’t think this would be me, but here we are.
✨ Carlos/Jannik — the obvious one. Rivals, friends, whatever-it-is. Sparks flying across the net, the winks, the "I wake up in the morning thinking about him". (They make it too easy.) ✨ Federer/Nadal — the epic. The mythology. A ship that’s basically its own religion at this point. ✨ Berrettini/Sinner — domestic-core. Sunshine Matteo with serious Jannik. It’s all pasta dinners, grounding hugs, and “I’ll pick you up from practice.” ✨ Murray/Djokovic — grumpy old married couple energy. They’ve been bickering since they were kids and somehow never stopped. ✨ Federer/Wawrinka — the bromance so blatant it barely counts as shipping, but come on. ✨ Grigor/??? — the wildcard. The man gets shipped with everyone at some point—Federer, Murray, Novak… he’s basically the fandom’s free square. ✨ Vagnozzi/Cahill — I swear Tumblr just handed me this one. I didn’t go looking, but suddenly there it was, and now I can’t stop laughing at how oddly entertaining it is.
What I’m realising is that each ship scratches a different itch. Some are about intensity, some are about history, some about softness or chaos. I don’t think I’m ever going to be the type who needs to “prove” anything is real—it’s more that I like the what if, the vibe, the story potential.
So yes. Somehow, I’ve become a shipper. Different matches, different dynamics, same sandbox. 🎾