Chapter 31Athens, the near future
Let the Games begin, Alex thought, and let the game begin.
Alex now saw himself as a man with three jobs—tennis player, Olympic athlete, and American double agent. Oddly, he didn’t think they were too much.
There were those, included his former coaches—tennis, it seemed, was littered with former coaches, Alex thought—who had cautioned him against taking on the Olympics and thus jeopardizing his chances for the US Open and the Grand Slam by tiring himself out. But Alex always felt if he were going to succeed in tennis, he would go Broadway. If he bypassed the Olympic experience—with all its unique pageantry, camaraderie, and opportunity—he would deny himself a chance at a rare accomplishment. Even if he lost, better to try and fail, then never to try at
