With the year-ending ATP World Tour Finals that was hosted in the O2 Arena in London, we have come to the close of the tennis season. Chilly December has set in just about everywhere and the Yuletide spirit has also started knocking on every door.The ATP and its stars have been very social-media friendly this year and has often done something or the other that is in vogue, in the virtual world.
As they do every year, the ATP brought together several of their best players and the current world number 1, Andy Murray to sing the most popular Christmas carol- “Jingle Bells”, in the spirit of festivity and celebration of the holiday season. This delightful video opens to the lilt of ‘Deck the halls with boughs of holly’ before we see Swiss legend, Roger Federer, with the familiar grin, and promising to return early next year for the 2017 season, starting from January. With Andy Murray in a Santa hat and fancy goggles that look extra Christmas-y. With snowmen on top of the goggles and frothy-snow, it takes you back to memories of a White Christmas. Andy Murray takes the lead by singing the opening line of the song in typically droll fashion, beginning with, “Dashing through the snow...” and Karen Khachanov follows it up with an accented, “Over the field we go...” and Marin Cilic in his fairly melodious voice sums up the line by singing, “..laughing all the way”.
Wimbledon runner-up Milos Raonic, clad in a red sweater, adds his “Bells on bobtails ring, making spirit bright..” as John Isner jazzes his version up by singing, “Oh what fun it is to sing a sleighing song tonight”. Marcos Baghdati steals the show too followed by Jean-Julien Rojer and Horia Tecau who appear in Santa hats and fancy goggles and clap each other’s hands at the beat of ‘Hey! – and are perhaps the most melodious of the bunch.The fun bit starts when the lyrics is twisted as Steve Johnson exclaims in a sing-song voice, “Time for the off-season...” as the Bryan brothers, Bob and Mike put their own “head out west” touch!
Doubles champions Henri Kontinen and John Peers does a small rap too with the ATP trophy straddled in between their laps. Dominic Thiem too joins in the merry chorus. Perhaps the most musical of the lot was Jamie Murray – who didn’t forget to keep tune with the spirit of Christmas. The cherry on the top is to see Rafael Nadal right at the end of the video wishing us happiness and prosperity for this holiday season. What could be a better treat to watch than a video which starts with the Swiss, Roger Federer and culminates with the Spanish star, Rafael Nadal? Go ahead and watch it and jingle in the Yuletide spirit!
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