Page 59 of Breakpoint
At the changeover, Jaz sat down and flexed her right foot and ankle. So something was wrong with her. Was the injury serious? Was she going to call the trainer? Dani leaned forward, her gaze laser-focused on the television screen. Jaz didn’t call for the trainer but merely dug out a fresh racket from her bag and took a sip of her water. Dani could see she was giving herself a pep talk. Likely telling herself to get it together. Dani didn’t know anyone more confident in their abilities to pull out a three-set win than Jaz.
The final set of the match was a blur of intensity and movement. Jaz’s powerful serve was still popping, giving her easy points and keeping her in the set. Each point Jaz won brought a surge of adrenaline. She would subtly pump her fist, a desperate hope that mirrored the cheers erupting from the crowd. They battled for every ball, Katarina obviously trying to make the rallies long, some going eight to ten shots. Dani’s own heart was racing as she watched it. She couldfeelthe tension radiating from Jaz through the television. Every point felt like an eternity.
Dani analyzed each shot, her mind dissecting the game with clinical precision. Every swing of the racket, every grunt, every desperate lunge. She saw the slight hesitation in Jaz’s footwork, the almost-too-late swing on a backhand. Every muscle in Dani’s body was taut, mirroring the tension visible in Jaz’s stance across the court. Katarina was finding a new gear. The third set slowly slipped away from Jaz, a series of unforced errors plaguing her game. The final point arrived with brutal swiftness. Katarina hit a cross-court winner that landed just inside the line.
The crowd erupted. The camera zoomed in on Jaz, her face etched with a mixture of exhaustion and defeat.
Dani felt the sting of the loss as if she had been on the losing side. She knew that feeling, that crushing disappointment, the bitter taste of a dream snatched away after two weeks of hard work.
She slumped back against the cushions, a wave of sympathy washing over her. Dani wanted to be relieved that they wouldn’t be meeting up in the finals. Glad that she wouldn’t have to play and try to beat the woman she loved in her first-ever final. But morethan that, she wanted to wrap Jaz up in a hug and tell her she’d done her best and that she loved her.
She knew how competitive Jaz was and how much she hated losing. Anything less than number one wasn’t acceptable to Jaz Mason. Jaz had wanted to win number nineteen so badly. She reached for her phone, her fingers already composing a message of love and support, but realized that wasn’t her place anymore.
The crowd was still standing, giving both players, but especially Jaz, a standing ovation. Both players put on a show and had the crowd in the palm of their hands the entire match.
Jaz moved to the net to shake Katarina’s hand. When they got to the net, instead of just a handshake, Jaz hugged Katarina. She could see her whispering something into her ear. Katarina nodded, pulled out of the embrace, and motioned to the open area of the court with her hands.
She wondered what that was all about. After shaking the chair umpire’s hand, instead of walking to her chair, grabbing her tennis bag, and leaving the court, Jaz moved to the center of the court, where the winner usually did an on-court interview with the tournament sideline reporter.
Was Jaz actually volunteering to do an on-court interview? Jaz hated to do media when it was required. And now she was doing an interview when she didn’t have to.What the hell was really going on?
The sideline reporter looked just as shocked that Jaz was there too but rolled with it. “Jaz Mason, amazing and hard-fought match out there.”
Jaz smiled, likely giving herself a moment to catch her breath. “Thanks, Holly. Katarina played a great match, and good luck in the final. I just wanted to say thank you to the crowd for showing up and staying late.”
The crowd erupted in loud cheers. They were not only cheering the match but cheering for Jaz, who had consistently brought it every year and was the face of American tennis. She waited for the crowd to die down before she spoke again.
“That’s why I’m so glad that I’m here and can announce this will be my last US Open.” The crowd gasped. Jaz closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clearly gathering her wits, and continued, her voice trembling, “I’m retiring from professional tennis.”
Holy fucking shit.
Had Jaz just done what she thought she did? Her hand went to her mouth in pure shock. Jaz’s face was etched with a mixture of exhaustion and something else…resolve?
Dani leaned closer, her eyes glued to the screen. The camera panned to the crowd and Jaz’s player’s box. Both Brandon, Mike, and Kira were clapping. They were obviously aware of this. Brandon had tears in his eyes.
The reporter, Holly, eyes widened slightly, a flicker of shock crossing her face. She didn’t seem to know what to do next because no one expected this when Jaz opened her mouth. Holly finally rebounded, “I think I can speak for everyone here and say I’m stunned by the news, Jaz. What’s next for you?”
A graphic with breaking news, ‘Jaz Mason Retiring,’ flashed across the bottom of the screen in red. And to see it happen, so suddenly, so publicly, in the raw aftermath of defeat...was adifferent kind of pain for Dani. She felt a strange numbness spread through her.
The camera zoomed in on Jaz’s face, capturing the sweat and tears welling in her eyes, the faint smile playing on her lips. That was a genuine Jaz smile that she rarely showed in public. It was a farewell smile to a career that had defined her. A mixture of pride, sadness, and a profound sense of loss swirled within Dani. It was the end of an era, not just for Jaz but for tennis in general.
Jaz finally answered with a shrug as she wiped her eyes and face with her wristband. “Who knows, Holly. But the only thing I know for certain is I’m going to watch the woman I love do the thing I know she was born to accomplish in the finals.” Jaz’s eyes went wide for a split second, like she didn’t mean to reveal that part, but continued, “Overall, not really sure.”
“WHAT?” Dani screamed at the television. Her breath hitched, her hand flying to her mouth in a mixture of shock and awe. Again. She was definitely going to pass out. She locked onto Jaz’s face on the screen. She could see the relief that washed over her features, the weight that seemed to lift from her shoulders.
She leaned forward and braced her hands on the coffee table, trying to take deep breaths and sort the barrage of feelings rushing through her. Her eyes welled up, tears blurring the sharp lines of the broadcast. So many fucking tears today!
Had Jaz just come out on national primetime television? The camera briefly panned to reactions in the crowd, a mix of surprise, applause, and the occasional bewildered stare. She’d always known Jaz was strong, but this…this was a different kind of strength. For the woman who prided herself on privacy, she had put herself out there in front of the entire world.
A smile spread across her face, a genuine, beaming smile that reached her eyes. Jaz had not only faced a crushing defeat on one of the biggest stages in tennis, but had also found the courage to be utterly, beautifully, herself.
An incredulous laugh bubbled up in Dani’s throat. Jaz had just outed herself to the entire world during the semi-final of one of the biggest tennis tournaments in the world. Of course she had to one-up Dani.
She needed to talk to Jaz. She knew she would have post-match media obligations, plus a cool-down and massage with Scott.
But she would wait. As long as it took.
Chapter 18
