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ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
brave of them to cancel the wimbledon in honor of art’s retirement. i wouldn’t wanna hold it without him either
tennis amongus @R4F4ELN4D4L
ugh but the way we were only allowed one (1) tournament with pics of art and tashi sitting in the stands watching matches together. aussie open u will always be famous
ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
OH TRUE… THEY WERE SO ENGAGED IN THE GAME EVERY TIME THE CAMERA CUT TO THEM!!!!
tennis amongus @R4F4ELN4D4L
power couple of all time fr fr
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for sale. art. out of style. @dcnvIdscn
luckily for tennis players they’re very accustomed to standing more than six feet away from someone and still having insane sexual tension
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zara donaldson @federerererer
has anyone else seen patrick zweig’s latest insta post??? i swear to god he’s in front of the same wall that’s in tashi’s pic from a few weeks ago
ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
huh????? going to ig rn
ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
oh my god. that’s the same wall. it’s got the same brick pattern and everything
#1 tashi stan @dvncanator
do we know where the donaldsons are rn???? like it could be the same hotel for a tournament or smth
ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
i thought they were at their house. bc of the pandemic
#1 tashi stan @dvncanator
maybe he’s staying with them for coaching reasons??? i know they’ve got some real nice courts in their backyard
zara donaldson @federerererer
weird that they wouldn’t post anything publicly about that. i know art’s camera shy but like…
ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
“coaching reasons”
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Art Donaldson
[14:23] Where are you?
[14:24] Lily is asking about movie night tonight
Tashi <3
[14:46] Finishing up practice for the day
[14:48] You can come out and play if you want
Art Donaldson
[14:52] I’d love to, but Lily has roped me into a game of “pretty pretty princess”
Tashi <3
[15:01] LOL
[15:04] Patrick says to take pics of your look
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Everything We Know About The Patrick Zweig Situation
tennis twitter has stumbled onto a mystery. is the new guy that tashi donaldson is coaching literally just living in their house???? are they BUBBLING????
copious screenshots and red string corkboard pepe silvia nonsense under the cut
Read More
#me sitting with zoom class open in another tab while doing a deep dive on the instagrams of tennis players #covid senioritis goes crazy #tennis #art donaldson #tashi donaldson #patrick zweig
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ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
OH MY GOD THEY WERE ROOMMATES
zara donaldson @federerererer
*are roommates
ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
STOPPPPPPP
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#1 tashi stan @dvncanator
listen guys. we love our tashiart duncanson “coaching is romance” memes but… tashi coaching another player is not actually the same as cheating on her husband. we’ve gone over this. she is a girlboss with a JOB
for sale. art. out of style. @dcnvIdscn
louder for the people in the back!!!! omfg
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Back in the Game: A Look At Patrick Zweig
by Joseph Tebbel
When I meet Patrick Zweig, the first thing he does after shaking my hand is ask me for a cigarette.
“My coach wants me to quit,” he says, his smirk evident even under his mask. “But it’s harder than it looks.”
I inform him that I don’t smoke, and he shrugs. “Yeah, that’s probably for the best in the long run.”
With that out of the way, we take our seats six feet apart on lawn chairs in the backyard of Art and Tashi Donaldson’s house, where Zweig has been staying since the tennis season was suspended due to the novel coronavirus two months ago. He’s wearing a shirt that reads “Tennis Is A Work Of Art”, an old piece of Art Donaldson merch from his early days as a rising star. It looks brand new, apparently found in a decade-old unopened box left forgotten in the Donaldson abode.
I ask him about his relationship with the Donaldsons, which seemed to emerge last August, when Art unexpectedly entered into the Phil’s Tire Town Challenger in New Rochelle, New York. True tennis fans may know, of course, that Art Donaldson and Patrick Zweig were the two finalists in the 2006 Junior US Open singles tournament when they were 18 years old, and won the doubles tournament together as well. But they didn’t play together much after that. So why the sudden change?
Zweig shrugs. “Sometimes you just… reconnect. It’s really, really nice.”
Regarding Tashi’s coaching style, he has mixed feelings. “I mean, she’s amazing at what she does,” he says, fidgeting with a pen in his hand. “But sometimes I don’t want her to do it.”
However, his frustrations aside, he knows it’s working. “I can feel myself getting better, which is weird. I never really thought I could. Kind of a [expletive] way to spend a decade of your life, honestly.” He laughs, clearly not taking his twelve years of middling performance too seriously.
And it’s good he has that attitude, considering the current state of tennis. When I ask how the postponements and cancellations are affecting his momentum, after making it to the semi-finals in the Australian Open in January, he shrugs again. “It gives me time to work with Tashi and Art on my game. We have a lot of catching up to do, both on and off the court, you know. The world sucks right now, but I’m really glad I can spend it like this, instead of,” he looks up, gesturing broadly with a hand. “Whatever else I would be doing.”
And as for his feelings on the shadow of Art Donaldson looming over him, he doesn’t mind that either. “We’re different kinds of players, and I think everyone knows that by now. Tashi’s not trying to make me her next Art Donaldson. That would be stupid. I mean, we still have him.” He gestures toward the house. “He’s right over there.”
Near the end of our interview, Tashi Donaldson herself appears from the house, wearing athletic clothes and carrying a racket and basket of tennis balls. “This is his break for the day,” she tells me, standing with a hand on her hip. “We’re running drills once you leave.”
Zweig gives me a look that seems to say “What did I tell you?”, rolling his eyes.
“It’s for his own good,” she says, directed to me. “He needs all the help he can get.”
Zweig pulls down his mask to stick his tongue out at his coach, and she laughs, shaking her head. “Do you see what I have to deal with?”
As Mrs. Donaldson leaves to set up one of their three private tennis courts for practice, I of course ask Zweig if Mr. Donaldson is around too, but I get only a head shake—he is embracing his retirement and new role as stay-at-home dad, and spending time with his daughter. How sweet.
As a final question, I ask Zweig what he’s looking forward to most in the future of his tennis career. His eyes light up. “I want to keep playing as long as I can. Especially now. Because it’s fun, and I love it.” He thinks for a moment, then smiles as he adds, “And I’d like to win a slam. Ideally the US Open, so I could lord it over Art. But I’m not picky.”
At that point, our time is up, and we say goodbye. He walks me back to the gate separating their backyard from the sidewalk, and waves as I walk to my car.
As I drive away, I watch a bright green streak crest above the fence, then fall back down again, away from my view.
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tennis amongus @R4F4ELN4D4L
TASHIART NATION HOW ARE WE FEELING ABOUT THAT PATRICK ZWEIG PROFILE
zara donaldson @federerererer
i’ve been working on the story about them living together for WEEKS and he just TWEETED IT OUT
ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
idc about the allegations i just want one of those shirts honestly lmao
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ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
“we have a lot of catching up to do, both on and off the court” oh i’m sure
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not to burst everyone’s bubble but i don’t think it’s that weird for patrick to be living with the donaldsons. these are unprecedented times, and being a dedicated tennis player means figuring out how to work with ur coach despite the whole pandemic thing!!! idk!
#and if it turns out they’re fucking then good for them #or sorry that happened #tennis talk for ts
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Patrick
[13:17] tashi just got a call from somebody asking about you writing your memoirs lmfao
Art <3
[13:19] It seems… a bit too early for that, doesn’t it
Patrick
[13:24] idk, if you wait you might forget stuff
[13:25] she’s still on the phone this must be serious
[13:25] better get your typewriter out, art
Art <3
[13:26] God.
[13:27] Am I allowed to say no?
Patrick
[13:28] you’ll have to ask tashi
[13:32] ok she hung up. i think you’re safe for now <3
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mikayla davis @mikadavis
ok fine i’ll learn about this tennis scandal
mikayla davis @mikadavis
so what i’m getting is that this art guy has been in a long-term lavender marriage. tashi donaldson call me on thursday when i’m free
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#1 tashi stan @dvncanator
wait. ok. who do we even think is fucking who???? like is art or tashi having the affair with patrick
ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
yes.
tennis amongus @R4F4ELN4D4L
watch this be some sort of twisted publicity stunt honestly
#1 tashi stan @dvncanator
infidelity: brought to you by uniqlo
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[Image: One half of a tennis court, a young girl standing facing the net. Her curly hair is covering the side of her face facing the camera, and she is holding a tennis racket in an approximation of a correct starting position.]
4,789 likes
p.zweig tashi and art are not mad at all that their daughter is only willing to learn tennis from me
Comments:
artdonaldson And who took the photo, again?
zaralevy omg so cute!!!!
tennnis.fan A tennis prodigy in the making! Looking forward to her first Grand Slam in 15 years!
jules_h HER SERVE IS GONNA BE CRAZYYY
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zara donaldson @federerererer
lily donaldson and her two dads and mom
zara donaldson @federerererer
she only wants to learn tennis from patrick???? What Does It Mean
tennis amongus @R4F4ELN4D4L
i mean imagine tashi donaldson teaching a child how to play tennis. love the woman but that cannot go well
zara donaldson @federerererer
speak for yourself! she can teach me tennis any time ;)
tennis amongus @R4F4ELN4D4L
be careful what u wish for
zara donaldson @federerererer
i wish for a hot woman to yell at and belittle me!!!! please!!! god, can u hear me?!?!?!
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Is This Tennis Cheating Scandal Real, Or Is It Just A Product Of Quarantine Brain?
Sarah Jones | July 17, 2020
Unlike most other professional sports, tennis doesn’t really have an off-season. Sure, three of the four big tournaments (The French Open, the Wimbledon, and the US Open) take place in that summer-fall stretch of May to September, but there’s still the Australian Open in January, and plenty of other tournaments scattered across the year that affect players’ overall rankings in the tennis world. So, tennis fans can more or less always expect something to be going on.
That is—until 2020. You know, with the whole pandemic thing. With the Wimbledon canceled and the French Open postponed, there are no new matches to watch or upcoming tournaments to speculate about. What is a poor tennis fan supposed to do in these trying times?! What every other fandom does when they’re bored: make up some relationship drama.
Okay, maybe that’s not fair. The fans making wild speculations about the relationship between recently retired tennis star Art Donaldson, his wife and former coach Tashi Donaldson, and Art’s former boarding school roommate/doubles partner/singles opponent slash Tashi’s new client Patrick Zweig might have some points. Or have they just sucked me into the madness with them?! I’m afraid that you, dear reader, will have to be the judge of that yourself.
Here’s what we know:
(1) They’ve known each other for a long time. Art and Patrick went to the Mark Rebellato Tennis Academy together for middle and high school, and they both presumably met Tashi when all three of them competed in the Junior US Open in September 2006. I say presumably because we can’t really know for sure if Patrick met Tashi, as neither she nor Art mention him in interviews, but they were the two singles winners for boys and girls respectively, so one can assume they at least said hi.
(2) There was a drifting apart. According to a few Mark Rebellato students who very kindly answered questions for me for this very silly article, Art and Patrick were pretty much inseparable during their time at the academy. But when Art and Tashi both signed on to play at Stanford University while Patrick went right to the professional circuit without passing go, it seems their friendship didn’t last. Maybe there was a falling out—like I said, Art never mentions him in interviews—or maybe it was just the simple fact that long distance is difficult.
(3) Something… happened in New Rochelle. At the 2017 French Open, Art injured his shoulder and took a year and a half off from tennis to recover. When he came back on the scene for the 2019 season, he couldn’t quite reach the heights of his former career. The word from his team was that his physical recovery was as close to perfect as you can get, it was just his confidence that was holding him back. So, that summer (Just a year ago! It feels so far away! Take me back!) he entered into a Challenger—a lower-tier tennis tournament than the Opens he usually plays—in New Rochelle, New York. And who is his opponent in the final other than Patrick Zweig himself. Even if you’re not into tennis, I recommend watching the video of their match, or at least one of the many supercuts and edits made by fans over the last few months (I recommend this one, set to The Social Network soundtrack). I don’t even want to spoil what happens near the end, you really just have to see it with your own two eyes. But let’s just say that it feels like by the end of the match, Art and Patrick are friends again.
(4) They’re currently living together. As revealed in Joseph Tebbel’s profile of Patrick Zweig for Tennis Magazine published last month, Mr. Zweig has been staying at the Donaldsons’ house since COVID-19 shut everything down in mid-March. This was discovered by superfans before the profile even dropped, when they noticed similarities in the backdrops of two Instagram posts, one from Tashi and one from Patrick. So, hey, this also means the fans could be proven right again. But it also could just mean that Tashi takes her coaching job very seriously—which we know she does—and this was the easiest way to professionally, platonically make that work.
So, that’s basically what we’re working from. I think it would be kind of hard to have a secret affair in a living situation like that, no matter how big and luxurious your house is, but you can never be sure, especially with celebrities. Naysayers will argue that there’s nothing going on, but then others point to these pics of Tashi coaching Patrick the day before the Australian Open. Or maybe this pic of Art hugging Patrick after his third-day win. Or this one of Patrick bowing to both of them in the stands in the middle of that same match. Could be nothing… but… wouldn’t it be crazy if it was something?
There haven’t been many new interviews with Art, Tashi, or Patrick, due to the aforementioned lack of tennis stuff, so there’s no real way to gauge the vibe of their three-way relationship, and that’s why I think the fans have latched onto it so much. It’s Schrodinger’s drama—no way to prove it, no way to disprove it. That’s why the real test will come once the world is back to normal and tennis awakes from its slumber. When we see them talk about and with each other in the present, the conspiracy will either wash away like it was never there, or it will become more powerful than our tiny, lockdown-addled brains can imagine.
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for sale. art. out of style. @dcnvIdscn
yeah they’re gonna find out about all this aren’t they
ellie (social distancing edition) @loveisnothing
good. maybe it’ll awaken something in them
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Patrick Zweig
[2:36] a guy i used to hook up with just sent me this sarahjones.medium.com/is-this-tennis-cheating-scan-6b11bd55a6b
[2:37] jesus christ tashi put your phone on do not disturb, you’re gonna wake art
[2:37] wait fuck
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Catherine Zimmerman @catzimmerman
Shoutout yet again to Art Donaldson, with whom I briefly went to tennis boarding school. What a strange time in my life. I sincerely doubt he remembers me, LOL
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[Image: A selfie taken by Tashi, who is in the middle with a somewhat exasperated closed-mouth smile. On her left, Patrick is grinning wide, eyes pointed toward her and Art instead of the camera, like the picture was taken a moment too early or too late. On her right, Art grins contentedly, Patrick’s arm around his shoulder.]
50,308 likes
tashid People have been asking for a picture of the three of us, so here you go.
Comments:
jules_h i’m sure tennis twitter will be very normal about this
zaralevy OH MY GOD OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!!!
p.zweig the life of a celebrity is so demanding. have people always been this invested in your design for living???
lilacsage a QUEEN and two guys
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ellie (crisis edition) @loveisnothing
DON’T EVEN TALK TO ME RIGHT NOW I’M NOT OK
ellie (crisis edition) @loveisnothing
SOMEBODY TALK TO ME ABOUT THIS RIGHT NOW OR I WILL DIE
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#1 tashi stan @dvncanator
Good Evening, “tennis” was a century-long sociological study conducted by Harvard University. We are now complete with our study. Thank you for your time.
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my cousin was on the tennis team at stanford in the mid 00s and was sorta acquaintances with art donaldson and he just told me he’s pretty sure patrick and tashi were dating???? her freshman year????? has anyone else heard this?????
#i was so blown away i was like you’ve gotta be thinking of someone else bc i’ve never fucking heard that #my cousin is cool btw he never played tennis professionally but he did try to teach me how to play when i was little #i didn’t appreciate it at the time bc i didn’t know about gay people yet #tennis rpf
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tennis amongus @R4F4ELN4D4L
current folders on my computer:
- memes for if patrick is sleeping with tashi
- memes for if patrick is sleeping with art
- memes for if nothing is going on at all
- memes for if they’re somehow a throuple
zara donaldson @federerererer
u know. that medium article might be right. maybe we are losing our minds
tennis amongus @R4F4ELN4D4L
well YEAH. doesn’t mean we’re wrong!
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Patrick
[12:01] art
[12:01] arthur donaldson
[12:02] come play tennis with me
Art <3
[12:03] Give a guy time to get changed, Patrick!
Patrick
[12:03] your wife promised not to coach you this time
[12:04] she’s right here i’m an eyewitness
Art <3
[12:05] If memory serves, you were the one who told her to stop giving me tips…
Patrick
[12:06] oh ok so i’m the bad guy! all of a sudden!!
Art <3
[12:07] Remember, tennis is a relationship
Patrick
[12:08] yeah. well.
[12:08] how about you come out here and prove it
[12:09] tashi says i’m smiling at my phone too much when i should be improving my game
[12:09] she’s always been a buzzkill
Art <3
[12:11] I’m walking to you right now!
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for sale. art. out of style. @dcnvIdscn
it’s honestly so funny bc art, tashi and patrick just aren’t online. they’re not posting. i’m still in shock they posted that single selfie, like… if something was going down we’d have to find out some other way.
for sale. art. out of style. @dcnvIdscn
open the opens!!!!
tennis amongus @R4F4ELN4D4L
someone needs to ask biden what his plan is for getting to the bottom of what’s going on in the donaldson household
for sale. art. out of style. @dcnvIdscn
THIS IS A KEY ISSUE!
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Art Donaldson
[10:15] By the way, should we be worried about all this speculation online about us and Patrick?
Tashi <3
[10:23] Eh.
Art Donaldson
[10:26] I guess they’ll find out the truth eventually
[10:28] He won’t be able to stop himself from kissing one of us after a match forever, haha
Tashi <3
[10:33] Pretty much
[10:35] Patrick says we can spin it into a marketing campaign
[10:36] “Something about how there’s love in tennis. Love is love”
[10:36] Your boyfriend is a genius
Art Donaldson
[10:38] He’s alright
[10:39] We did alright
Tashi <3
[10:44] We did
[10:45] Now come out here and play with us!