ladykaroo
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The moment the ball hits the court, fitting perfectly inside the lines, Jannik freezes.
He sees him fall to the ground on the other side of the net. He buries his face in his hands, smiling blindingly. When he gets up, there is clay all over his kit, clinging to his back and legs.
There’s clay all over Jannik’s hands too. He feels sick when he glances at his palms. Disbelief mixes with resentment in his stomach and Jannik thinks he’s going to throw up.
Yet, he somehow drags himself to Alcaraz, congratulating him robotically. He can’t stand to look at him, the triumph on his face making Jannik feel angry. Furious, even. He grips Alcaraz’s hand tighter than he probably should, his knuckles whitening. The other man doesn’t wince, though. He only smirks at Jannik, victorious. “Great match”, Alcaraz says to him perfectly politely. But there is a malicious glint in his eyes, Jannik swears he sees it.
Series
- Part 1 of (to become) one of the greats
Bookmarked by ladykaroo
17 Apr 2026
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Carlos came to Northern Italy for Christmas when he was five. He met a local boy with ginger hair and pale skin. They exchange gifts on Christmas Eve.
Based on a tumblr prompt with childhood sweetheart sincaraz.
Bookmarked by ladykaroo
04 Apr 2026
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Jannik shifts on the bed, prepared to turn his phone off and call it a night, but his phone buzzes again.
Charlie: Hola doubles partner! 👋😄
Bookmarked by ladykaroo
27 Mar 2026
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Carlos knew why he never stopped to think much about 2023, the disappointment of the high he felt that year and the nothingness that followed in the next two was a barely healed wound – at any time it could open up again and let the melancholy flood his bloodstream. God, he even though he could become Janniks boyfriend at some point… And now he questioned if they could even be considered friends.
The text message made him remember those few days in the Alicante winter. He was so excited about the prospect of having his object of affection in this familiar place that it was still tough to think, even a couple of years later, what had fundamentally altered in that december. It was one more instance of things changing quickly and Carlos not being able to grasp it until the status quo had already solidified into a different kind of relationship. Had he scared Jannik away with his eagerness to be together? Or, and it was much harder to admit it as a possibility, did Jannik realize after his first Grand Slam title that he didn’t want to be so close to Carlos? That he didn’t need him anymore?
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Janniks text leaves Carlos questioning the status of their (non-existent) relationship.
Bookmarked by ladykaroo
27 Feb 2026
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Summary
Jannik hits a clean shot, a lashing forehand that lands the ball deep in the ad court, grazing the line and lifting a wisp of white off the grass. The kick of the topspin dizzies the ball into the air. Carlos, out of position, jumps and lunges toward it, throwing all of his weight forward.
Jannik can tell he’s going to miss. He’s already turning to his team, one fist raised, when the ball whizzes past Carlos’s outstretched racket.
He doesn’t see Carlos land. He doesn’t see him collapse into the dirt.
He hears a crack, like a heavy tree branch, snapping in a windstorm.
He only looks back when Carlos starts screaming.
Bookmarked by ladykaroo
20 Feb 2026