A memento from an athlete is a lovely symbol of fellowship

Dear Fan, Yes, you, the stranger at Arthur Ashe Stadium on Aug 31 night. The one who got the racket (it was hard to see with the crowd but I hoped you were a kid). Maybe you never knew much about Jan-Lennard Struff before, but now you won't forget him.

- Rohit Brijnath

He was schooled, you saw, by Novak Djokovic in the fourth round of the US Open, losing in straight sets, then packing his bags but keeping two rackets in his hand.

That's weird, I thought. Except he walked by the crowd on his way out and paused and handed the rackets over. One to someone else. One to you. Maybe he did it because he was once a fan in Germany and adored his countryman Tommy Haas. Those days Haas wore his cap back to front and so does Struff now. Mimicry is worship.

What part of sport do you like? The tension, the artistry, the doggedness? Maybe you also like the moment when the last point ends and athletes appreciate their audience and send a cap spinning into the crowd. I wish more would do it to young people because it's like a seed scattered into the wind. Something wonderful will grow.

If you watch sport, you've seen women footballers unlacing boots or stripping off shirts as Sam Kerr did and tossing them to little girls whose grins will take a week to fade. Personally, I respect women athletes more because they're more aware they need to be evangelists. Girls face more resistance when it comes to playing sport and so this sisterhood is meaningful.