With the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals all set to start in a few hours at the O2 Arena, in London, it was time for the Top 8 players to warm up to the event by taking the Mannequin Challenge. As the WTA counterpart sportingly took up the ‘Cracker Challenge’ late last month at the WTA Finals that was held in Singapore, it was absolutely fair that the men, here at London, made sure that they too were game enough for any sort of a dare.
The easiest part of the challenge might have been in asking the players to align themselves in front of their respective locker rooms, but the tricky part was they had to motion-freeze and stand like a mannequin for at least, a minute, so that the video can be shot.
It’s very difficult with all of them standing in the corridor and joking around and being unable to keep still as well as hilarious at the same time. The always entertaining Gael Monfils was his usual self, sharing laughs in French with Stanlias Wawrinka. The Swiss was improvising as well, playing director and changing how he'd hold his racquet. It was the brand new World Number 1, Andy Murray, who was given the most difficult job to master, as he had to stand with a selfie stick in his hand and keep his arm steadfast as after a minute, the top 8, would close in behind him for the Top 8 selfie, which he was to take.
As the minute neared an end, his arm wavered shakily as he mouthed a, “Can’t.Stop.Shaking!”
It took about 10 minutes to pull off the stunt with the Top 8, who stood still in their suits before taking a boat to the Official Launch presented by Moet & Chandon. But most of the time was in the preparation. It was filmed in one 60-second take.With the likes of Stan Wawrinka in a freeze-frame with his racquet to Gael Monfils holding a headphone over his ears to Kei Nishikori being interviewed by a journalist or Novak Djokovic leaning in behind Murray, getting ready for the selfie as Murray is trying hard to stifle his laughter.
Dominic Thiem hadn't heard of the social media trend of filming people standing still, but the London debutante was on board with the viral craze that has been attempted by everyone – social media stars, internet users and basketballing wonders LeBron James and Steph Curry among others.
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