February Blog
Not only is this blog up and running in 2025, but spring is also slowly making its way to Switzerland (along with my pollen allergy… hurray). But before I could sit outside in a shirt with a coffee, writing this entry, February gave me some seriously cold (and cool) competition days. Let’s see how I fell in love with Prague, had to follow a police car, and once again, why working smart is just as important as working hard.
Since Leandro spent the month still in crutches, our work was still very limited. Still, we had plenty of deep talks and worked on off court aspects, like having the right mindset, different attitude, and goals beyond results. In a way, this time brought us closer together - learning from each other more than ever.
Meanwhile, this situation gave me the opportunity to support and coach Céline Naef at two ITF 75k’s – one in Prague and one in Trnava. So, on a Sunday morning, we set off towards Prague with the car.
The first few days were challenging. With only two match courts and one practice court available for everyone. Late night practices and eventually late night matches meant we were unable to see the city and basically spent the days between hotel, gym and courts. Something people often underestimate when they think traveling for tennis is equal to sightseeing. It wasn’t until she played in the first rotation of the day and eventually lost in the quarterfinal, that we had time to explore the city. Thanks to some restaurant insider tips from Sebastian Korda we really tasted Czech kitchen… oh boy - one meal was better than the other. Schnitzel, goulash, grilled cheese… you name it. (And, of course, plenty of Czech beer– sorry mom and dad, if you are reading this.)
After Prague, we had around 4 days to get to Trnava – a 4-hour drive. Céline had left a lot of energy on and off court due to health and personal reasons, so by the time we got there, both of us were running low on fuel. Therefore, I decided to dial back the quantity of practice, but maximize the quality instead. Additionally, we spent as much time as possible in Bratislava’s old town (close to Trnava) and, well… the food coma only got worse at this point - but man they know how to cook. That decision helped Céline to reset mentally and recharge. Long story short, before eventually falling short in the semifinal, she battled through 3 tough 3-set matches and also took second place in doubles. Two weeks, 11 matches. More than we ever expected.
What I didn’t expect either, was to see my car parked outside the hotel with a wheel clamp on it. Turns out it wasn’t the hotel parking but rather a paid parking zone - which I OBVIOUSLY hadn’t paid for. (At first, I was genuinely afraid I had committed some terrible crime). The policewomen who unlocked the clamp told me the fine is usually 50€, but for me, 20€ is okay. I never knew my flirting skills were that good – I AM KIDDING. Seriously, I have no idea why I got discount. But since I had no cash, I had to follow their police car to an ATM and pay the fine. I still wonder what would’ve happened if I had turned left when they turned right…okay, focus.
Actually, that wraps up the month of February. Lots of matches, food and 20€ straight into the pocket of the Slovakian police. I’ll see you next month.
