August Blog
Just as time seemed to fly by during the flights over the Atlantic Ocean in recent weeks, the month of August also passed quickly. It was a month packed with variety, where I found myself in different roles: competitor, coach, student, even spectator and experienced everything from the uptight Swiss culture all the way to the craziness of the USA. In other words - the land of the free. In every sense. (I’ll spare you from not really appealing examples.)
Every year, in the first week of August, the Swiss first division club matches take place across the country. The five best teams battle it out, with the top two advancing to the final. I’ve been playing for the all-white-tradition club TC Genève for over six years now. We were the Swiss national champions last year, so our goal was clear: Same, same, but different (year).
After four days of tough competition, we made it to the final once again. I was playing some solid doubles with Jakub Paul (we’ve partnered up in plenty of tournaments). I never played a singles match though - some would say because I was too weak for our team’s lineup, while some would say, because it’s absolutely crucial to save energy for incredibly intense doubles. You do believe in what you want (and so do I). Unfortunately, we fell short in the final vs. TC Seeblick. However, a highlight was when I received this season’s M(F)P award. No, it’s not the Most-Fittest-Player award (though it would make sense, considering how much energy I “strategically” saved for doubles). It was the Most-Fair-Player award. I guess I got the award because I graciously let the other team members play singles, giving our opponents at least a small chance to beat us… Okay, I’m getting carried away - back to business.
Finals on Saturday, flight to the States on Sunday. Time spent at home in between: 13 hours. After many hours of travel, I finally landed in Cary - North Carolina, on Monday afternoon. There, I was long awaited by Leandro and other Swiss players. Cary was the place of the pre-tournament prior to the US Open. Leandro was set to play Monday late afternoon, so I arrived just on time for his match. Unfortunately, some ongoing knee issue hindered him from finishing the match. With more time on our hands, we watched some of Viki’s (Viktorija Golubic) matches and I had some great conversations with Yanina Wickmayer, who was there to support another young Swiss player – Celine Naef. Yanina, a former US Open semi-finalist with a career high of no. 12 had a lot to share.
It was interesting to hear her take on the sport. We chatted about our “why’s” and how they are the foundation of passion and resilience. When she was my age, she told me her “why” was the freedom she felt to express herself between tennis lines. For me, it’s always been the figuring out what and how I can do better. Two totally different approaches, yet the same passion for the sport. And I’m sure there are thousands of other “why’s” out there, which reminds me of what I love to do: listening to and learning from other people’s stories, motivations, struggles and everything that comes along with life and sports. Additionally, I got inspired to start a new section on this blog. From now on, I’ll be sharing a “Quote Of The Month”. To start off, here’s one of Yanina’s when we were talking about putting in the work to achieve something great:
“The only thing that goes up without effort, is the sun”
Before taking off from Carry to New York, our flight was grounded due to the arrival of a VIP guest at the airport. Turned out, that guest was Kamala Harris. While we were parked somewhere off the runway, we watched through the airplane windows, the Air Force Two touching down, guarded by two helicopters. However, at last we were on our way into the concrete jungle – New York city.
Leandro’s knee pain made the real challenge for me figuring out how to get him feeling ready to compete for a Slam while keeping the pain at bay. The big question was, how much practice is enough? And how much is too much? Together, and with the help of Thiemo we found a way to get him feeling competitive going into the first round. The level of play he showed during the match was incredible, but unfortunately, so were the knee issues that followed. This forced him to retire during his second-round qualifying match.
Despite the setback, the tournament week was interesting, especially since Luca came to visit us before heading off to his college. We spent time watching Leandro’s and others’ matches together, and I got to share a little bit of my work and perspectives. We had some deep conversations about tennis, being an athlete and coaching throughout the week. But all that thoughtful tone disappeared quickly when we found ourselves in the Brazilian fan section, watching Joao Fonseca’s match. Everyone was chanting and singing, and eventually, so was Luca – in Portuguese!
The NYC-experience was amazing. Spending some free time in downtown Manhattan, it feels like there’s nothing - or no one - that you can’t find there. While visiting Times Square, we saw Spiderman and a 3-meters-tall human Gorilla waving at each other, next to someone walking around with parrots and a snake on his shoulder, and another dude holding a sign that said, “free hugs”. The funny thing is, all of it just feels so normal there.
In general, I’ve realized that I usually need 2-3 days to match the energy of a new country or city. Those first few days can be mentally tough because it feels like my mind is working hard to adjust to the pace of these places. But once I do, I feel so at home, like I’m living the life of a local. Even when I return back from crowded metropolis back to my hometown, it takes me a few days to adjust back to the neat and calmer energy that defines Swiss culture. And that’s exactly what I’m doing now - adjusting back to life in Switzerland (and the time zone, lol) while finishing this blog.
Some of you might have seen the statement of Leandro a few days ago about his knee injury. Unfortunately, this setback means we won’t be traveling to any tournaments until further notice. Out of respect towards his and the team’s privacy, I won’t go into too much detail for now. However, I’m sure I will have something interesting to write about next month, regardless.
