I’m back in Miami for a few days after my trip to Germany, before I leave for World Team Tennis, and I wanted to give you a quick update on how the trip went.  When I got to Frankfurt I found out that my flight to Stuttgart had been cancelled because of a strike, so I had to drive there, which turned out to be faster and easier. That evening, I attended the MercedesCup Laureus Charity Gala, which was in support of the Laureus ‘Sport For Good’ Foundation. The gala was really entertaining because a lot of great athletes attended and I was able to meet them all! It was especially cool when the famous Formula 1 racer Mika Hakkinen bought my signed racquet for 5,000 Euros during the live auction. I was totally surprised and shocked that a tennis racquet would go for so much, but I guess when it’s for a good cause people are willing to spend a bit more. During that evening I also got to spend time with my great friend Barbara Schett. It was fantastic to catch up with her and reminisce about old times…we certainly had some good laughs together!

 

After the gala I had to go to sleep early, as I had to get ready for the ProAm at 9am the next day. My actual mixed doubles match was at 2pm that day and I played with Henri Leconte against Barbara and Michael Stich. It was awesome to play on red clay again, as I haven’t played on it in about a year.  The match was close, we won 9-8, (7-2 in the tiebreaker), and I felt really comfortable and enjoyed being on the court, so I hope the fans loved it too. We had some amazing points and, of course, Henri Leconte was hilarious! On the last day in Germany I had to wake up at 4am to catch my flight back to the States, so even though I didn’t get a lot of sleep over those few days, it was a really great trip! It felt good to be back in Germany, as I have so many great memories from my playing days there.

 

Don’t forget to check out the WTT matches, and I’ll be back soon with updates!