We woke up early to a surprising sight—snow had quietly fallen throughout the night, leaving a thin white layer across the courts and blanketing the surrounding mountains. Ice was everywhere, even making it difficult to access the courts. Winter had certainly arrived, and it felt like an unexpected obstacle for us.
With the courts temporarily out of commission, we made the decision to head straight to the gym. We kicked off the day with an intense cardio session, pushing the pace and increasing the speed to get the heart rate up and maintain fitness levels despite the challenging weather. The altitude and cold made it feel tougher, but this type of work is necessary to build the endurance needed for match conditions. Afterward, we followed up with a thorough stretching session, loosening up muscles and ensuring flexibility to avoid injuries later in the day.
As the morning progressed, the sun finally peeked through the clouds, and slowly but surely, the snow began to melt. The hotel staff worked tirelessly to clear the courts. While waiting for the courts to be ready, we turned our focus indoors, making the most of the downtime by analyzing some top players’ videos. We spent a focused hour breaking down patterns of play and decision-making, discussing how to implement similar tactics into our own game. This off-court technical session was a great way to prepare mentally for upcoming matches, as we reviewed different strategies and how to adapt them based on opponents and conditions.
As the weather cleared up a little, we decided to hit the courts for a short 45-minute footwork session. Although we didn’t use any balls, the focus was entirely on movement—working on balance, stance, and recovery steps. This type of training is just as important as hitting, especially when the conditions make regular practice difficult. We wrapped it up just before heading to lunch, energized and focused.
After a light, nutritious lunch, we finally got back on court for a hitting session with two players—one from Turkey and the other from the U.S. It was a solid hour of practice, where we worked on applying the patterns and decision-making strategies discussed earlier. The wind and biting cold (a brisk 3°C) made it far from ideal for fine-tuning strokes, but it was good to have some meaningful ball contact. We fought the elements as best we could, trying to stay warm and focused despite the conditions.
At 3:45 p.m., we were back on the court for our second session of the day, this time only with the US player. These individual sessions are always great for refining technique and addressing specific tactical areas. We went deep into certain areas of the game, focusing on serve mechanics, footwork, and anticipating shots. Even in the cold, it felt like progress was being made, and every session brought a sense of improvement.
As the day drew to a close, we headed back to the gym for our final session—this time focused on injury prevention and a good stretch to wind down. I also squeezed in some personal cardio work on the treadmill and bike, which I’ve found crucial to maintaining energy levels and stamina during these long days on tour. The consistency of staying active, whether on court or in the gym, is vital in tennis. You can’t take shortcuts if you want to perform well under the demanding conditions of the sport—or in life, for that matter.
Finally, it was time to relax and refuel with a well-deserved dinner. A warm soup and steamed veggies were the perfect comfort after a cold, physically taxing day. With a sense of accomplishment and a plan for tomorrow, it was time to rest up and get ready to face whatever the tour throws at us next. Another day in the life of a tennis player, and I’m looking forward to what’s ahead.