Ask me anything about being a professional tennis player

[fpeliwo]

Originally Posted by KoolTennisKid

Hey, a hundred congratulations man!!!! i love your playing style, very aggresive and just full of that "spark" that we all need. just a quick questions, now that your a pro will you be planning to change any small part part of your game, equipment wise or like the way you play? And what is your current string set up and what tension?

Well I don't think I will need to change anything, I just need to keep improving every aspect of my game in order to develop into a well-rounded player.

Equipment wise I might try to add a bit of weight to my rackets with lead tape.

I use Luxilon Original strung at around 54 lbs, depending on the stringing machine.

[thejackal]

Originally Posted by dominikk1985

g
Maybe if you have some boring time you could come over to the tips/instruction subforum. there are some pretty heated discussions and the opinion of a pro would be very interesting.

That would be interesting...in many ways. Trainwreck waiting to happen probably.

On another note Filip's already up to 30 posts in less than a day. Maybe he's looking to get to #1 on TalkTennis post ranking first? Haha

[fpeliwo]

Originally Posted by Charlzz

Who do you think is better at Gangnam dancing--you or Novak Djokovic?

But seriously, what are you working on to get you to the top 100?

I think that Novak does it better :P

I'm just going to keep working hard on and off the court, on every aspect of my game, and take it step by step. Nothing super specific really.

[JustBob]

Tell Vacek and Fred not to be so darn loud when they practice, it's very distracting when you're trying to play a match on the adjacent court.

[fpeliwo]

Originally Posted by LeeD

Thanks for coming on this forum.
One thing WE could help YOU with.... We can put you up for a few nights near some of the events you're going to, so you can save time and money looking for a place to hang and shower. And if we provide you transportation to or from the event site, it would make it almost worth your while to answer some of our dumb question.
You only need to post your proposed schedule a few weeks in advance, and I"m sure you can find a place to say, some food, a shower, and maybe a ride.
That part alone usually takes up hours of your time, and distracts you from focusing on your match.

That will definitely be something I will keep in mind. I'll try to keep this up to date with my tournament schedule.

[sundaypunch]

Congratulations for all that you have achieved. You will have a lot of people here rooting for you now.

[nissrro]

Hi Filip!

what is your schedule like for the rest of the year? which tourneys are you going to try play

Thanks!

[thejackal]

Originally Posted by nissrro

Hi Filip!

what is your schedule like for the rest of the year? which tourneys are you going to try play

Thanks!

Filip's next tournament: http://www.itftennis.com/procircuit/...tid=1100027590

Then 2 more ITF Futures in Mexico the following weeks

[dmcb101]

Originally Posted by fpeliwo

Most of the drills I do are focused on movement, speed, and consistency. We try to vary them when we can, but if I had to choose one, I would say its when my coach is at the net volleying, moving me all around the court, into the net and back to the baseline, side to side. I have to make 6 or 7 sets of 40 shots in a row generally, although that is open to change depending on what I need to work on.

Appreciate your response. Saw a couple matches of yours on YT and I am a big fan of your playing style. Thanks!

[beast of mallorca]

Originally Posted by fpeliwo

I would say I'm away about 60% of the year. My parents never really accompany me on the trips, as its quite expensive.

I actually don't take care of the travel arrangements, as Tennis Canada does that for me. They pay for pretty much everything, including flights, hotels, training. Without them I would not be able to travel like I have been for the past few years.

My parents are far from wealthy, in fact they went into debt trying to support my tennis before Tennis Canada provided me with funding. All in all I am extremely fortunate to be able to play on the tour, and would not be able to if not for Tennis Canada's support, so I'd like to thank them.

Well, as a tennis fan, hope and pray for your success in the tour. Hope you get up the rankings soon ! Maybe you're the glue that will unite the Rafa and Fed fans here in TW

[Tammo]

I have been tracking the junior slams and happy to see you do well.

Would you mention TTW to other players/juniors?

Best of luck in the future.

EDIT: who is your friend (if they have an account?)

[Avles]

Hi Filip,

Thanks for doing this-- really classy and a nice opportunity for everyone here.

My question: when (and how) did you realize that pro tennis was going to be your career?

[jokinla]

Originally Posted by jaggy

When will you overtake Donald Young in the rankings?

Are you excited to play DY, an easy win wouldn't hurt?

[sonicare]

If you played federer/nadal/djokovic right now in a proper match, how many games would you win in 1 set?

do players generally get along in the locker rooms? or is there tension/cliques behind the scenes?

[Cheetah]

Hi Filip,

Thanks for joining the board. We'll all be rooting for you now.
Stop by the tips and instruction forum someday if you have time.
Good luck on your climb up the rankings.

[thejackal]

Originally Posted by Cheetah

Hi Filip,

Thanks for joining the board. We'll all be rooting for you now.
Stop by the tips and instruction forum someday if you have time.
Good luck on your climb up the rankings.

hey cheetah, my folks live in san diego and I usually spend the winter months there. what level do you play? might be able to get a hit in this december

[TheCanadian]

Originally Posted by fpeliwo

I didn't really solve that problem until I moved to Montreal to work with Tennis Canada, so until then I was behind a bit, mostly on the matchplay aspect (I didn't have the chance to play as many tournaments as most other top-level juniors because of the expenses).

With my dad, I would do the general feeding drills that everyone does, such as 2 crosscourt 1 down the line.

I believe that hard work is the most important factor in becoming a top pro, but with that being said, talent is also necessary. In my opinion, there has to be some talent to begin with in order to achieve that level.

So before moving to Montreal how many hours did you spend on court with your dad? Do you remember? I have a son and I'm curious to know how much time I should be spending with him on a court. I assume that your results must have been very impressive in the juniors nonetheless if Tennis Canada invited you to train in Montreal. What was your ranking as a 12-year-old, for example? How good do you need to be for Tennis Canada to invite you to its training centre?

[Cheetah]

Originally Posted by thejackal

hey cheetah, my folks live in san diego and I usually spend the winter months there. what level do you play? might be able to get a hit in this december

5.0. Let me know. I'm always looking for new people to play. I can play any day any time.

[TennisNinja]

Damn I remember seeing you come down to Washington for a few tournaments a couple years back and just wrecking all the top guys.

[leroy_sunset]

I saw your Wimbledon match this year. You're one hell of a player. I think you can go really far if you apply yourself.

If you're still answering questions: did you see the Rosol/Rafa match this year? Thoughts? Do you dream one day of an upset like that?

I've always said "any top 200 player, on his best day, can beat any top 10 player." Here's hoping you get your shot!