Lopez on Fatherhood and Future
By Richard PagliaroAgeless Feliciano Lopez is still going strong at age 39. The Spanish left-hander will soon be a first-time father and has no plans of slowing down on court.Lopez lashed 21 aces and won all 34 of his first-serve points rallying from a deep tiebreaker deficit to defeat Filip Krajinovic 7-6(11), 6-1 in his Rolex Paris Masters opener today.More: Halep Tests Positive For CoronavirusLopez wed long-time fiancée Sandra Gago on his 38th birthday September 20th, 2019.The couple are expecting their first child either next month or in January and Lopez is planning on playing a full scheduled in 2021."I'm ready to play full schedule again," Lopez said. "I feel great on the court. As soon as I'm physically ready, I think I can still compete. I feel good, and especially on these courts, indoor, grass, hard courts where I feel more comfortable, I think I'm still able to perform and to enjoy and to play against the best players in the world."As soon as I'm able to do that, I will continue playing. It will be a very special year, because my wife is giving birth by either December or January, first week of January. This is the due date."
Lopez played his record-extending 74th consecutive Grand Slam at Roland Garros in September and is aiming to lengthen his major longevity streak at the Australian Open in January while continuing his role as Mutua Madrid Open tournament director.
"It is very challenging, because it's something I was not used to do in the past, so there is a lot of things that I'm learning," Lopez said. "I was able to see tennis on the other side, and it's really interesting for me as a person, you know. I think it's a big challenge for me to be there, to learn a lot of things."So far I'm so happy with my job as a tournament director. I think it's a great opportunity that was given to me a few years ago, and, yeah, I'm really enjoying, no?"Photo credit: @TheQueensClub]]>
