Embarking upon this year’s Miami Open, two-time grand slam finalist Kevin Anderson felt at home and with good reason.
Since he started playing tennis at the age of six, the 6’8” South African has spent most of his career based in America. Growing up, he represented the University of Illinois. Winning the NCAA doubles title in 2006 followed by reaching the final of the singles competition a year later. It was at university where Anderson would meet his future wife, Kelsey, who he married in 2011. The two now reside in Gulf Stream, Florida. An affluent area of Delray Beach that is only an hour’s drive away from the Miami Open.
“Walking onto the court I felt like there was a lot of people that was excited to see me play and that really felt good.” Anderson commented about his first taste of the new venue.
“At the end of the day, it’s the fans that drive our sport and I’ve worked really hard.” He added.
Relishing in the atmosphere of a place that feels like home, Anderson is known as a player that wants to be respected both on and off the court. He is the co-founder of Realife Tennis, which provides online tennis instructions. In December Anderson raised over $100,000 at the inaugural Grand Slam Cause For the Paws, which supports South Florida’s dog rescue Dezzy’s Second Chance and Ocean Conservancy.
“I always act and perform in a way that people can look up to me, especially kids.”
It was in Miami, where Anderson made his debut in a Masters tournament. At the age of 22 he reached the third round of the 2008 tournament as a qualifier. Getting knocked out by 31st seed Igor Andreev. This year is the first time the venue has moved to the Hard Rock Stadium from Key Biscayne. Forcing many to adapt to the changes, but Anderson hasn’t been too preoccupied with that.
“It’s been interesting because I haven’t played that many points or sets. I was more focused on how my elbow was feeling and how my body was feeling.” He admits.
“To be honest, I haven’t been playing a lot of attention to the court. Whereas, when your body is healthy you are paying attention to the balls and court surface.”
Injury woes
Unfortunately for the South African, 2019 has been far from perfect. An elbow injury forced him to take a nine-week hiatus from the tour. Making Miami only his third tournament of the year played. To put that into perspective, 12 months ago Miami was his sixth event of the season.
Sometimes taking a break from the sport is a blessing in disguise. The brutal demands of travelling the ATP Tour can take its toll of many players regardless of their ranking. However, for Anderson it wasn’t entirely a blessing. Instead, he was in the midst of uncertainty and frustration.
“At the time I didn’t know how long I was going to be out for.” He explained. “Each day was spent training. I was training in the morning, during rehab and going to different places to get different types of therapies. It wasn’t like I was told that I needed to take three or four weeks off to go on holiday.’
“It was nice spending time at home, but it was really busy.”
Like for any other player, Anderson’s inability to play a sport that he earns a living from was frustrating. Although he had seen a silver lining.
“It didn’t necessarily feel like a break. There were tough times, I was missing tournaments that I really enjoyed playing. So that part was a little bit difficult. Mentally, I felt I handled it quite well.”
Ready to make a mark
Twice Anderson has been on the verge of becoming the first South African to win a major title in singles since Johan Kriek back in 1981. Losing to Rafael Nadal in the 2017 US Open final and then Novak Djokovic at Wimbledon last year. Although Anderson’s performance against Djokovic was hindered by his marathon clash with John Isner in the match before that lasted more than six-and-a-half hours. An outcome that created a widespread debate over the use of tiebreakers in the final sets.
Hoping to turn his misfortunes around this year, the world No.7 has his eyes set on a strong clay-court swing, which begins after Miami. He is yet to contest a final on the surface, but remains undeterred about his chances.
“Even heading into the clay court season, it’s a time of the year that I really enjoy.” The Optimistic South African explains. “I’ve made the semis in Madrid last year and I’ve been pretty close to the quarter-finals at the French Open.”
Whilst clay may not be the strongest surface for the fast-serving Anderson, his determination remains unchanged. Now nursing his elbow back to full health, it is expected that he will pose a big threat to the tour once again.
“For me right now it’s one step at a time. Making sure I’m progressing where I want to be with the elbow. It’s about getting matches and playing the tennis I want to be playing.” Anderson outlines.
“I got high hopes. Right now it is about focusing day in and day out. Making sure my elbow responds during match situations..
Anderson will play his fourth round match in Miami on Tuesday against Jordan Thompson.
NOTE: Interview conducted by Luca Baldissera, article written by Adam Addicott
