Kings for a Week: Houston event takes player housing to the next level

HOUSTON, TX—For some of us, hotel rooms mean vacation time. For professional tennis players, they represent another week of work on tour. So perhaps it’s no surprise that several of them opt to skip the Doubletree upon arriving in Houston, TX for the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship and stay with local host families instead.

Private housing is an option rarely available at the tour level, and this clay-season opener sets an impossibly high standard should more events attempt to follow suit. The tournament is nestled in Houston’s ultra-affluent River Oaks district, home to some of the largest residences in the city. Instead of getting a bed in a spare room, the athletes here often receive a key to the guesthouse or, in Jack Sock’s case, an entire wing.

“I was thinking I might stay for a few weeks afterward,” joked the American of his temporary digs.

The 23-year-old defending champion is enjoying his first year in private housing. His home for the week, which spans over 34,000 square feet, is located on Lazy Lane Boulevard, a half-mile avenue ranked No. 4 on Zillow.com’s list of the most expensive streets in the country last year. With features like a chandelier once owned by Napoléon III and a backyard chapel imported piece-by-piece from France, it has been an eye-popping experience for the world No. 25.

“They label [the guest area] the ‘West Wing,’” Sock said. “I usually do not stay in 'wings.'

“As a sports fan, it’s pretty fun. They have an indoor basketball court and a projector screen about 200 inches big. They’ve got a full gym, steam room, sauna room and massage room. Everything you need is right there. It’s pretty comfortable.”

In addition to posting an Instagram photo poolside, Sock has been using the social media app Snapchat to show off his accommodations. Fellow American Denis Kudla likes what he sees.

“Jack was the lucky one this year,” Kudla said. “I’m sure he might try to call dibs on that in the future. We’ll see. They’ve got a church in their backyard. It’s unbelievable.”

The tournament’s stadium court, which sits on the grounds of the exclusive River Oaks Country Club, has seen tennis legends like Bjorn Borg, Rod Laver, Ivan Lendl and Boris Becker slide on the Americanized version of red clay. It’s a small venue that appears far more intimate when juxtaposed with the palatial pads flanking the nearby entrance to the club grounds. John Isner, the 2013 champion, stays in one of those gated compounds just a tennis ball’s throw from the site.

“Everything [about the house] is perfect,” Isner said. “Whatever you could possibly ask for is there. [Design] is not exactly my forte, but I have taken some pictures. There are definitely some takeaways for my dream house.”

The top American landed his current housing setup by taking advantage of Lleyton Hewitt’s absence from the Houston field in 2011, moving into the guesthouse the Australian had enjoyed during his prior trips to Texas. When Hewitt returned to the tournament two years later, he ended up back at the tournament hotel.

Isner’s hosts often cheer him on from their courtside box, another benefit to the housing arrangement in Houston. Players stay with the same families year after year, building relationships and creating a hometown feel.

Brazil’s Andre Sa invited several of his ATP colleagues over for pizza night last year, courtesy of his host family and their two sons. Janko Tipsarevic also benefitted from the local support in 2015. The Serb’s hosts celebrated from his box as he won his first match back after an extended injury layoff.

Each year the U.S. Men’s Clay Court Championship ends up placing around a quarter of its players in private housing, but word—and Instagram photos—of the cushy accommodations have led to an uptick in player requests in recent years, according to tournament director Bronwyn Greer.

“It’s definitely part of the history of the tournament, part of the heritage,” Greer said. “It’s one of the unique things about us that helps set us apart and makes us a favorite spot for many of the guys to come back to.

“Some of the guys are funny about it,” Greer added with a laugh. “We’re driving down the boulevard, pulling up to some of these houses and they say, ‘That’s where I’m staying?’ Until they actually stay in [one of the homes], they don’t get it. Once you stay, you’re all about telling everyone that they should do it as well.