The idea of walking up to a stranger’s home to spend the night may seem odd, but for many professional tennis players, it quickly becomes the norm.
When I was 16 and just starting out on tour, I traveled to six ITF Pro Circuit tournaments in Mexico by myself. I didn’t have a per diem, nor did I have a parent, coach or trainer with me—just the support of my housing families.
Every week, I’d play a different event. And every week, I’d become part of a different family, meeting new people from around the country who offered me a place to sleep and a meal to eat.
One of my housing families has become an ingrained part of my immediate family. In 2010, my coach reached out to the WTA for a housing option in Melbourne, during the Australian Open.
The housing program ended the previous year because not enough players had requested it. Regardless, one family—the Littlewoods—had been adamant about offering up their home.
This past January, I stayed with the Littlewoods during the Australian Open for the eighth year in a row. They have been there for all of my ups and downs Down Under. The first year I played, they watched all of my qualifying rounds. The next year, I reached the main draw, and soon we were making friendly bets on every match I won. If I ever beat a seeded player in Melbourne, Pete Littlewood, the father of the family, has to get a tattoo of a platypus.
An unexpected perk of landing with a housing family are the pets. Bailey, also known as the “crazy poodle” (at least according to my Aussie Mom, Jenny) is the sweetest and most wonderful pup I have ever met. Every January, Bailey remembers me, and that’s a special moment I look forward to.
There are a few reasons why families want to house players. They could be members of a tournament’s tennis club; they could be fans; they may want to show their children what it really takes to be a professional athlete. But the biggest thing they will get out of it—like me—is the experience itself.
Some families are eager to know everything about the players, and offer to cook dinners, do laundry or even lend out their cars. Others leave players to their own devices. One housing family would leave me a gift basket on my bed with a bunch of essential travel items. Another housing family gave me access to their house and car, and I fended for myself as if I was in a free Airbnb. One housing family always surprised me with a gift at the end of the tournament because it was close to Valentine’s Day.
Every experience is different, but it is always great, both for convenience and finances. Even if you’re playing in the main draw of a Grand Slam, you’re not given a free hotel; you’re given per diem to cover your expenses. If you have a coach with you, you’ll need two hotel rooms, so you could be spending up to $3,000 just on accommodation.
The families I’ve met make my tournaments about more than just tennis. Thanks to housing, I have new friends all over the world, and I try my hardest to keep up with them. They’ve left an impact on my life and my career—which at the end of the day means more to me than the money I’ve saved.
