Party On: Roberto Bautista Agut's 'amazing year' at home, and on court

Coming into this season, Roberto Bautista Agut was a well-established, productive veteran on the ATP tour. Consistent and solid were two adjectives that went hand-in-hand with the Spaniard, who like many competitors from his nation, could be counted on to put forth a concerted effort until the final point was played.

Those traits haven’t changed in 2019, but Bautista Agut’s resume certainly has. He memorably defeated Andy Murray over five sets in a thrilling first-round match at the Australian Open, ultimately surmounting his 0-9 mark in round of 16 matches on the major stage. He twice rallied from a set down to defeat world No. 1 Novak Djokovic and later took the Serbian to four sets in his first Slam semifinal at Wimbledon, a result that forced Bautista Agut to push back his bachelor party plans in Ibiza.

“The experiences that you are living every year must help you to improve your level, many aspects are behind the evolution,” Bautista Agut told Tennis.com. “For sure, if you have a good balance between life and sport, you can play on court with the right attitude, spirit, and mentality.”

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Fourteen years after he turned pro, Bautista Agut broke into the Top 10 for the first time in mid-August. Now, the 31-year-old has his sights on another milestone, earning his place at the ATP Finals for the first time. He began the week ranked No. 9 in the Race to London, just 40 points behind eighth position holder, Matteo Berrettini. Both must advance to the quarterfinals or better this week to add points to their totals.

“It would be fantastic, but if it happens or not, my feeling of the year is amazing. Not only on the results, also about my growing as a tennis player,” Bautista Agut said. “I feel that my perspective of this sport is deeper, The concepts of the game are more real than before and this is very important for my next seasons on tour.”

Throughout his career, Bautista Agut has proven himself as an all-surface player, hoisting trophies on hard, grass and clay to go along with second-week appearances at all four majors. Two weeks of indoor hard-court tennis are the final opportunity for Bautista Agut to make his move in his quest to reach The O2. Entering the ATP 500 event in Basel this week, Bautista Agut was 54-37 lifetime indoors, with one title to his name.

“I had a good practice week at home to prepare [for the] indoor tournaments and I’m very excited to compete in the last two tournaments,” Bautista Agut said. “Indoors are always different tournaments, and everything is faster. I will try to be aggressive, play with big intentions to be ready for the big points."

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Regardless of what happens with Bautista Agut’s bid to reappear in London—a city with a warm place in his heart—the world No. 10 has plenty to look forward to before the year is up. In November, he will suit up for Spain in the revamped Davis Cup finals, held in Madrid, and will tie the knot with longtime girlfriend Ana Bodi Tortosa. This time around, Bautista Agut made sure his calendar was clear of potential work commitments.

“Our wedding date is at the end of November when everything is done, after Davis Cup in Spain,” Bautista Agut said. “Wimbledon was different, but it was very funny and we always remember that situation with my friends. It was great, seeing my face on the press conference when a journalist asked me about a bachelor party that I didn’t understand in English. It was [one of the] funniest moments of the year.”

Bautista Agut opened his Basel title hunt Tuesday with a 6-4, 7-5 victory over last year’s surprise finalist Marius Copil. Seeded No. 4, Bautista Agut is in the same quarter as fellow Race to London hopeful David Goffin and is looking to advance beyond the last eight for the first time in his third successive appearance.