The Daily Telegraph - Saturday - Travel
CAROLINE WOZNIACKI MY LIFE IN TRAVEL
The women’s world No. 2 tennis player lives out of a suitcase, but still loves checking destinations off her hit list
FOR THE PAST 17 YEARS I’VE
LIVED OUT OF A SUITCASE as I’ve been playing competitive tennis since I was 10 and now I’m on the road at least 28 weeks a year, often getting to tournaments a week in advance to prepare. But I love travelling the globe and exploring new places.
I GET ONE BIG HOLIDAY A YEAR and there’s a break in the tournament schedule in November, so I get a month off. Otherwise, time off has to fit around where I’m training or playing. I get a week off after Wimbledon and a few days off in Paris after the French Open.
I NEVER GET HOMESICK because my dad, Piotr, who has been my coach from the start, always travels with me, and my mum, Anna, is there a lot, too. Even before I started flying for tennis, my older brother Patrick and I travelled because our parents were professional athletes. Dad played football for the Danish team Boldklubben 1909 and Mum was in the Polish national volleyball team.
I REMEMBER A MATCH WITH SERENA WILLIAMS on a holiday in Barbados, which was one of my best family trips. I was playing in a charity exhibition match against Serena, who’s a good friend of mine. I spent 10 days afterwards with my parents and brother staying at the Sandy Lane Hotel. We had the owner’s fivebedroom penthouse suite with a butler and a jacuzzi in the living room. When we weren’t on the beach, Patrick and I went sailing, but what I enjoyed most was the jet ski.
MY EARLIEST HOLIDAY MEMORY is of Barcelona with my family and grandparents. I can still remember how hot and humid it was, so we went to a water park to cool down. I was so little that I had trouble climbing the ladders to the slides, so the people queuing behind me had to keep lifting me up.
NEW YORK IS MY FAVOURITE CITY because of the shopping, especially around Soho and the Upper East Side, because it has a real European feel to it. It really is the city that never sleeps. It’s a bonus that it’s not too far from Europe either. Carbone restaurant is my hidden gem.
ROME IS A CLOSE SECOND because of its culture and history. It’s beautiful and I can’t get enough of the food.
EATING MY WAY ROUND THE GLOBE is one of the things I love. Thai food is my favourite. I’m lucky that my boyfriend David [NBA basketball player David Lee] is great at doing research into locations and arranging all the logistics.
FEEDING MONKS BRINGS YOU GOOD LUCK – or so goes the tradition I learnt while visiting a Buddhist temple on the beach when I was touring in Thailand. I got there at 6.40am, just after sunrise, and the monks emerged to receive the rice and water on offer. It was a great experience.
THE PASTA IN PORTOFINO was unbelievable and one of the best dishes I’d ever had. Italy is one of my favourite holiday destinations. Last summer, after Wimbledon, David and I travelled around Portofino, Sardinia and Venice. If you’re in Sardinia, go to the Hotel Cala di Volpe – they are culinary magicians. It’s definitely worth all the calories.
VENICE DIDN’T LIVE UP TO MY EXPECTATIONS It was just so busy and crammed with tourists. We were there for two days and I’m glad I saw it, but I’m not dying to go back.
BORA BORA IS VERY SPECIAL to me because last November I’d just won the WTA finals in Singapore against Venus Williams, and then David and I travelled to Bora Bora in
VITAMINS
I always take Usana Booster C immune support supplement. When I’m travelling so much and feel run down, it’s my go-to product. £34.95; solari-uk.com
LUGGAGE
I can cram a lot of stuff in this Adidas sports bag – and I can easily squeeze it into the plane’s overhead locker, or the back of a car. £69.95; adidas.co.uk the South Pacific Ocean. It was better than expected because David proposed to me on the beach at sunset. I couldn’t be happier; he’s my soulmate.
BRANDO ISLAND IS INCREDIBLE and it’s where we celebrated our engagement. The island was bought by Marlon Brando in 1973 and renamed after him. There’s a luxury private resort on it that opened a couple of years ago.
DITCH JET LAG SLUGGISHNESS by drinking lots of water on the plane and trying to get into the correct sleep/eat pattern for your destination. The first 24 hours are so important. Even if I’m not hungry, when I arrive at dinnertime I’ll have a proper meal and then get to bed early. The new health app Lympo helps me log my fitness goals and gives me the extra motivation to stay on track.
‘My boyfriend David is great at doing the research into locations and all the logistics’
NEXT ON MY TRAVEL HIT LIST is Alaska, because I love the outdoors and fishing.
Interview by Sarah Ewing
Caroline Wozniacki is the ambassador for the new health and fitness app Lympo, see lympo.com