Carreno Busta On Love For Mediterranean Coast & Spanish Cuisine
Pablo Carreno Busta helped guide Team Spain out of Group A at ATP Cup this week with wins over Alejandro Tabilo, Viktor Durasovic and Filip Krajinovic.
Ahead of Spain’s semi-final against Team Poland in Sydney, the 30-year-old spoke to ATP Tour.com on the different qualities his teammates possess, the Spanish scenery, the importance his home town Gijon played in his early development and more.
Which teammate’s shot would you like to add to your game?
Probably the drop shot of Pedro Martinez, because I think he plays it unbelievably [well]. When he needs to change something in the game he uses the drop shot and I think he does it really well.
The serve of Alejandro Davidovich Fokina because I think of all of us he has the best serve. The consistency of Roberto Bautista Agut because from the baseline he can play with no mistakes and I think it’s very, very tough to beat him. The left-handedness of Albert Ramos-Vinolas because he’s the lefty on the team and I think he’s playing really well. When Albert has his forehand, he tries to dominate.
Who do you enjoy practicing with on Team Spain?
I think that everybody on the team are good players to practise with because they’re very solid, they have a lot of rhythm. Maybe Bautista because he’s the best on the team and one of the best players to practise with.
Describe in just a few words the different personalities within your team?
Maybe Alex [Alejandro] and Pedro are the youngest on the team and they are the funniest. Maybe Roberto and Albert are fathers and they are different personalities, but also they are very friendly. We are all great friends and we enjoy our time together. We love to play these kind of competitions on a team. I am very comfortable with these guys.
You and your teammates bond here, but you also spend a lot of time together throughout the season. How important is that for you this week?
Yes, of course it’s very nice. It’s very nice for us to play as a team, but also when we play normal ATP Tour tournaments, we are not partners. We talk, we spend a lot of time together, we have dinners together. It’s so nice to have these guys on the Tour.
Tell me about your first tennis club?
I started to play in my hometown in the north of Spain. It is probably not the best place to play in Spain because of the weather, but I think that it was very important to me to start there. It made my personality stronger.
When I was 15 I went to Barcelona to the Mediterranean coast. That’s the best place to practise because it’s unbelievable there. After that I started to know about tennis, know how everything works and how I can play on my [best] level. Now I’m practising in Alicante, which is also on the Mediterranean.
I’m enjoying when I practise. I’m very close to Roberto, also very close to Pedro and sometimes we practise together. It’s very comfortable.
Tell me three things you love about your country?
I love the Spanish food. It’s tough to say what because we have a lot of good food. But probably something from my hometown, a good cheese or fabada. I also love the weather, because we have good weather 11 months of the year if you are on the Mediterranean coast. Then I think the atmosphere. The people are very friendly and they are always smiling!
What is your favourite place to visit in your country and why?
I think that we have different places. If you go to the north of Spain you can see the mountains, you can also watch the sea. The weather is different. If you go to the south of Spain you can go to the beaches, you have the sun and can enjoy the summer. If you go to the Mediterranean coast you have everything. I think Spain you can find everything that you can hope for. It’s nice to be there.