Jack Sock is competing in his first tour-level event of 2023 this week at the Dallas Open. The 30-year-old Nebraska native has done a lot in his ATP Tour career, highlighted by his standout 2017 season during which he reached e a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of World No. 8 after reaching the semi-finals at the Nitto ATP Finals.

But when was the last time he missed a flight, or strung his own racquet?

Before Sock plays countryman Taylor Fritz on Thursday in the second round in Dallas, we caught up with the four-time ATP Tour champion for the latest edition of our ‘Last Time’ Q&A series.

When was the last time you missed a flight?
That’s a good question. I feel like i have a pretty good track record going right now. It’s been years. Other than the airline or something changing, I haven’t missed one for my own reasons. I’ve been on point.

When was the last time you lost something important?
I don’t know how many years ago it was, I was on my way over to Queen’s Club and Wimbledon, I think it was 2018 or 2017. I left my iPad in the seat-back pocket in front of me. I got off the plane and didn’t realise it. Disaster, so frustrated.

When was the last time you paid to rent a tennis court or buy tennis balls?
We just did a three-month offseason at home with my coach. We had cases of balls, figuring we’d need a lot. Right at the end we ran out of new cans. We were practising at a different club than we normally do, so we ended up buying two cans.

When was the last time being famous helped you?
There’s a few different things. Honestly, what is the most enjoyable about maybe having some notoriety is access to either tickets or passes to sporting events I want to go see, which I enjoy. Being from Kansas City, I’ve got some good connections with the Chiefs. I don’t have to worry about grinding for tickets to games.

I went to the Chiefs-Bills game at the start of the season in Kansas City.

When was the last time you strung a racquet?
Actually a couple years ago in the offseason. I needed one real badly and the club that we were training at at the time had [a stringing machine]. I had done them growing up as a kid. The stringer that we usually use was out of town, so I had to do it.

When was the last time you cooked a meal for yourself or others?
I made an omelette for my wife maybe two months ago at some point. That’s about it. I don’t do a tonne of cooking, that’s for sure.

I grill actually, that counts. I grill a good amount, so for friends or my wife, I’ll throw some steaks on.

When was the last time you met a childhood idol?
Playing Andy Roddick back in my second US Open. He’s from Nebraska, I’m from Nebraska originally… He was my idol growing up as a kid.

When was the last time you asked someone for a selfie?
I was a huge Jimmy Butler fan for a bunch of years, and at the Olympics in 2016 actually I asked him for a selfie. When we were going out to the opening ceremony, it was like the tennis group was here, the basketball guys were right behind us. I went back and asked for a selfie. Cringe, but I did it.

When was the last time you went to a concert?
I went to the CMAs in November actually, the Country Music Awards in Nashville. It was incredible. I’m a huge country music fan so that was sick, unbelievable.

When was the last time you attended a live sporting event other than tennis?
I went to a Charlotte Hornets game on New Year’s Eve, just a month ago. That was a lot of fun, especially on New Year’s Eve.

Buzzzzz city to ring in the new year! 🐝 https://t.co/EsXu3CWPEP

— Jack Sock (@JackSock92) January 1, 2023

When was the last time you made your debut at an ATP Tour event?
I was here [in Dallas] last year. With that being the inaugural event last year, I guess that would be a debut.

“I’ve known Ugo since we were kids. I’m going to cry because I was watching him cry.”

Alejandro Davidovich Fokina had just won a crucial point in a tense first-round clash on Wednesday at the Open Sud de France – Montpellier when a misstep from his opponent Ugo Humbert led to the Frenchman suffering a nasty fall. Despite the heat of the moment, the Spaniard’s only concern was the welfare of his long-time friend as he immediately rushed to Humbert’s side.

“I’ve known him since we were kids and I know him very well. It’s never easy to see a friend like this,” said a visibly emotional Davidovich Fokina in his on-court interview after Humbert was forced to retire with the resulting injury to his right leg. “He just flew on the court, and I was like, ‘Something happened’, because he was crying and [it was] tough.

“Then the match was over. He fought [very well], with all the crowd… I was doing my best. I wanted to play the third set, but it is never easy to play injured.”

“I’m going to cry because I was watching him cry”

Everyone needs a friend like @alexdavidovich1 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/U2hJkIZ7Pf

— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 8, 2023

The home favourite Humbert had claimed the first set 6-1 but trailed 1/3 in the second-set tie-break when the incident occured. Humbert courageously tried to play on, but after Davidovich Fokina went on to claim the second set, the 24-year-old was not fit to continue.

“I hope that he will recover and will play next week, but now he has to focus on recovering,” said Davidovich Fokina of Humbert, the World No. 85 who won two crucial singles points for France in the Davis Cup Qualifiers at the weekend. “He’s playing very good… He’s coming back [up the rankings] for sure.

“The first set he was killing me. I went to the bathroom, and I just said, ‘OK, he wants to fight, I will fight, let’s see what happens’. I was growing my game every game, I was fighting, hoping that he would do some mistakes. He did it and I took the second set.”

Davidovich Fokina, who reached the quarter-finals in Montpellier in 2021, will play Quentin Halys in the second round in southern France.

The ATP Challenger Tour has long been an essential breeding ground for the game’s future stars to gain experience and make their initial professional breakthrough.

The Challenger Tour has also proven to be a great stepping stone for college players who have ambitions of turning their dreams into reality, like Ben Shelton, who won three consecutive Challenger titles to finish this past season and was a quarter-finalist at this year’s Australian Open.

The former University of Florida standout, who captured the 2022 NCAA singles title, is just one rising star whose roots are in collegiate tennis. Since Shelton claimed his college crown, the 20-year-old has made quick progress at the pro level.

The #NextGenATP star became the fifth player to win the NCAA Singles Championship and a Challenger title in the same season, marking the first time since Steve Johnson in 2012. The lefty has continued to build upon his momentum and is at a career-high No. 41 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings.

“College tennis doesn’t always get the respect it deserves,” Shelton told ATPTour.com in July. “There’s a lot of really good talent in college tennis. It helps mature you and teaches you how to be a leader.”

Former University of Illinois standout Aleksandar Kovacevic has also seen his game translate well to the professional level since graduating in 2021. The American won his maiden Challenger Tour title this past week in Cleveland, Ohio and was a semi-finalist at last year’s ATP 250 event in Seoul, where he lost to eventual champion Yoshihito Nishioka.

Two years prior to winning the Cleveland Challenger, Kovacevic was a senior in college competing in several Challenger events across the United States. In 2021, he advanced through qualifying en route to a semi-final run in Cleveland (l. to Fratangelo). Little did he know that a couple of years later he would be back in Ohio, but this time lifting the trophy.

Aleksandar Kovacevic triumphs at the 2023 Cleveland Open. Credit: Ben Peskar

“I played a lot of pro tournaments my last season of college,” Kovacevic said. “It gave me a little bit of a cushion to make the jump to the pros. I was already ranked around 500 when I got out of college. Now after being on the pro tour for a bit, there [are] a lot of things I wish I knew even starting out on Tour, but a lot of it is a learning process and that’s okay.”

While nothing guarantees success, the college tennis path has worked for many players. Even legends like Arthur Ashe, Jimmy Connors, and John McEnroe tasted collegiate success before rising to the professional ranks. John Isner, Kevin Anderson, Rajeev Ram, Bob Bryan, Mike Bryan and Steve Johnson are more recent examples of student-athletes boasting a strong college career before breaking through on the ATP Tour.

Johnson, who turned pro in 2012, led the University of Southern California to four consecutive NCAA team titles and captured back-to-back singles crowns (2011, 2012). The American finished his college career on a 72-match winning streak.

“College tennis was instrumental in my growth as a tennis player and as a person,” Johnson said. “It gave me a chance to grow up, mature, and see what was important in my life. Without college tennis, I wouldn’t be here today and had the career I’ve had, I know that for sure. Peter Smith, George Husack, Brett Masi, those guys helped me along the way while I was at USC. They gave me the opportunities and abilities to learn on my own but also gave me all the guidance and gave me that push I needed.”

This season, the ATP announced a collaboration with the Intercollegiate Tennis Association (ITA) to accelerate the professional development pathway for players in the American collegiate system.

Players ranked in the Top 20 of the ITA final singles rankings at the beginning of June, who have finished their education, will be granted up to eight ‘accelerator spots’ at Challenger 50 and 75 tournaments, with opportunities split between main draw (Top 10) and qualifying (11-20). Players who reach the quarter-finals or better of the individual NCAA Division I Tennis Championships will also qualify for the accelerator programme if not already eligible via their ITA ranking.

The ATP-ITA partnership allows more opportunities for college players to see how their game fits at the highest level of the sport. And history shows that the college tennis path has been a successful route for many accomplished players.

Stars On Importance Of College Tennis

William Blumberg, who was a 10-time ITA All-American at the University of North Carolina: “At 17 or 18 years old, you’re so young and immature and to have those resources and basically go to school for free if you’re a top junior… You get free coaching, two or three coaches, fitness, strength and conditioning, nutrition, all paid for and all in one place as well as being able to be a human being. If I could stay and never leave, I probably would’ve.”

Brandon Holt, four-time ITA All-American at the University of Southern California: “Going to college allowed me to get a lot stronger because you have a lot of time in the weight room. It’s kind of hard when you’re on Tour to get a good training block, so college is like four years of consistently working out. Also, there [are] coaches that have a four year plan with your game. They’re like, ‘This is the player we think you can become.’ Then they have years to progress you to that point. You show up every day and they have one goal to get better and closer to that goal. They have a tailored plan for every player and I think that’s huge.”

Former University of Kentucky standout and 2022 Granby Challenger champion Gabriel Diallo: “What’s great about college tennis is you have the opportunity to play a lot of matches. It’s kind of like playing Davis Cup every weekend. You play for your school and if you buy into that college atmosphere, you become part of something bigger, like for me, ‘Bleeding Blue’ and ‘Big Blue Nation’…It’s an experience you’ll never get on Tour.”

Gabriel Diallo claims his maiden Challenger title on home soil in Granby. Credit: Tennis Canada Media Centre

Cristian Garin earned his first tour-level win of the 2023 on Sunday, beating Alexander Bublik to send Chile to the Davis Cup Finals.

On Tuesday, he continued his winning run with a 7-6(3), 2-6, 6-0 victory against seventh seed Pedro Martinez at the Cordoba Open. Prior to this month, Garin had not played a clay-court match since last July; he had not won on the surface since Roland Garros last June.

“This is my first ATP match on clay after six months, so it’s tough to get back to the rhythm of this surface,” the Chilean said post-match. “It’s nice to have another match tomorrow or Thursday… great week.”

In the two-hour, 30-minute match, Garin attacked the Martinez second serve to great effect, winning 66 per cent of points on the Spaniard’s second delivery and breaking serve five times in 14 chances. After Martinez won five straight games to snatch the second set, Garin raced through the third set without allowing his opponent a game point.

The Chilean will next face Portgual’s Joao Sousa or Argentina’s Tomas Martin Etcheverry, with the pair set to open play Wednesday on Cordoba’s stadium court.

After reaching a career-high Pepperstone ATP Ranking of No. 17 in 2021, Garin fell out of the Top 100 following a first-round exit at the Australian Open. His Cordoba opening-round win lifted him six places in the Pepperstone ATP Live Rankings, putting him back into the Top 100 at No. 97.

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Garin’s match was the second three-setter of the day on centre court. In Tuesday’s opener, sixth seed and home favourite Federico Coria defeated Brazil’s Thiago Monteiro 6-7(5), 6-1, 6-2. The Argentine, who hit 12 aces and saved six of seven break points in the contest, awaits the winner of the Wednesday matchup between Facundo Bagnis and Marco Cecchinato.

The International Tennis Hall of Fame recently launched the TennisWorthy Podcast, a new series of podcasts featuring conversations with Hall of Famers and tennis legends. Among the icons featuring in the first season will be Lleyton Hewitt, Tracy Austin, Ivan Lendl and Mary Pierce.

“The individuals featured in the TennisWorthy Podcast have set themselves apart by achieving the ultimate honour in tennis – induction into the International Tennis Hall of Fame,” said Julianna Barbieri, Senior Vice President of Content & Partnerships at the ITHF. “These thoughtful episodes reveal what it takes to reach the top of the game, both on and off the court. Whether it be in competition, in your career or in daily life, listeners and tennis fans alike will discover the qualities that translate to success.”

The conversations featured in the podcast will examine the mindset of champions through the experiences of some of the best players in tennis history. The TennisWorthy Podcast is hosted by Chris Bowers.

The first four episodes will be released as follows:

• Episode 1 (Jan. 25) – Australian great Lleyton Hewitt discusses the drive, intensity and “never say die” attitude that he credits for his achievements.

• Episode 2 (Feb. 8) – Tracy Austin details her immersion into tennis from her earliest days, her innate ability to push herself, and the importance of taking small steps to reaching goals.

• Episode 3 (Feb. 22) – Ivan Lendl opens up about how absorbing experiences on and off the court led to mastering the intricacies that defined his consistency.

• Episode 4 (March 8) – Mary Pierce shares her story, from how fate led her to pick up a racquet for the first time at age 10, to her desire to be the best she can possibly be every day.

Learn More About The TennisWorthy Podcast

The International Tennis Hall of Fame in Newport, Rhode Island is home to the Infosys Hall of Fame Open, an ATP 250 grass-court event. This year’s tournament will be played from 17-23 July.

Denis Shapovalov might have pursued a career in ice hockey if he wasn’t a tennis player. On Monday night, he experienced the game at its highest level before his opening match at the Dallas Open.

The Canadian watched the Dallas Stars — the NHL’s Western Conference leaders — defeat the Anaheim Ducks 3-2 in a shootout. He even had time to snap some photos with members of the Stars team from Toronto, including his friend Tyler Seguin, who scored the winning goal in the shootout.

“I’ve met Tyler before. We’ve known each other for years now,” Shapovalov said. “Really cool to see him again, and to meet a couple of the other Toronto guys was a really cool moment.”

Left to right: Wyatt Johnston, Ty Dellandrea, Colin Miller, Denis Shapovalov, Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment. Photo credit: @DallasStars

The third seed at the Dallas Open, Shapovalov will hope to replicate the Stars’ fighting spirit that was on display in Monday’s win.

“It was one of those games where [the Ducks] scored a goal, got momentum back,” he assessed. “I think Dallas did a great job to fend them off in overtime short a man, and then get the win in the shootout.

“My boy Tyler scored the game-winning goal so it was pretty cool.”

Marc-Andrea Huesler maintained his good start to the year Tuesday with first-round victory at the Open Sud de France – Montpellier, but not before he was given a thorough test by emerging #NextGenATP Frenchman Luca Van Assche.

The Swiss lefty arrived at the ATP 250 event off the back of notching victories for Switzerland against Germany’s Oscar Otte and Alexander Zverev in the weekend’s Davis Cup Qualifiers. Huesler was made to dig deep by the 18-year-old World No. 145 Van Assche in southern France, however, where he fended off five of six break points in his 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 win.

“Obviously he’s very young. He’s 18, [but] already Top 150, so he’s a great player” said Huesler in his on-court interview after booking a second-round clash against top seed Holger Rune. “I saw that in the second set especially. He had a great phase there, where he wasn’t missing and [was] making my life really difficult. I’m very happy that I was able to come through this round.”

The World No. 49 Huesler’s serve pulled him through tough moments against an opponent playing just his third tour-level match. The 26-year-old fired 13 aces and won 86 per cent (38/44) of points behind his first delivery to move to 6-2 for the 2023 season.

“It’s always different, every tournament starts from scratch,” said Huesler, when asked whether his Davis Cup heroics had boosted his confidence ahead of the Van Assche clash. “Today I felt the pressure was a bit more on my side because obviously I want to win, I want to start off the year well indoors as well. I’m really happy I got it done.”

Huesler carries a 2-0 ATP Head2Head series lead into his clash with Rune in Montpellier. Both the pair’s previous meetings came in 2022, when Huesler clinched straight-sets victories in Bastad and then in the Sofia championship match to claim his maiden tour-level crown.

Like Huesler, Maxime Cressy put his big serve to good use on Tuesday to seal a second-round berth. The American sent down 11 aces en route to defeating Swiss qualifier Antoine Bellier 6-3, 6-2 for his second tour-level win of the season. Cressy, who was born in France, is making his tournament debut in Montpellier, where he next faces seventh seed Emil Ruusuvuori or Mikael Ymer.

Lorenzo Sonego lifted his third ATP Tour title on French indoor hard courts last September in Metz. The Italian gave a stark early reminder of his indoor prowess in Tuesday’s evening session, when he took out eighth seed and home favourite Benjamin Bonzi 6-3, 6-4. His next challenger in Montpellier will be Filip Krajinovic, who earlier held off Aslan Karatsev 3-6, 7-6(7), 6-2.

Quentin Halys and Marton Fucsovics also advanced on Tuesday but both needed three sets to see off home qualifiers. World No. 70 Halys downed ATP Tour debutant Clement Chidekh 7-5, 2-6, 7-5, while Fucsovics World No. 69 defeated Geoffrey Blancaneaux 7-5, 5-7, 6-0 to set a second-round clash with second seed Jannik Sinner.

John Isner has racked up frequent-flyer miles throughout his 15-year career. But the American doesn’t have to travel far this week as he competes in front of family, friends, and a local crowd at the Dallas Open. The only travel he will do this week is a short drive from his house to the Styslinger/Altec Tennis Complex.

The World No. 38, who has called Dallas home for five years, spoke with ATPTour.com about what he enjoys most residing in the Texas city. Isner, seeded fifth, meets Chun-Hsin Tseng on Tuesday night in the opening round of the Dallas Open.

What do you like about living in Dallas?
I think the people here. By and large, the people here are very, very nice. They have welcomed my family here with open arms.

How much time do you get to check out the city and is there a certain area you like to check out?
I get a lot of time to check out the city. I like Deep Ellum, Lower Greenville, I have some friends that live in that area. I like Downtown and the Perot Museum [of Nature and Science] — our kids really like that. And the aquarium. A lot of the stuff we do revolves around the kids.

What’s your favourite restaurant?
There are multiple. I love steak. Nick & Sam’s, Al Biernat’s are both fantastic. In my opinion, Dallas is very well known for their incredible restaurants. I like Beverley, Mi Cocina, Doce Mesas. The list could go on and on.

If you’re short on time, Is there a fast-food restaurant you like?
Because of our family dynamic now with kids, Bubba’s. It’s like the only drive-thru in Highland Park. Between Bubba’s and Chik-Fil-A, the kids like it and of course I’ll dig in.

What’s your opinion on the Texas-famous Whataburger?
I do like Whataburger. I don’t eat that many of them for whatever reason. There’s not one that’s too close to me, so I have to get out of the bubble a little bit but I’m definitely a fan.

Is there somewhere you like to go for sweets?
I like Baldo’s Ice Cream. It’s close and the kids like it as well.

When was the last time you attended a Cowboys, Mavericks, or Stars game?
Last week, I went to a Stars game before their [All-Star] break. They lost to Carolina in Overtime. I love hockey, it might be my favourite sport besides tennis. I go to more Stars games than Mavericks games. And I went to two Cowboys games this year.

What is the most unique thing you’ve ever done in Dallas?
Probably the state fair. It’s a tradition here. It’s not that unique, but for me being from another state, it is. It’s a staple here in Dallas. We ate corn dogs and didn’t feel that great after.

What is one thing in Dallas you’ve heard about that you haven’t done but want to try or attend?
I’ll stick with the food theme. I think Keller’s [Drive-In] Burgers. I haven’t had that burger yet. Everyone in Dallas has their favourite burger spots. I think Hudson House has a really good burger but I need to try Keller’s.

If someone who had never been to Dallas before came to visit, what would you say they need to see or do?
I would say we’ll go a little outside of Dallas and catch an event at AT&T Stadium. A Cowboys game, or a concert. It’s a very cool spot.

What about outside the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex? How much of Texas have you been able to see and do you have a favourite spot?
I really like Buc-ee’s. Even if we’re going on a road trip that’s not so long, we’ll stop in there even if we don’t need gas or food. You always stop there! You can get anything. You can walk out of there with a brand new ensemble. I think when people not from the state see that place they’re like, ‘What the hell is this place?’ It’s pretty unique.

There’s no place like home for John Isner.

After an empty trip Down Under to start his season, the American earned his first win of 2023 at the Dallas Open, just a short drive from his home in the Texas city. The fifth seed defeated Chun-Hsin Tseng 7-6(5), 7-6(1) on Tuesday night to get off the mark on the year.

“I would love to win some tennis matches in Australia. It just never happens,” said Isner, who has reached the Australian Open fourth round twice. “I normally play my best at home, in the United States, and this is actually home.

“I’m a homebody and very lucky to, of course, have this tournament here in my backyard. I’m happy to move on. I’ve got to keep improving, and I think I can.”

One year ago at the inaugural Dallas tournament, Isner reached the semi-finals but bowed out to eventual champion Reilly Opelka after a 46-point tie-break—the longest singles tie-break in ATP Tour history.

On Tuesday, the American made quick work of Tseng by comparison in the one-hour, 47-minute match. Though he could not convert on any of his five break chances in the opening set, Isner hit 22 aces and played two strong tie-breaks to win in what was just his fifth match since fracturing his left wrist at the 2022 US Open.

“He’s a great player,” the 37-year-old said of Tseng. “He’s young, he’s very fast, he’s great from the back of the court, much better than I am.

“I had to use my serve to my advantage. Truthfully, the first set should have been a lot easier. I was a little bit worn out after that first set, emotionally. But I was able to stay even in second set and I played a really, really good tie-break. I’m very happy I’m not still on this court. I want to go to bed!”

Isner will next face qualifier Zachary Svajda or Daniel Altmaier.

In earlier Tuesday action, sixth seed J.J. Wolf scored a 6-3, 6-3 win against countryman Brandon Holt in his first action since reaching the Australian Open fourth round. Wolf dominated on serve, hitting nine aces and winning 93 per cent of his first-serve points. He did not face a break point in the match, converting on three of his six break chances.

The 24-year-old will meet Radu Albot in the second round after the Moldovan beat Liam Krall 2-6, 6-4, 6-2, denying the Southern Methodist University star a win in his ATP Tour debut. 

Seventh seed Marcos Giron won an all-American matchup with Alex Rybakov, 6-4, 6-7(1), 6-1, while eighth seed Adrian Mannarino advanced with a 7-6(6), 6-2 victory against American Steve Johnson.

All four seeded players in Tuesday action at the ATP 250 advanced to the last 16, where they join top seeds Taylor Fritz, Frances Tiafoe, Denis Shapovalov and Miomir Kecmanovic.