The Last Time With… Jack Sock

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.