You are one of the rare players on the ATP circuit to wear a watch on court. What model(s) do you like to wear, and why?
It depends on what models Audemars Piguet gives me! My partnership with Audemars Piguet started through a friend who works there. He gave me a watch. I wore it on the court, and found I didn’t notice it on my wrist. I’m lucky enough to have a one-handed backhand and, despite the fact that watches can be quite heavy, it wasn’t a problem at all (Stan Wawrinka is right-handed, and wears his watch on his left wrist). After that, we developed a partnership, which now works extremely well.
The models I wear depend on Audemars Piguet’s most recent releases. At the moment I’m wearing a Royal Oak Offshore Diver Chronograph, which is available exclusively from the Audemars Piguet boutique in Geneva. It’s a new summer model, and because my current outfit is the same colour as the watch, I naturally went for that one.
What is your preference for everyday wear?
I’m fortunate to have a number of watches to choose from (laughter). Usually, I wear a classic Royal Oak Offshore.
What was your first watch?
My first good watch was a Rado I was given after I won a tournament in Switzerland. I passed it on to my dad.
As a professional tennis player, playing at a very high level, time must be a crucial factor. How do you manage your time?
For me, it’s very important to be on time, even though today I was a little late (laughter)! When I set a time, whether it’s for a training session or an appointment, I always try to stick to the schedule. Aside from that, clearly we professional tennis players have a very particular conception of time. We don’t have very much of it, because we travel a lot. Every week we’re at a different tournament in a different city. But paradoxically, every week, during the competitions, we spend a lot of time waiting around! For example, if we have a match scheduled for the afternoon, we have to wait hours for the previous matches to finish.
How do you spend your free time?
I try to spend time with my daughter, and see my family and friends. I like being at home, in Switzerland, I feel more relaxed here. We’re lucky to live in a beautiful country. Apart from that, I enjoy simple things, like having a barbecue with friends.
Is there anything you don’t have time for?
I currently spend 10 out of every 12 months playing tennis, so I have very little down time. But I’m also aware that my career won’t last forever. When I’m 35 or 37, when my career’s over, I’ll still be quite young. So I know that I’ll have plenty of time later to do all the things I’d like to do now.
Playing tennis, you have to be precise and efficient, like a watch. Would you like to be more involved in watch design?
Yes, that’s something that interests me. I’ve already discussed with the Audemars Piguet team the idea of a light watch that is easy to wear when playing sport. I hope the concept will lead to something one day, but a good result will take time to achieve.
If you hadn’t become a professional tennis player, might you have been tempted by the idea of watchmaking?
I’m not sure that profession would have suited me... I’ve visited the manufacture and seen how watchmakers work. Their minute attention to detail really impressed me. I’d compare it to the work of a surgeon – every movement has to be so precise. There’s no room for error. Watchmaking is an amazing profession, I think they have a gift. I have great admiration for them.
