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Alejandro Tabilo recalled his first tennis club in Chile and told a story about having a chance to practice with 2007 Australian Open runner-up Fernando Gonzalez. "It’s a pretty nice club, it’s pretty small. Club Providencia.
It’s very small, so we all know each other, it’s a pretty nice vibe. It’s like a family, we all know each other. I’ve been there since i moved to Chile so it’s been almost three years training there with Tommy and my coach.
My first memory is training with Fernando Gonzalez. It was basically my first practice when I got to Chile, so since I’ve been there I’ve been playing pretty well. I’ve been going up. So it’s been almost all great memories," Tabilo told the ATP Cup.
Practicing with Gonzalez meant a lot to Tabilo
Tabilo said he felt honored after practicing with Gonzalez and that motivated him to keep going strong. "It was pretty big for me. I was coming from training in the United States.
In almost my first practice in Chile to be able to hit with him was pretty big for me. It was an honor. For him being retired for so long, his game is still there, his forehand is obviously still there. I was surprised to see him hit that well.
It was great motivation to keep training," Tabilo added. Tabilo made his ATP Cup this year as he won one and lost two matches in Sydney. Tabilo was beaten by Pablo Carreno Busta and Filip Krajinovic, before beating Viktor Durasovic in Chile's final group stage match.
"For me to represent Chile in any competition is always an honour. I always wanted to play for Chile. I changed my nationality to Chilean because I was Canadian. It’s always been my goal, so to be able to compete and play for my people, it’s always nice, especially with all the culture they have with great tennis players. That’s something I always look up to," Tabilo noted.