Tommy Paul should feel right at home in Miami as he prepares for the season's second ATP Masters 1000. Not only because he lives in nearby Boca Raton, but the south Florida city is also home to more Argentines than any other US city and while Paul may not speak Spanish, he has developed a strong affinity for the South American nation.
Paul developed an interest in Argentina given his taste for mate, barbecues and his habit of warming up by imitating Diego Maradona’s iconic Life is Life routine. The American’s penchant for all things Argentina comes from those around him.
It all began years ago when he was under the tutelage of coach Diego Moyano and fitness coach Gabirel Echevarría, both Argentinians, only to intensify with his current team. Although Paul is coached by his countryman Brad Stine, the rest of his entourage have ties with Argentina. His fitness coach Franco Herrero and physio Sebastián Cozzarín are natives of the South American nation. Paul's second coach Hugo Armando was born in the United States, but comes from an Argentinian family.
Paul's team breakfasts, whether in Boca Raton or at a tournament, always include mate. Even the World No. 14 in the PIF ATP Rankings has his own mate cup with his name, an American flag and an Argentine flag on it.
“At first he would say to us: ‘What’s that? I’ll never drink it!’ And he would screw his face up at us,” Cozzarín told ATPTour.com.
“Now all team breakfasts include mate. And we travel to every tournament with our mate cups and a bottle from Roland Garros that we keep the leaves in,” added Cozzarín, who is also Jessica Pegula’s physio.
Herrero explained, “It’s very unusual for someone who’s not Argentinian to like mate. People from other countries try it and in general, they don’t like it. That wasn’t the case with Tommy and now the most Argentinian thing about him is mate.”
It is more than the flavour of the Argentinian infusion, which is quite bitter to some palates, that appeals to Paul. But rather, it is the concept of drinking it as a group, enjoying the company of each other. “Tennis players are very solitary, so Tommy likes to have company. He understands that mate is a social time,” adds Cozzarín. “Mate is for sharing a moment in a group. In Argentina, you connect by preparing mate when you get together with others to have a barbecue.”
Argentine barbecue, or asado, is also a staple in the 26-year-old's team when they are in Boca Raton, where he and his team live close to each other. Cozzarín generally is in charge of the cooking and it doesn’t matter the kind or cut of meat. “The most important thing for Tommy is the time spent with people he loves,” explains Herrero.
The valued time together means that everyone has an influence on the lives of each other. Tommy’s passion for fishing, sailing, windsurfing, listening to country music and watching the Philadelphia Eagles has rubbed off on his team members.
The Argentinians on his team have not only taught him about mate and barbecues. Paul can occasionally be heard uttering the word ‘boludo’, which is never far from the lips of a true Argentine, and he is now getting a taste for soccer.
Herrero is in the process of making Paul a Boca Juniors fan. “He’s not that much of a football guy, but I have to make him like Boca. The problem is that he kind of likes River Plate because Diego [Moyano] and Gabriel [Echevarría], who used to train him, support that team.”
One player has particularly caught Paul’s eye: Diego Maradona, particularly his famous warm-up with Napoli against Bayern Munich in the 1989 UEFA cup. The World Cup champion started to dance while juggling the ball, giving a new meaning to Life is Life, the song that was playing in the background of the Olympic Stadium in Munich.
Paul has been trying to imitate Maradona when he warms up before a practice session or a match. “He saw the video and he liked Diego’s magic. It really captured his imagination. So now he does that and laughs because he knows that we’re big Diego fans. It’s funny when he imitates him and even puts his hands up like he did,” explains Cozzarín.
The 13th seed in Miami has certainly given a reason for the Argentine natives to support him this fortnight at the ATP Masters 1000.
Editor's note: This story has been translated from ATPTour.com/es.
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