So let's begin here: At the start of the year, my goals for 2018 were to have a breakout season, and to reach the main draw at Roland Garros for the third consecutive time. I wanted to blossom on the court and break into the Top 100 of the ATP rankings.
The actual quest to this year's Roland Garros main draw has been a long and winding one and my dream of getting here actually began back in May, when I won the title in Barletta, Italy -- my first ATP Challenger Tour title (d. Simone Bolelli 2-6, 7-6(4), 6-4). Winning at Barletta only reinforced my belief that I have what it takes to keep my early year goal of reaching the main draw at Roland Garros alive. Fast forward a few weeks, and I was one win away from doing just that, after winning my first two qualifying matches at the Grand Slam.
Unfortunately for me, I lost my last qualifying match to Hubert Hurkacz, 6-3, 4-6. 6-4. Even though I had come this close to one of my goals, I was still at peace with the outcome. I felt secure about my level of play and just happy with what I had accomplished so far this year. The only thing I could do then was stay firm and continue working hard. Not my year here; maybe next year.
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I began my trip back to Barcelona, where I relocated a few months ago with my wife Nadir. She was waiting there with my mother, Susi; my grandmother, Lela and my brother, Andre, who were all visiting from Argentina and who had hoped to see me play in Paris. While I waited for my flight at the airport, I tried to keep an upbeat attitude, so I said to myself "At least now I can do some sightseeing with the family, maybe go to the beach and have some barbeque food."
Now this is when the real "quest" begins and the chain of events start. My flight is delayed, and all I want to do at that moment is be back with my family. Making things worse, I don't have my portable coffee machine. I always travel with it, but it was recently stolen. Thoughts about Paris are creeping into my head ... I had been so close to making the main draw. My mind keeps going back to those three sets on Court 14 on Thursday.
Finally, I land back home in Barcelona. I hadn't been able to get much rest throughout the whole ordeal but I figure some barbeque food and a day at the beach with my family will help recharge my batteries and gather my thoughts. By now it’s Sunday; I brew some coffee and warm up the car to do some sightseeing around the city and some other beautiful towns around Barcelona. That's when my phone rings. It's my coach.
"What's up?" I ask him.
"Here's the deal," he says. "[Lucky loser] Mohamed Safwat is now playing in the main draw. [The organizers] are asking if you can do the same thing and be ready to play."
So there's a chance I might make the main draw at Roland Garros after all. I immediately start making calls. I reach someone at Roland Garros and ask the question: "Hey, is it true I'm on the lucky loser list?"
I get a "yes" and I'm ready to dash back to France. "Grandma, change of plans, pack your bags, we're going to Paris!" I shout as I hop in the shower.
I'm not first on the lucky loser list, but there's a good chance I'll play so that's good enough for me to make the trip. Ahead of me on the list is Prajnesh Gunneswaran, but he's already in Italy and scheduled to play a Challenger event in Vicenza, Italy. I need to corroborate with officials once I get back to Paris. So it's settled: Andre, my mother and my grandmother are joining me on my journey to Roland Garros.
The funny thing is, as I'm packing my bag as fast as I can, my grandmother tells me every trip she'd take with my grandfather was "planned" at the very last minute. They were used to traveling on a whim; they'd pack a few suitcases and set out to discover a new city in Argentina. I guess it's true: You learn something new every day!
But then we hit a hurdle, even before we get out the door. There's a train strike. I don't trust air travel, not after my last delay, and since this a last-minute thing, the tickets will be too expensive anyway. No big deal, the Seat Ibiza I rented when I got back to Barcelona will get us to France. Just to give you an idea, all of this preparation for my trip has taken place in the five minutes since I got off the phone! I grab the suitcase that I didn't even unpack since returning from Paris and we're out the door.
It's 1 p.m. and we have 10 hours and about 1,000 km of travel ahead of us. Paris, here we come! The sounds of chacareras -- traditional Argentine music -- are beating through the speakers. After a while, I switch to some rock; I'm a fan of (Argentine rock artist) Andres Calamaro and other legendary artists from my country. My Bluetooth makes the long trip go by that much faster and also helps to keep me calm. Barely an hour into the trip my phone rings. I'm now atop the list of possible entrants! My social media accounts are going off. All this, before I've even crossed the border into France. All I have to do now is sign some papers by the next morning and I'm on Court 9 by 11 a.m. to face Australian Bernard Tomic, who earned his way into the draw through qualifying. I'm that much closer!
So one thing is for sure: The decision to make the trip back to Paris was the correct one. I take turns at the wheel with my brother Andres, but he drives the bulk of the journey. Driving for a few hours actually helps me disconnect for a little bit and also helps me settle my nerves. It's not that a big a deal for my brother and me, honestly -- as long as I have a good cup of coffee every two hours. I'm used to road trips with my brother and trust me, traveling here (between Spain and France) isn't like traveling in Argentina. There, the roads are one lane in each direction. You never know what's around the next bend or where you’ll end up ... that's a joke, but with freeways like the ones here, driving is so much easier and not nearly as dangerous.
At 9 p.m., we stop for a dinner break. We'll arrive at the hotel by midnight; it'll be late but no matter. It'll all be worth it tomorrow. I'm sure of that. I always feel comfortable at Roland Garros; the conditions are ideal for me.
By the time morning rolls around, I'm a little groggy. I manage to sleep five hours -- a lot less than I'm used to. In situations like these, though, fatigue doesn't really affect my legs, thankfully. There will be plenty time for sleep later! Today's too special for me to waste time thinking about anything but my dream to play in the main draw. Tomic is on the opposite end of the court. I like my chances; he prefers faster surfaces because he hits a hard, flat ball. He's extremely talented though, but I'm feeling good and liking my chances.
I clinch the first set, 6-4, but he responds by taking the second set, 7-5. I claim the third, 6-4. I'm one set away from moving into the second round. We've been out here for almost three hours before I earn a match point. It's 5-4, I'm serving at Ad/40, and I lose the point. I win the next point for a second match point. I convert ... and we did it! Yes, we did it! That means you too, Grandma. She had no idea what it's like to be courtside before now. She can't even keep score and the only reason she knows the match is over is because everyone is applauding. She turns 89 next month and this is the first time she's watched me play live. Usually, she's lighting candles to the saints at home before my matches.
This isn’t the first Grand Slam match I’ve won, but what makes it so special is having my family around me to witness this marvelous moment. Today, I have to speak English in front of the media in the main conference room at Roland Garros. That wasn’t the case after my earlier Roland Garros wins, even when I defeated Marin Cilic in the first round here in 2016! I don’t know if what I’ve accomplished is that big a deal; what’s important is that I’ve enjoyed every moment of what led up to this with my family by my side. And here I am, writing about my quest.
Oh, and one more thing: As I promised all of my fans and followers, yes, I will be buying a new portable coffee machine!