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Q. A lot of Argentine players get called “clay court specialists” early in their careers. What do you think when you hear this label in 2024?
ETCHEVERRY: I think that I’m proving it’s not the case! (laughs) The truth is that I really enjoy playing on hard courts. With every match I’m feeling better and more comfortable, and I actually enjoy the surface a lot. I’ve been playing well on hard courts all year, so it’s true—I’m proving every day that it’s just a myth that Argentines play well only on clay.
But no, also, you can’t be intimidated by it, because in order to play at the highest level you have to play well on any surface. I did pretty well on grass, and now I’m playing better and better on hard courts.
And well, of course clay is my favorite surface because I feel most comfortable on it and it’s what I’ve played on for most of my life. But even that is changing too!
Q. This part of the season is especially tough mentally for a lot of South American players— not just because of the surface, but due to the long travel stretch. How do you deal with distance, and what do you do to establish ‘home’ on the road?
ETCHEVERRY: I think I’ve always been quite different from other players. I’ve always really enjoyed being on the road, and being here—at the tournaments. I really enjoy the long trips and I really like coming to events and being in ‘competition mode’.
Being abroad for long periods of time has never been as hard for me as for the other players. I’m also very lucky because my partner (girlfriend Belen Raimondi) travels with me too, so it’s easy to feel at home anywhere.
Beyond that, of course any time that I come home I spend as much time as possible with my family soaking up all their affection… Last year I was only able to spend five weeks at home, but hopefully this year I can go a bit longer.
