"I know what I did, the sacrifices my dad made": Fognini hopes son doesn't play tennis

Fabio Fognini hopes that his son doesn't follow him in the tennis profession after opening up about some of the difficulties of being a tennis player.

Fabio Fognini has had a really solid tennis career but there were plenty of times when he didn't enjoy playing tennis. Bad play and injuries were always part of his career and it's made the whole experience a bit less enjoyable. In a recent interview Fognini said:

"It's a beautiful life, but it's also difficult. I've always said it, even though it may sound bad: I hope my son doesn't play tennis. Because I know what I did, the sacrifices my dad made... not that I'm not willing to make them for my children, God forbid, but at the same time it's hard, because if you want to try to excel, in our sport you have to put a lot of dedication."

He continued:

"Maybe it's an adjective that may seem strong: "hard" is waking up at 4 in the morning and going to work. Ours is a very beautiful life, but there are a thousand difficulties. Being alone, away from home and friends, travel, tiredness, time differences: there are so many moments that enthusiasts don't see. Those who are close to us know it, those who follow us, how hard it is. And you have to get used to these things since you were little."