The 2019 Delray Beach champion welcomed the birth of his first child on April 19, about a month after flying back home to his native country of Moldova. He was unable to join his girlfriend, Doina, in the hospital for the birth due to increased COVID-19 security measures. However, he discovered the joyful news during a phone call.

“I was at home. The birth was at 7:03am and Doina was not answering my messages or phone calls, so I didn’t know,” said Albot. “I started calling [from 10pm to 3am] but there was no answer. I went to bed and wrote her a message so, when she could, she could read. I put the phone on full volume next to my bed and she called at 8 or 9am, that was when I learned for the first time that she was born.”

Although the pair had a shortlist of names for the child, they eventually settled on Adeline.

“We just liked the name. We didn’t decide before, we gave it after the birth,” said Albot. “We had a list of four or five names and we decided to use this one. I think it is a very beautiful name. It sounds very nice and when I say the name, everybody likes it.”

With the pandemic suspending tennis activities, the Moldovan has had more time to spend with his daughter.

“It is a good time for me [to become a father], because I can be home full-time with the family,” said Albot. “I can help and I can see how the baby is growing. She is doing some new stuff every day. She is starting to laugh back and kind of talk to you, so this is an interesting experience. I would not experience this if I were travelling at this moment. This is very good timing, in a way, for me.”

Despite suffering from a lack of sleep, Albot is enjoying the responsibility that comes with his duties as a father. The World No. 67 has learned to take each day in his stride, as he adapts to his new role.

“You have to take care, full-time, of another little person. You want to give the best for that person because they are a part of you. It is your baby,” said Albot. “It is a new life. Every day we are learning something new. We are exploring how it is to be with a baby and we both like it. We are doing a pretty good job.”

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