At 14, Krajesek enrolled at IMG Academy in Bradenton, where Nick Bollettieri fielded future champions under the often stifling Florida sun. At age 18, Krajicek won the US Junior National Championships in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and flirted with turning professional. He chose instead to attend Texas A&M, to give his body and game a few more years to develop. In 2011, he won the NCAA men’s doubles title.
Then it was time to start playing for his next meal.
The journey to the major tennis tournaments stops in major world capitals like Paris and London, but players can spend much more nights in destinations like Binghamton, New York; Aptos, California; Rimouski, Quebec; and Gimcheon, South Korea. There are terrible hotels, lots of bad meals, and lots of empty stands. Or no bleach at all.
Krajicek was a recent professional playing a minor tournament in Champaign, Illinois, when he met Kedzierski, a University of Illinois senior tennis player. Kedzierski’s friend admired Krajicek but was too nervous to reach him. Kedzierski got his number and texted him on behalf of her friend to know that Krajicek was interested in Kedzierski.
They had their first dinner two months later in Maui, when they realized they were both there for tennis competitions. Nice guy, I thought.
After graduating, she moved to Los Angeles to work with a fashion designer in the entertainment business. Krajicek, a couch surfer who often stayed at the vacation homes of wealthy tennis boosters, used Los Angeles as a training base. He started staying at Kedzerski’s house, showing up with his tennis bag and suitcase, training for a week or two, and then getting back on the road.
“Alcohol enthusiast. Twitter ninja. Tv lover. Falls down a lot. Hipster-friendly coffee geek.”