Part Three of a Three-Part Series

You know what they say: Behind every great tennis player is a great WAG. Hardcore tennis fans can recognize the wives and girlfriends of top players (known as WAGs), from Mirka Federer to Jelena Djokovic to Kim Sears (who could forget the infamous “Parental Advisory” shirt that Murray’s wife sported after cameras caught her mouthing an expletive during a match?).

Kelsey Anderson, the wife of South African player Kevin Anderson, is a permanent fixture in her husband’s player’s box, and her blogs offering insight into the unique lifestyle of a player’s wife have been featured by media outlets such as CNN, Sports Illustrated, and the BBC.

Kevin and Kelsey met in the fall of 2005 as college athletes at the University of Illinois, where he played tennis and she played golf. Earlier this year, the married couple teamed up with Kevin’s former coach, G. D. Anderson, to launch realifetennis.com, a website that features premium tennis instruction content and tons of free content for tennis fans and players.

In part one of our exclusive interview, we spoke to Kevin about the inspiration behind his website Realife Tennis. In part two, Kevin told us about life as a professional tennis player. In this third and final installment, we talk to Kevin and Kelsey about their love story and Kelsey gives us the inside scoop on traveling the world and dealing with the anxiety of watching Kevin play.

Q&A

Tennis View: You met each other at the University of Illinois, where you were both college athletes. How did you start dating and when did you get engaged?

Kevin: We grew to be very good friends and eventually began dating. I took Kelsey to the “Athlete Formal” spring fling dance, so I guess you could say that was our first real date. We were together for another six years before I asked her to marry me. We got engaged after a picnic lunch aside the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago. Kelsey was totally surprised! We took our first visit to South Africa together the following week, so I got to introduce her to my friends and family as my fiancé, which was fun.

TV: People often debate the pros and cons of going to college before joining the pro tour. Looking back now, would you recommend that juniors who intend to turn pro take the time to go to college first?

Kevin: This is actually something I plan to write an in-depth piece about for Realife Tennis at some point, so stay tuned. While it can be tempting to dive into the world of professional tennis, there are so many benefits to giving yourself a few more years to develop at the collegiate level. During my time at university, I was able to access amazing coaching, strength training, physical therapy, all while playing intense competitive matches against other good players. I also formed incredible relationships with my teammates and coaches (and my wife) which have proven invaluable in my personal and professional endeavors. Playing college tennis was one of the best decisions I ever made. I would do it again in a heartbeat.

TV: Kelsey, what is it like to sit in the player’s box during Kevin’s matches? Does your experience as a high-level athlete impact your perspective?

Kelsey: I think the emotions and nerves are absolutely intensified on the side of the court. I'm not sure Kevin experiences the tension during matches as strongly as his team does from the box. I think having played an individual sport like golf helps me understand some of the inner battles and challenges you can face in high-level competition and I like to help Kevin in this regard. I participate in his mental coaching sessions, and we also talk a lot about his feelings and emotions in competitive settings. I think it helps to have someone you can open up to and talk through strategies in that way.

TV: Kelsey’s “Tour Wife Tales” offers unique insight into life as the partner of a professional athlete. You mentioned in a blog that everyone on the tour has travel horror stories. What is your most memorable travel horror story?

Kelsey: My personal worst was probably sitting in a middle seat in economy on a 16-hour flight to Australia next to a guy chewing tobacco and spitting it into a water bottle the whole time. It was pretty revolting. I've also had my fair share of canceled flights and delayed luggage. One time our bags were lost on a connecting flight through Mexico City, so we were unable to make our second flight. We spent eight hours in the airport with nothing to eat, ended up getting downgraded from business class to economy, and still didn't get our bags for three days after our arrival in Acapulco!

TV: How do you pack for long trips such as the clay to grass court swing in Europe? Do you have any packing tips?

Kelsey: My biggest packing tip is to try and plan your outfits rather than just throwing in a bunch of random clothing items. Look ahead at the weather forecasts and make sure you bring appropriate apparel. Also, while I'm definitely an “overpacker” myself, don't ever bring more than you can carry and maneuver yourself. You never know when you might find yourself dropped off at the wrong airport terminal, or needing to take public transportation. If you can’t walk at least a mile with all your luggage, you need to lighten up and leave some things behind.