Daniel Nestor

What’s your favourite place to play in the world?

Wimbledon. I think it has the most tradition. Doubles is sometimes a little bit of a sideshow to singles, so it’s challenging to get fans to stay in their seats. You can play in front of some pretty empty stadiums, but at Wimbledon the fans are always there and supportive. Nenad Zimonjić and I were playing a final at the same time as the men’s singles finals, and we were amazed that it was still packed.

Where did you celebrate your first Wimbledon title?

We got on a plane right after the win, so we celebrated on our way to Toronto to get ready for the Davis Cup in Peru. Air Canada gave me a free upgrade, which was nice.

Is there a trend with singles players starting to play doubles?

A lot of the guys now are playing both sides, but there are probably only about 30 true doubles specialists. Back in the day, when McEnroe was playing singles and doubles, it was a serve-and-volley game. Now, singles is longer rallies, guys are standing farther behind the baseline and hitting as hard as they can. With doubles, you’re still getting creative at the net.

Do you have a favourite moment from a match?

Getting hit in the chest by Fernando González’s forehand at the Legg Mason Tennis Classic. He hit me so hard I got a welt on my chest! The funny thing is, the ball went over the net so I pretended it hit my racquet. I pumped my fist like I won the point, but I was just joking. For about five seconds, he was looking at the umpire like, What’s going on here? We actually broke him that game, and he still apologized after.

When do you plan to get your two-year-old daughter out on the court?

It’s a great way to get out there and be social. I’ll introduce her, but I won’t push her. Well, you never know, maybe I will – you’ve got to get them out early. I’ll give her another two years.