Members of the West Ham United squad discuss their main hobbies away from the football pitch. Today, Spain international midfielder Carlos Soler shares his love for tennis...
How did you get into it?
When I was a kid, I had to play tennis at school because there were classes of tennis. I played it for two years, but after I tried to play football, it went well, and I then focused on that. This is my other hobby outside of football.
What do you like about it?
I like the sport because it’s you against just one other person, and it’s very different from football. Football is a team sport, and tennis is an individual sport, and you are only playing against the person at the other end of the court and also yourself. It’s a very complicated sport because you have to be very physical, be a good athlete and train a lot each day.
It’s also a mental sport, and you have to always be focused on the match because you are not going to win every point. Sometimes you will lose a point, but you have to be strong mentally to respond to this.
How often do you play?
When I can and when I have free time over the course of three or four days, then I like to play tennis with people that love playing tennis too and with friends and family.
Do you know anyone involved in it?
I don’t know any tennis players personally, such as [Carlos] Alcaraz or [Rafael] Nadal, sadly!
Have you ever been to any big events associated with it?
This year I went to the Olympic Games in Paris and watched Carlos Alcaraz and Rafael Nadal [play doubles together for Spain]. I enjoyed it a lot because it could be the last time that Nadal plays on the court at Roland-Garros. They lost the game unfortunately, but it was a great moment to be there.
How much time do you spend on it outside of football?
Not as much time as I used to when I was at school when I was younger. I don’t play as much because I always play football, and sometimes it can be risky for us as professionals to do things such as playing tennis.
How good are you at it?
It depends on what level you compare me to. I play the game well, but not to a professional level. I enjoy the intensity of the game and would say I’m a good player.
How much would you recommend it to people?
I would recommend this sport a lot, for sure. I would recommend it because tennis isn't just about the tennis; it’s about a lot more things, such as controlling yourself, your emotions and a lot of other things. There are many similarities between tennis and football, but it’s a different sport, and you can learn a lot more about life through tennis.
Can you share some tips about how someone could get involved in it?
It’s not a difficult sport to start playing. There’re a lot of different tennis clubs you can join in your local area and play against players of all different abilities. The more you play it, the better you will get.
