Marco Cecchinato: I can see why people think tennis players are a bit of psycho

Italy's Marco Cecchinato, 27, admits making a decision to move from hometown Palermo to Caldaro at 17 was an extremely tough decision.

Cecchinato decided to move to Caldaro so he could train with coach Massimo Sartori and Andreas Seppi. 

The Italian moved to Caldaro with the intention of giving himself a better chance to succeed at tennis but he felt lonely because he had no friends there. 

But the decision to move to Caldaro eventually paid off as Cecchinato is now a three-time ATP champion, former French Open semifinalist and former world No. 16. 

"Being in a completely different place and environment, from Palermo to Caldaro, made me think a lot. It never felt like I was home, more like I belonged to a different country. It was all a shock for me. During my free time, when I was alone, I would start crying over the phone with my mom. Other times I would be laying in bed and stare at the ceiling until I fell asleep," Cecchinato said in his contribution post for Behind The Racquet. 

"Quitting tennis was never really a concrete thought but it did cross my mind a few times during this period. I was just too determined to do well and keep going. My coach, Sartori, always believed in me and motivated me to give it my all, no matter what. 

"I can see why people think tennis players are a bit psycho; we deal with times that are very frustrating and brutal and the week after can be so rewarding."

from Tennis World USA https://ift.tt/2RY9WvV