The international tennis circuit has its peculiarities, and players adapt as best as they can. Argentine Andrea Collarini, currently ranked 205th, couldn’t bear being away from his family after the birth of his son, Benicio, and now travels with them to competitions. In Campinas, where he’s competing in the Campeonato Internacional De Tenis presented by Santander ATP Challenger Tour 100 event, it was no different.

“I can’t stay away anymore. Since he was born, I’ve only been apart from him for two weeks because the trip was very difficult for them. And at this age, two weeks mean a lot of changes in a baby. By the end of the trip, he was already waving goodbye during video calls,” Collarini explained.

Although traveling with family is uncommon at ATP Challenger tournaments due to high costs, the positives have outweighed the negatives. Being with his family has provided Collarini the peace of mind he needed, which has been reflected in his performance, with good results in the last few months of the 2024 season.

“When he traveled without the baby, he felt very sad and homesick. But now, with us by his side, he has been achieving good results, allowing us to continue traveling together. I’ve always traveled with Andrea; we’re very close, but having a child changes everything. Luckily, Benicio is calm and lets his father rest, which makes things much easier,” explained Delfina Collarini, the player’s wife.

On the other hand, the decision to have children is not shared by all couples on the circuit. Gabriela, Felipe Meligeni’s partner, prefers to wait, even though the tennis player already wishes to be a father. “If it were up to me, we’d already have a child. I love kids,” Meligeni said.

Others are not considering it yet. Luiza Castilho, the girlfriend of Brazilian player Orlando Luz, understands her current career priorities.

“I deeply admire mothers who manage to balance life on the circuit with motherhood, but right now, I don’t see myself in that role. My priorities are focused on my career,” stated Luiza, a sports lawyer and player agent.

“Even before entering the circuit, I knew raising a child would be very complex. My job requires constant travel and an unpredictable schedule, resulting in little time at home. To have a child, I believe it’s essential to secure financial, emotional, and residential stability. We’ve talked about it, and with our current lifestyle, a baby doesn’t fit. Raising a child is a lifelong responsibility that demands a lot of dedication. If we ever change our minds, we have options like science, technology, and adoption to help with that decision,” she added.

Orlando Luz and Andrea Collarini are set to debut at the Campeonato Internacional De Tenis in Campinas this Tuesday. Collarini will compete in both singles and doubles, while Luz will participate in doubles alongside Mateus Alves.