Last week, at the Evert Tennis Academy in Boca Raton, Florida, top American juniors Brian Baker and Alex Kuznetsov had the opportunity to train with Andy while he prepared for his first few events of 2004. The three of them, along with touring pros Vincent Spadea and Sebastien Grosjean, worked out twice a day for the entire week following Christmas.

Brian Baker is from Nashville, Tennessee, is 18 years old, and recently turned pro after a stellar junior career. Brian won the 2002 Junior Orange Bowl, and at one point, was the #1 Junior in the world.

Alex Kuznetsov will only be turning 17 this February, and is already the 2nd ranked junior in the world. His family is from Russia, but Alex has lived in Richboro, Pennsylvania for much of his life. Alex recently reached the quarterfinals of both the International Winter Championships and the Orange Bowl.

For these young men, the opportunity to train with Andy for an entire week was simply an invaluable experience. According to Brian, it was nothing more than playing points, specifically service points, that was the best part of his week. He also told me that he was impressed with the laid-back atmosphere he encountered during the training sessions.

In addition, not only did they train on-court with Andy, but Andy showed his holiday spirit by taking Alex and Brian to the Miami Heat game, when they played the New York Knicks on December 27th.

I had to ask Brian who he thought knew more about sports, Andy or Brad, and his answer was classic. “I don’t know, but they both think they know more than the other.”

Look out for Brian and Alex over the next few years. They are both extremely talented and motivated young players.