Davis Cup Exclusive With Alex Clayton

Imagine having just come home from winning the US Open Junior Double’s Title with friend Donald Young, to get a call from Andy Roddick telling you to pack your bags. That is what it was like for Alex Clayton nearly a month ago when he was invited to practice with Andy and the Davis Cup team in Florida and travel to Belgium as a hitting partner in the 2005 World Group Play-Off.

“Davis Cup is a really great experience and it was great to hit with Andy,” Clayton told Ar.com. “It’s not like any other tournament and the practice can’t get any better.” Clayton played with James Blake, Andy, and the Bryan Brothers. A memorable experience, he got to know the team while receiving unbelievable preparation for his upcoming tournaments.

Clayton practiced with the team in Key Biscayne the week before Davis Cup, and spent his time off the court refueling at a local eatery and pumping up in the gym. Practicing with Andy and the team was an eye-opening experience, especially since he is where Andy was a handful of years ago. “It makes me want to work hard, seeing how much success Andy has had,” Alex explained. “I see how much fun tennis is at a high level and it makes me feel good to know that if I work hard to improve, I could have success as a tennis player, too.”

From practicing a lot of “2 on 1’s” with Andy and seeing him move his opponent around more with his forehand, Clayton knew that Andy was ready for Belgium, which became clear to everyone as the play-off unfolded.

“The match was unbelievable. Andy served great in the match and that made a huge difference; he hit 35 aces,” Alex recalls. “After Andy broke following the controversial call and served it out, the crowd got really rowdy. They would cheer when Andy would miss his first serve.” Andy came through in the end and being court side with Team USA for that match was an inspiring experience for Clayton. “I have never seen a match where someone had to fight that hard to win. It says a lot for Andy that he pulled that match out.”

It is an American Davis Cup tradition to invite up and coming juniors to practice with the team before competitions. Years ago, Andy was asked to hit with his idols Andre Agassi and Pete Sampras. Andy fondly remembers his experience as a practice partner. “Definitely as a 17-year-old, he (Agassi) liked to ride me a little,” Roddick told reporters last year in Los Angeles when Agassi joined Andy and the Bryan Bros to take on Croatia. “But I loved it. It was kind of his way to see if I could overcome it a little bit, and I always had a blast with it.”

Practicing with the pros helps juniors realize their dream to compete at that level is attainable. With a Grand Slam Juniors Championship under his belt at age 16, Alex Clayton is in the process of making that dream become a reality. As history repeats itself, we look forward to years from now when Alex will probably be hashing out stories to reporters of his memories in Belgium with Andy.