Feliciano Lopez is playing what he calls the “best tennis of my career” in his mid-30s, having just won his biggest title at Queen's.
And the Spaniard says that's no accident, attributing it to his desire to become more professional and stay competitive on tour.
"When me and my generation started playing, we were very young. I started playing professional, maybe I was 18 or 17, my first tournaments on the tour," he told press on his way to winning the title at Queen's.
"When I was 30 years old, I thought, OK, I played a long career, but if I want to still be success, I need to take care of myself.
"So I started to eat a little bit better, to take care of my body,” he added. “I have a physio already for eight or nine years traveling with me every week. I have been, I would say, a little bit more professional because I knew the older I get, I have to take more care of myself."
That's something he also sees the top men like Andy Murray, Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal and Roger Federer doing. All the top five are currently 30 or older.
"The other guys, also, I see other guys in the tour that they are very professional," Lopez said. "I see Andy, which is probably the most professional guy, taking care of every small detail in his life. Also Novak. Rafa, usually. Roger, also. Being injured for almost a year and coming back so strong.
"I think right now tennis and sports, in general, became very professional, and all the athletes, they take care of themselves a lot."
He is also seeing the benefits of his experience on the court. "I think with the years and experience means a lot in the game, and to me, in my case, I think I read the game better than when I was younger," he said. "I know myself better. I know what I have to do on the court, because I play so many matches in my career.
"I have been playing more aggressively probably. That's because I decided to do it, and I knew that this is something I really have to do,” he added. “When I was younger, I was not doing the right things on the court sometimes. I was playing a lot more from the baseline, you know."
Lopez had previously won five ATP titles.
