Struff opens up about son, dream partner and more

World No. 34 Jan-Lennard Struff recently celebrated his 30th birthday at home, but just a couple of months ago he was racing through the California desert with Clyde, the Tennis Channel Confessional Cart.

Struff was surprised that Clyde knew exactly what shoes he was wearing and was, as expected, a little shocked to be conversing with a golf cart. The German enjoyed the journey and answered questions about his life on and off the court.

Q: If you could play any Olympic sport besides tennis, what would it be?

"Good one. I always loved track and field, 100 meters."

Q: You're pretty tall, too [6'5"]. You could be a basketball player, right?

"Nah. Not good in that, no."

Q: If you could be courtside for any match in history, what would it be?

"Would say, the final, Wimbledon where Nadal beat Federer. In that epic one [in 2008]."

Q: Someone you'd like to switch places with for a day?

"I think a lot of guys, just to see how their lives are. Would love to be like a soccer player from Borussia Dortmund, once. To see how they live, how people react to them."

Q:What's one thing you couldn't live without?

"Can't live without my kid." (Struff became a dad in 2019 to a son named Henri.)

​Q: What is the best advice you've ever received?

"I think my parents gave me a lot of good advice, so like to never give up and always keep fighting for dreams."

Struff answered one final question from Tennis Channel commentator Chanda Rubin:

Q: "I'll never forget when I won the doubles title here at Indian Wells in '96. A good partner is crucial. So my question for you is: If you could play doubles with anyone, man or woman, anyone throughout history, who would it be and wby?

"Pete Sampras. He was my idol growing up and yeah I loved the game style he played. He served very well, volleyed good."