WATCH: Gibbs enjoys Hong Kong shopping and dining

Sam Groth and Nicole Gibbs are giving fans a behind-the-scenes look at the world of professional tennis all year long in My Tennis Life. To read more updates from Sam and Nicole, go to tennischannel.com.

We are getting close to the end of the WTA season! This week I’m competing in Hong Kong—one of my favorite cities in the world. After a disappointing final round qualies loss in Beijing, I am happy to report that I’ve won my first round here and will be moving on.

I survived a tough challenge from a young player on tour, Valentini Grammatikopoulou, who came out swinging and played some very good tennis. It’s never easy playing against someone you’ve never seen before, so I’m proud of the way I problem solved and stuck to my game plan, even when things got a bit dicey.

I have been pleasantly surprised by Hong Kong’s significant vegetarian restaurant scene. My team and I have been to about five different places, all of which we really enjoyed. While finding one spot we liked in Beijing was great, we’ve been happy to mix it up more here and are seeking out different adventures each night.

The hotel here is conveniently located a short walk from the courts and in the center of Hong Kong’s Times Square. To enjoy a day of high end shopping and dining, all I need to do is take a right turn out of my hotel.

Given how hard it can be to get out of the tennis, eat, sleep routine on the road, it’s a welcome change to be right in the middle of all the action here. Between metro trips (public transport here is phenomenal) to yummy restaurants and walks to a nearby bookstore, I feel almost like a local for once. Hopefully the great off court vibes will lead to great on court performances this week.