Fly, TP, fly: Tommy Paul unlocks happy medium of taking the job seriously and having fun

Tommy Paul is just like the rest of us. Every now and then, he needs to get some air.

Deep sea fishing has developed into a reliable avenue for Paul to stay centered away from the workload that goes into maintaining his place among the ATP Tour’s elite crop of players. Heading out on the open water is more than just a source of relaxation for the American—the activity is part of a greater process to let it fly.

“I think a lot of people thought I was just fishing all of December, because that's kind of all I was posting. But I tell everyone, the tennis always comes first,” he shares during our chat earlier this month in Frisco, Texas.

“Even when I'm fishing, or doing off-court stuff, I'm thinking about whether it's going to affect my tennis. And a lot of times, it affects it for the better. Before I leave for tournaments, I get a little stressed, or I get kind of locked into practice mode. It's just tennis, tennis, tennis. My team will be like, ‘All right, Thursday, you're not playing tennis. Go fishing,’ and it'll be something that's really good for me.

“It clears my mind. It's like you're all in on that and you don't really have time to think about anything else. I love doing it so much and it just fully separates me from my day job.”

Calm, chill, cool—take your pick: Paul is one of today’s more even-tempered competitors. “TP,” as many call him, finds momentum through the level produced on court rather than pumping himself up or feeding off external energy. With Paul, less is often more. Coach Brad Stine can sometimes be heard reminding his pupil from the player box to simply “let it happen.”

“When you're not playing amazing, sometimes your mind can kind of be all over the place. And for me, when I'm kind of in those zones of not playing my best, we try and focus on doing less,” he says.

Last month, Paul reached the Australian Open quarterfinals for the second time in three years. That showing was the final puzzle piece of a 52-week cycle to send the 27-year-old inside the Top 10 for the first time. It’s an achievement Paul is proud of, but also one that he’s “not going to celebrate” either.

It may very well serve as another example of letting things happen, though Paul’s journey to the benchmark ranking is an inspiring one worth commending either way.

Before I leave for tournaments, I get a little stressed, or I get kind of locked into practice mode. It's just tennis, tennis, tennis. My team will be like, ‘All right, Thursday, you're not playing tennis. Go fishing,’ and it'll be something that's really good for me. Tommy Paul

As a young adult, Paul initially struggled with his identity as a professional tennis player. Opening up last year on the Netflix docuseries Break Point, the New Jersey native revealed how he eventually hit ‘rock bottom’ at a time when he regularly found himself being tested for alcohol while friends Taylor Fritz, Reilly Opelka and Frances Tiafoe were all moving up. Rediscovering why he was drawn to hitting serves and groundies helped him get out of the dark cloud, as did surrounding himself with voices that could foster making a U-turn and charting a new path.

Paul’s climb to the Top 10 is a admirable lesson in both self-investment and turning vulnerability into opportunity.

“It's so much about the right people, and the right people made it different for me. I was able to really enjoy doing it again,” he reflects.

“A big part of it for me was from 18 to 21, I saw all my friends in college having the best time and I was like, ‘Oh, I should have done that.’ Then I saw them all get desk jobs and it became, ‘OK, what I'm doing isn't so bad.’ Yeah, man, I just started loving going to the practice court and getting better. I really started taking it super seriously. It's my job, but at the same time, I'm having fun.”

That was apparent in Paul’s most recent tour appearance at the Dallas Open when he proudly wore a Philadelphia Eagles hat throughout the tournament inside the headquarters of the Dallas Cowboys ahead of his team’s Super Bowl triumph. Directly following this week’s upcoming Abierto Mexicano Telcel in Acapulco, where Paul finished runner-up two years ago, more fun awaits the world No. 10 in Las Vegas.

Paul is set to appear at the MGM Rewards Slam in a lineup that includes one of his best friends: top-ranked countryman Fritz. It was 10 years ago this June when Paul defeated Fritz to win the junior French Open at Roland Garros. “Oh my God,” he responds upon hearing that timeline.

The two will star alongside Alexander Zverev and Casper Ruud, who replaced world No. 1 Jannik Sinner, under the lights of Michelob ULTRA Arena at Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino come March 2 (Naomi Osaka will face Aryna Sabalenka the night prior). When asked if he ever imagined sharing a stage in a city like this with his childhood comrade, Paul said yes in his usual calm manner before admitting, “I didn't know at all what the journey was going to be like to get there. I thought it was going to be easier.

“Four Top 10 guys, so I mean it's pretty awesome. I'm sure they're going to do it up amazing. I heard great things about the event last year. I don't have too much experience in Vegas. I'm actually so excited to go just for that reason.

“It's just such an iconic sports city especially when it comes to individual sports, boxing, MMA, that's the place for it.”

I just started loving going to the practice court and getting better. I really started taking it super seriously. It's my job, but at the same time, I'm having fun. Tommy Paul

After leaving Sin City, the Sunshine Double of Indian Wells and Miami awaits Paul. Logically, the next step forward for him is to add an ATP Masters 1000 trophy to his cabinet after picking up his first ATP 500 crown last year at The Queen's Club in London.

The position Paul is in now to verifiably chase the sport's most coveted titles is a testament to unlocking the happy medium that works for him. So how would 17-year-old Tommy see it?

“He'd be pumped about it. I think he would tell himself to keep going, though,” assures Paul. “There's still a lot more to do.”

Fly, TP, fly.