Last week we spent a few days in one of our favorite tennis destinations, Lake Como. We were invited to attend the E1 Lake Como GP, the world’s first all-electric race boat Championship, hosted at the famous Villa D’Este on the west side of Lake Como. This event attracts A-list celebrities from around the world.
There were nine teams competing to become Champions of the Water, including those owned by Will Smith and none other than our idol, Rafael Nadal. We were cheering for Team Rafa, naturally. There was a lively race atmosphere, with guests enjoying the atmosphere set in Villa D’Este’s luxury grounds on a hot summer afternoon. Will Smith’s team took the win, but Rafa’s team finished a close second.
The next morning we hit the courts at Villa D’Este, courtesy to Lux Tennis who provided a resident coach for an hour and a half session. The facility here is any tennis enthusiast's dream come true. With incredibly maintained clay courts and lush greenery surrounding it, we would come back to play here any day.
We had known that the ATP Challenger in Lake Como was taking place that week, but did not expect some of the top players to be hitting right next to us. Kei Nishikori showed up for a practice session on the court beside us as we were wrapping up our session. It’s so inspiring to see a top player practicing in such close proximity. Coach Riccardo Piatti was there too, working with one of his players.
The tournament took place at the historic Tennis Club Como nearby, so we headed there the next day to watch Nishikori’s match against Nikoloz Basilashvili. This picturesque club, located near Villa Olmo, was founded in 1930 and is one of the oldest tennis clubs in Italy. As always, we loved watching the high level of tennis, and it was especially memorable with the background of the beautiful lake and mountains behind.
