What were your questions, eddy?

Daniela'll probably play Rosmalen, she'll say adidas as they're her sponsors and about 85% of Slovaks are Christian, just under 70% are Catholic and the rest have no religion or another religion.

Cheers for your opinions, we'll have to wait and see if she answers, but yeah maybe the religious one was too private...

Hello From Orlando!
2010-04-08

Hey everyone

I'm in Orlando, preparing for the clay court season. The weather has been great here. I've been spending every day training hard - no time to enjoy anything here (no Disneyland!) By the time I'm finished with my training and fitness work, there's not much time to do anything but rest. I'm really looking forward to my first tournament on clay in Charleston.

Hey, if you have any questions about training or fitness, go to Fitness Corner - I'll answer some this week! I'll also be answering some some Ask Dani ones this week too. Thanks again for all of your support!

Dani

Yes! I love this new fan-friendly daniela!

Charleston Blog

2010-04-14
Hello from Charleston!

I was really pleased with my clay court preparation in Orlando last week and I've had a good few days more practice here. Charleston is a very nice city. I haven't been here in quite some time and it feels just like being in Europe. We went to the old downtown, which is beautiful. There's so much history there. I went shopping with my mom and coach, went to some great restaurants... it's nice after the craziness of Miami to be in a quiet place, it's relaxing and easy to focus on tennis!

The player party on Sunday night was fun. It was at Saks Fifth Avenue and it is a great idea to combine shopping with dinner, it's the first time I've been to something like that. You could also make your own soap and there was so much free candy there! My coach packed his bag with so much candy, he'll have enough for the whole month! I preferred the cookies... and the chocolate popcorn was excellent, I really want to learn how to make that!

I just came from my first match of the week, against Ayumi Morita. It was unfortunate she had to retire, but I felt until then I was playing well for my first match of the year on clay. Your first match on a new surface is never easy. I'm just trying to focus on all of the things we worked on last week.

Thanks for all of your support and talk to you soon!!

Dani

Question by Maurice
What languages do you speak? Maurice
Dani's answer
Slovak, German, English and a few Italian words. With Slovak you can understand some other languages, like Czech, Slovenian, Croatian... The first language I learned was actually German, because we're so close to Germany and Austria, so in school that's the first language they teach you in Slovakia.

Question by Jose
Will you go back to Monterrey next year?
Dani's answer
It's obviously a very, very nice tournament. I loved my time there and my schedule is usually made at the end of the year - hopefully I can come back again!

Question by Fred
How do you keep your string tension?
Dani's answer
Great question! Nobody has ever asked this. There are so many things that affect what string a player uses. Which part of the world you're playing in, if it's humid or dry, whether the balls are flying or are a little heavier, the court, the altitude... It's never the same. On average, I like to keep them pretty medium range.

Question by Daniela Valles
How do you stay fit?
Dani's answer
I usually try to be as ready for my matches as possible, so this is very important to me. I always do workouts before or after my tennis training. In the days you travel, it's important when you arrive somewhere to go for a jog or just sweat a little bit, so you can get back into the rhythm faster. Drink plenty of water, get as much sleep as possible... And just as important as being fit is recovery from matches - that's something I've learned in my experience.

Question by Pablo
Have you ever been to South America?
Dani's answer
Yes I have, when I was junior I played tournaments there - Mar del Plata in Argentina, Santiago in Chile, Asuncion in Paraguay, Montevideo in Uruguay... All of them were beautiful places and I would love to go back one day.

Question by Darnell B
What was your best match in the 2000-2009 decade?
Dani's answer
The Indian Wells final I played against Martina Hingis in 2002

Question by Miltonius
What is your advice on keeping your nerves under control during big points?
Dani's answer
Live in the moment. Don't think about the future or the past, and don't think about the result or outcome of what you're doing. Just give 100% in that exact moment.

Question by Dusan (Serbia)
What is your favorite city for shopping?
Dani's answer
Definitely Rome. It's by far my most favorite city in the world, not just for the shopping but for the atmosphere, food, people, everything. I love it. Ever since I went for the first time, I knew it would be my favorite city.

Question by Robin (Germany)
When in your life did you start really believing you could be a top player?
Dani's answer
Ever since I picked up the racquet when I was six. At that age in 1988, Mecir won the gold medal for our country and I asked my parents to buy me a racquet so I could make it to the Olympics.

Question by Swapnil (India)
What was your favorite Wimbledon match?
Dani's answer
Usually I would go with a singles match, but it was when I won the mixed doubles - my first Grand Slam. It was actually the first time I ever played mixed doubles! To win a Wimbledon title when I was so young was so nice!

Question by Fenghua Li (China)
Are you coming to Beijing this year?
Dani's answer
Yes. Definitely. I'm really looking forward to it, it's a great tournament and the fans are so nice and treat me so well!

Question by Tony (UK)
Do you drive, and what is your dream car?
Dani's answer
I love driving! It gives me a chance to think and listen to music. I especially love driving in Monte Carlo with its surroundings and the ocean... and I drive a Porsche

Fitness Corner

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Question by Robert
Hi Daniela, Do you take any special supplements, such as proteins? How many times do you eat during the day? Thank you for your answer and good luck in the upcoming tournaments in Europe?
Fitness coach's response
Hello Robert, my diet is very important to me. I do not take any special supplements, but I make sure I eat a clean healthy diet. I make sure I take in enough carbohydrates, protein and the right type of good fats to sustain my energy. Chicken, turkey, fish and other lean cuts of meat are good proteins to eat. One important thing to remember is that it is very important to eat within 30 minutes after a hard workout! Thank you for your question!

Question by Lee
Do you play any other sports as part of your fitness programme?
Fitness coach's response
Hello Lee, Playing tennis is a very demanding sport. I do not want to take any risks playing other sports to prevent any unnecessary injury. I train specifically for tennis and that usually takes up most of my time. Thank you for you question.

Question by benny
what is the best way to build arm muscles
Fitness coach's response
Hi Benny! Thanks for your question. The best way to build arm muscles is to do less reps and more sets. For example, if you are doing bicep curls you would do 3-4 sets of 9 repititions! I know I have to keep my arms strong to prevent injury! Thanks !

Question by Viengsouk
What drills do you do to help with tossing the ball when serving, so that the toss is in almost the same spot?
Fitness coach's response
Hello Viengsouk, Repetition is key to ball tossing. I make sure I let the ball land after tossing it and make sure it lands in the same spot each time. It is helpful to put a marker on the ground to be sure you land in the same spot. Thank you for yor question.

Question by Abby S.
What is your favorite time of day to workout and practice?
Fitness coach's response
Hello Abby, My favorite time of the day to workout and practice is in the morning. I usually train two times a day so it is crucial I start early to get everything in and still have time at night to rest and recover. Thank you for your question.

Question by Edgar
Hey Daniela, well done today and good luck for the rest of the tournament. In training how far/long do you usually run for?
Fitness coach's response
Hello Edgar, Thank you very much, I appreciate your support. In training, everyday is different. Depending on what I am working on, I will do short sprints with longer rest or longer runs without rest. I never run over a few miles at a time very often, because that can slow down your reaction on the court. Thank you for your question.