‘I’m reading “The Art of Dying” by Seneca’ – Martín Landaluce, the tennis player with a difference

ROME – Martin Landaluce doesn’t bat an eyelid as he explains how he spends the little free time afforded by his dual life as a rising professional tennis player and dedicated college student.

“I’m reading ‘The Art of Dying’ by Seneca,” says the 20-year-old Spaniard during an interview with CLAY at the Italian Open in Rome.

Landaluce is thus reminiscent of the Argentinian Guillermo Vilas, who was a touring ‘weird’ in the 1970s and 1980s who devoted hours to reading and writing poetry. The Spaniard could have lived very well during that time, because social media has not conquered either his time or his soul.

In “The Art of Dying,” Seneca argues that death should be seen as liberation because life is a journey toward death. Paradoxically, Landaluce is entering the tennis scene: this year he reached the quarter-finals in Miami and established himself in the top 100 in the world. And on the European clay court tour he continues to grow as a player. He feels, he says, “like a warrior.”

Coming from a Spaniard, that says a lot.

– You play in the major tennis competitions; do you feel this way?

– Yes, I think I’m becoming more and more established on the track; I think I’m playing some great matches. In this case [Rome]I got really lucky with the Lucky Loser spot and got through early. I made the best of it; I really wanted to play on that beautiful field [the Nicola Pietrangeli, surrounded by statues of classical Olympic athletes, sculpted in Carrara marble] against a great player like Marin Cilic.

– You are getting better and better as a tennis player, so how are you doing in your role as a university student studying Business and Management? Isn’t your education suffering from your growing success as a tennis player?

– Yes, it is quite difficult if you play well, because there are so many competitions and you have to hand in assignments and take exams remotely, and that takes quite a lot of time. And making contact with other classmates for group work also takes quite a bit of time. And sometimes it’s a bit of a struggle, but there are days when I’m free or I try to set aside three or four hours to catch up on something that I’ve fallen behind. But it is true that you are always a little behind with the subjects and that you have to catch up. I’m going to try to continue taking it at my leisure, and if it ever takes longer than I need or can handle, then I’ll have to take action.

– Where do you study?

– It’s a university in Spain [the International University of La Rioja] which provides certain subsidies to players and athletes. In my case I can manage both.

– How many years do you have left, or how long does the training last?

– Well, this course is a four-year course and I am taking half of the modules; instead of ten I’m doing five, so in theory I’m trying to complete it in eight years – it’s a long-term project that I’m doing at a steady pace. If I can manage with five modules a year, I’ll take it easy; if I can fit more in, I’ll do more. And if not, I’ll try to find the time.

– Do you know anyone on tour doing something similar?

– Yes, I think there are a few players, but I don’t think there are many because tennis takes up so much time. I still have some more time to devote to it, and as long as it keeps my mind occupied, I will continue to develop. On the other hand, I think it’s positive.

– And why? I mean, why do it if most people don’t?

– Because I think it actually helps me a lot to have structure, because in tennis I already have a very clear idea of ​​what I have to do. And it’s also another responsibility that I have on the side, which – or at least I think so – makes me mature in a way. I don’t waste time in the afternoon; I have to continue with something that I sometimes find difficult, that I sometimes don’t have the patience or time for… And especially because it continues to develop my mind. And if at some point, which I plan to do, I start running companies, running my own business, making investments, I think everything I can learn from this course will benefit me. I’m sticking with that plan.

– But in a sense you are already your own company; or are you thinking about running other types of businesses?

– Yes, my own; I want to arrange it as best as possible. For example, I have a module that is also about law, which covers a lot of laws, and that is quite useful for me. I have microeconomics; there are modules that help me with tennis, with the business that I am, and if I want to expand in the future, or run certain businesses or whatever, I want to have some knowledge and know something about the subject.

– Still don’t have social media on your mobile phone?

– Yes, I usually don’t have them on my mobile; sometimes I download the app during weeks like this in Rome when there are a lot of people and I need to help post more updates or reply to people. I download it, but normally I use social media on my computer and in the afternoon sometimes I look at it and that’s it.

– And do you still read Seneca and other philosophers?

– Yes, yes, I do. I am currently reading ‘The Art of Dying’ by Seneca. Sometimes I take a break from those books and read other books that also teach me in different ways.

– You played in the Nicola Pietrangeli Stadium, surrounded by 18 Carrara marble statues representing Olympic athletes. How did you feel?

– I felt like a warrior. It gave me a lot of energy.