Andy Murray plays golf every day after dropping his children off at kindergarten; Jimmy Connors, at 73, does it six times a week; and Carlos Alcaraz picks up the clubs whenever he can — even during Grand Slams. The last time Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal were seen together in public, it was on an 18-hole golf course.
Golf is an addiction for many current and former tennis players. Or perhaps a form of “therapy” that helps them keep their nerves in check.
“There are several players who are under a five handicap. So there should be a golf tournament for tennis players, to see who wins.”
The idea — which would surely attract plenty of interest and could be a marketing and social-media success for tennis — was floated by Mexican player Santiago González.
“I usually play with my friends from the doubles circuit — the Americans, the British. Almost everyone plays golf. They’re around three, four, up to eight or ten handicap. So we have fun whenever we can, right?”
The former world No. 7 in doubles explained to CLAY the main benefit of golf for athletes who spend most of their lives inside a rectangle of concrete, clay or grass: “In the end, you want to put your mind somewhere else. Golf is a sport where you’re surrounded by trees, where it’s just you and the ball.”
“I do see it as a form of therapy, because it frees you from the stress of tennis and allows you to think about something else — even though you’re still competing. Golf, even when played casually, demands mental strength. If you’re a low-handicap player, you know that a couple of bad shots and your score won’t be the same,” González said.
Alexander Müller is another player who has recently fallen in love with golf: “I’m a very calm person, so missing shot after shot isn’t a problem. It doesn’t affect my head, luckily.”
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In March, like González, he was invited to play Punta Espada, one of the most impressive golf courses on the planet, located in Punta Cana: eight of its holes run along the Caribbean coastline.
Playing among palm trees with the turquoise colour of the water in the background is perhaps the golfing experience closest to a video game. The players competing in the Cap Cana Challenger were blown away.
“Enjoying this sport by the sea is very special — a privilege. Getting away from tennis for three or four hours to be here helps a lot,” Müller told CLAY.
Preparing for Wimbledon on the golf course
Casper Ruud is possibly the most golf-obsessed active tennis player.
The Norwegian, a three-time Grand Slam finalist, has a very particular way of preparing for Wimbledon.
“My preparation for Wimbledon basically consists of playing golf. I feel more comfortable on the golf course than on grass tennis courts,” he once said, with a touch of irony: “Grass is for golfers.”
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The UK’s Grand Slam is the only event the current world No. 12 plays on that surface, and he always schedules several tee times after Roland Garros. Much of his golfing activity is documented on his dedicated Instagram account: @casper_golfer.
Speaking about golf, Ruud once told CLAY that there is something worse than facing Rafael Nadal in a French Open final: playing him on a golf course.
The Norwegian has experienced both situations and came to the conclusion that, with a club in his hand, the Spaniard is even more competitive than he was with a racket: “He’s very, very competitive. Even more competitive than on a tennis court.”
A Grand Slam title… thanks to golf?
One thing Juan Carlos Ferrero will surely miss after his professional split with Carlos Alcaraz is their golf outings together, often shared with major figures from the sports world.
During Wimbledon 2025, the Spaniards played with Murray, who acted as the local host. At the most recent US Open, golf became a recurring topic around the world No. 1.
After every win, Alcaraz celebrated by mimicking a golf swing with his racket. What started as a nod to Rory McIlroy — who was present during the early days of the tournament in Flushing Meadows — turned into a tribute to the sport that accompanied him closely during a campaign that ended with his sixth Grand Slam title.
To conclude that those frequent trips to the 18-hole course provided an escape that helped Alcaraz win the 2025 US Open would not be far-fetched. That was the view of Sergio García, one of his golf mentors.
“Probably playing golf with Juan Carlos (Ferrero), with David Puig and with me helped him a bit that week as well.”
“Carlos needs to be happy, relaxed, fully charged, to feel free. Golf helps him achieve that — it helps him disconnect. Just like tennis helps me disconnect from golf,” the 2017 Masters champion told CLAY.
