Tennis star Eric Butorac made a huge splash at Australian Open in January, where he and doubles partner, Raven Klaasen, swept through the tournament as an unseeded pair to land in the finals. During the next few months, he’ll tour the United States and Europe, before competing in the French Open in May. We caught up with the Cambridge resident and Boston Lobsters player, to chat about tennis, becoming a first-time dad in December, and his favorite Marblehead haunts.
Northshore magazine: Congratulations on your Australian Open performance! What was that experience like?
Eric Butorac: It was the best result that I’ve ever had at a Grand Slam. When I was down there I was just focused on playing good tennis and winning matches. I was trying to just stay in the moment. When I actually came home and turned my phone on and got to see all my family and friends in Boston, and hear how much it meant to them, and how excited everyone else was—that’s when it really set in that it was a great performance.
NS: What’s the atmosphere like during Boston Lobsters home matches at the Manchester Athletic Club?
EC: It’s fun for us to play at a really active tennis club. It’s definitely the ultimate high-performance club for young juniors and good tennis players in the North Shore area. And it’s fun for us to be there. The crowd is really full, really involved, very knowledgeable tennis fans. All the kids are allowed to come down and get autographs on the court after the match, and we just chat with everybody.
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NS: How is it being a first-time dad to your son, Jack?
EC: It’s been great. Obviously it was hard leaving to go to Australia and be away for a month, but now, I got to spend a couple weeks with him at home, and my wife, Maggie, and Jack are with me traveling.
NS: Do you often visit your wife’s hometown, Marblehead?
Her parents still live in Marblehead so we’re up there quite regularly. We go to Five Corners Kitchen and The Landing.
NS: Anything else you want to add about playing on the North Shore?
For me it’s fun to not only play in Boston, but to play on the North Shore where my wife has a lot of family, so now I have family. Anytime you get to do your job in front of your friends and family it makes it extra special. Being able to play for the Lobsters for the last five years has been an awesome experience, and I hope to do it for many more.