Glamour is the last thing in mind for most of the traveling tennis players in the ATP and WTA circuits.

Budapest based Katalin Marosi-Aracama, who has been a regular for the Al Habtoor Challenge for the past three years says the men have a lot more of friends within the playing circuit than the girls.

“We tend to take our on-court happenings even off it and there is a lot less of mingling or meeting amongst us after the matches,” said Kata as she is better known amongst her close ones and friends.

“Life is quite lonely for the players generally. The men have a lot more of life off the court, I think. We hardly make an effort for get-togethers or social inter-action,” Kata added.

Now added to this, the players on the fringe like Kata for example have very limited earnings in tennis where a lot of the main draws in majors have to be approached via the qualifying rounds, which are not board-and-lodge found.

It’s work and nothing but work on a routine basis round the clock throughout the year. There is hardly any time to pack and jet off for the next tournament like in Kata’s case, it is a $50,000 ITF leg in France.

“I have an Air France ticket that will allow me to stop-over in Paris from where I will go by train to the venue, play and then return to Paris and catch a plane back home to Budapest,” Kata said.

On the fact that she would have to tug her kit bag and her personal belongings, Kata was quite philosophical.

“We get used to it. I carry four racquets plus the minimum amount of clothes and playing wear.

“It is always nice to have a companion to help. Whenever Andres my husband was around, life was easier. Now that he has to look into the possibilities of a tennis academy in Sao Paolo, he had to stay back, and I am back to old times, travelling alone once more,” the pretty veteran Tour player from Hungary said.

Kata has a tough second round engagement with Belarus’ Olga Barabanchikova who ousted Moroccan eighth seed Bahia Mouhtassine in a three-hour battle on Tuesday night.

“I have seen them play before and also a little bit of their game today (Tuesday). It’s going to be close and I am working on what my husband as a coach and friend has told me always, ‘get mentally adjusted to every game and live through matches through mind as well,’ I am trying out ways to achieve this,” Kata said, “I want to do well not only here but in the rest of my tennis career as well.”

Kata will have to make a major decision as to when she would be joining her husband as the academy’s resident coach in Sao Paolo.

“Andres will have to be behind the overall administration as a director and will have little time for regular hands-on coaching. I will be of help to him and the academy as well in its initial growth period if things work out ok. You know it will be quite tough for anything new to catch on,” Kata added.

“I must give it all I have in the coming season or two before going into teaching the game and settling down at one place,” Kata said.