French tennis player Michael Llodra is reportedly planning to work full-time in the wine business with his doubles partner Arnaud Clement when he hangs up his racquet next year.
According to the Mirror, defending US Open champion Andy Murray will kick off his title defence against Llodra in the Flushing Meadows on Wednesday, bidding to secure a third Grand Slam title.
However, the report said that the eccentric Parisian connoisseur is keen to savour one last major success before his retirement, with Llodra saying that wine is his passion and adding that he opened a wine bar in Dijon, France last year with Clement.
According to Llodra, they own a vineyard in Gevrey-Chambertin, Burgundy where they produce 5,000 bottles of premier cru wine a year, adding that although they have tried to develop their vineyard, it is an expensive process.
Meanwhile, the report said that although Llodra is a talented doubles specialist with three Grand Slam titles to his name as well as an Olympic silver medal, he is best known for his unpredictable off-court behavior, like when he was fined 2,500 dollars for directing a racial insult at a Korean spectator who was heckling him during a tournament last year.
However, Murray said that Llodra has never tried any of his tricks on him and is like a young child with energy, adding that he is one of the best doubles players in the world given his trickiness, good hands and unpredictability and can capitalise on his opponents' ups and downs.
