Tennis as a sport and pastime has always been defined by a certain sense of solitude — we are forever alone, entirely on our own, out there on court. There’s no one to save us from the potential abyss of our own thoughts or an off-day backhand, except for ourselves.

But at the same time, we're never truly alone; there’s always someone out there with us, moving about right across the net, going through similar thoughts and emotions of joy, distress, relief, excitement and wonder. And more often than not, that person is someone that we’ve played against many times before, be they friends, family or hitting partner.

As part of our desire to explore this dynamic, we’re excited to introduce the latest edition of Hitting With Friends, starring friends Nick Gardner and Hugo Beniada.

Photography by Matt Genovese.

What initially got you into tennis?

Nick: I've played since I was 9 years old. I think my parents thought it would be a good sport for someone with my temperament. I should really be better than I am considering I've played for over 2 decades….

Hugo: Both of my older siblings played tennis growing up. They got me my first racquet on my 6th birthday and it all took off from there.

How did you end up playing tennis with one another?

Nick: I met Hugo after stringing a racquet for him. He walked out in very cool vintage Davis Cup t-shirt and I knew he was my guy. He now strings racquets himself and gets way more business than me.

Hugo: Nick started stringing racquets before I did and one day strung mine. We then scheduled a session with him and some other friends and started hanging out. It’s not often you play with someone you’d want to spend time with outside of the courts. Which I kind of like — your relationship starts and ends on the court. But with Nick it was different, we hit it off right away.

How often do you play tennis?

Nick: I play about four or so times a week, one of them with Hugo. He always does the court booking and brings the balls. Probably gets old for him always having to do the heavy lifting...

Hugo: 6 times a week on a good week. Twice a week on a bad week. With Nick, at least once a week.

What do you feel that playing tennis with one another adds to your friendship?

Nick: Hugo is very laid back and getting the low-down on his life is sometimes like getting blood from a stone. But once we get on the court it's easier for us to open up. We pack a lot of topics into short change overs.

Hugo: Tennis got us a closer, for sure. Nick and I grew up during the same era of tennis. We share the same references and have similar sensibilities when it comes to the sport but also to other areas of life such as style, food and art, which contributed to us becoming friends. But more importantly now it’s time spent together before or after a hit, at the bar, or on weekends upstate that mostly add to our friendship. Tennis will forever be our shared passion and a reason to hang but it extends far beyond that now.

What the best and worst thing about the other's playing style on court?

Nick: Hugo has a very modern game; big strokes, heavy spin, attractive form. It's fun to play with someone who loves to bang from the baseline.

Hugo: He can’t decide between a one-handed backhand and two-handed backhand so he defaults to slices almost 90% of the time. It kills me. Best thing? He’s actually a very solid doubles player, we make a good team together.

Why do you like playing tennis together?

Nick: He always brings a fresh can.

Hugo: I don’t know but I’d like it even more if he brought balls every once in a while.