By Blair Henley | Saturday, August 23, 2014

 

Taste of Tennis allows players to experience the best the culinary world has to offer before taking the court at the US Open. 

(Photo Credit: Thos Robinson / Getty Images)

The annual Taste of Tennis event in New York City combines the best on the court with the best in cuisine for a star-studded evening of food and fun. We caught up with several players on the green carpet to ask about culinary likes, dislikes, diets, cravings and more!
 
Do you cook?
 
Agnieszka Radwanska: Not much, to be honest. I don’t have much time for that, unfortunately.
 
Dustin Brown: I’m not as good as my dad. He’s a very good cook. I’m trying to get better, but I’m not anywhere close to his skills.
 
Bradley Klahn: I cook a little bit. Usually my mom does that, but I’m learning now that I’m on my own more.
 
Daniela Hantuchova: I do cook. I love it. It’s good therapy. I love to cook Slavic things, and I love baking, too, because I have a sweet tooth.
 
 
What is your signature dish?
 
Victoria Azarenka: My best dish I ever made was a Chilean sea bass. I made it with cranberries and marinated it with maple syrup.
 
Sloane Stephens: The best thing that I can make is lemon cake. That’s my signature. Like, my friends come over to eat my lemon cake.
 
Dustin Brown: Cornflakes (laughs).
 
Bradley Klahn: Breakfast! Little bit of scrambled eggs, pretty much anything. Pancakes and waffles. Breakfast is my specialty.
 
 
What is your favorite food?
 
Agnieszka Radwanska: Cheesecake, of course! Oreo cheesecake.
 
Sam Groth: I’m a big steak fan. I’m from Australia, so I like anything that gets thrown on a BBQ. Not a huge sushi fan, though.
 
Monica Puig:  I like to eat everything! My coach calls me boring when it comes to food because I always eat everything and say everything is so good.
 
Heather Watson:  Eel!
 
Svetlana Kuznetsova: I really like everything. Japanese is my favorite when I’m on the road.
 
 
If you were dropped on a deserted island and could only bring one food with you, what would it be?
 
Svetlana Kuznetsova: The one you can eat the whole time. Maybe pasta so I can last longer (laughs).
 
Dustin Brown: I have no idea. Pasta. I eat a lot of pasta.
 
Victoria Azarenka: Well, there’s a lot of food on the island. I would find a way to survive (laughs).
 
 
What is your guilty (food) pleasure?
 
Sloane Stephens: I eat everything. I don’t hold back at all. [I eat] whatever I’m craving. I have the weirdest cravings.
 
Monica Puig: Dessert. I can’t get enough.
 
Heather Watson: Brownies with vanilla ice cream on top.
 
Svetlana Kuznetsova: Once in awhile a hamburger or burrito.
 
Sabine Lisicki: Cake for my birthday!
 
 
Which tennis player has the personality to make the best celebrity chef?
 
Monica Puig: Bethanie Mattek-Sands. She’s my idol. She’s a great friend of mine. She’s crazy but fun. She has the best personality of anyone I know, so she would make a great celebrity chef.
 
Victoria Azarenka: I hear Serena likes to cook!
 
Sloane Stephens: Um, probably Serena. Yeah.
 
Sam Groth: Maybe Dustin [Brown]. He’s always lively. Marinko Matosevic is always a little bit “out there” as well.
 
Jack Sock: [John] Isner. I’ve been to his house a few times, and he can cook a little bit.

 
Have you ever gone on any special diet for your tennis?
 
Dustin Brown: No special diet. I’m okay with my figure, and I don’t need to worry (laughs). I can eat whatever I want.
 
Bradley Klahn: I’m not totally gluten free, but I definitely cut it back. My coach is [gluten free]. I’m well aware of it. It’s not as hard as you would think. The biggest thing for me is cutting out the bread.

 
Agnieszka Radwanska has her partnership with The Cheesecake Factory. What restaurant would be most likely to partner with you?
 
Daniela Hantuchova: Nobu!
 
Heather Watson: I’d like to steal [Cheesecake] from her. I love cheesecake. The portions are huge, and then you’ve got some for the rest of the week!