Tennis champ Serena Williams is a seasoned Road Warrior.
But ask her what her favourite travel destination is, and her response is as swift as her serve.
"My favourite is home honestly," she said while speaking to reporters at the Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York City a few days before the U.S. Open, which began on Monday. "There's really, really big meaning to that saying 'there’s no place like home.' Whenever I’m home I’m so happy."
Home to Serena and her sister Venus Williams, who is also competing in the tournament, is West Palm Beach.
The sisters live across the road from each other but say they would like to be closer. "We're working on living next door," Venus said.
USA TODAY spoke about travel with the Williams sisters as well as Spain's Rafael Nadal, a past U.S. Open champion, and the United Kingdom's Andy Murray, who recently won the gold medal at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Venus likes to venture out a little more than her sister. Her favourite U.S. destination: Washington, D.C. "People think of big cities, sometimes they forget about D.C.," she said. "And it’s beautiful. It has a European flair, lots of great culture, restaurants, pretty much everything. I like to spend time there."
As for international destinations, Serena picked Ghana. "I had a lot of fun there," she said. "It was so beautiful and I saw so much history there."
Venus chose Slovenia. "It's off the beaten path," she said. "It's beautiful country, not a lot of Americans."
Nadal, who is from Majorca, said he needs to be near water. "For me personally, I am from an island," he says. "I like places with fine beaches, clear water."
Hence, his love of Miami. "It's a city that you have almost everything (in), and at the same time you have the ocean," he said.
He also enjoys New York. "I like to go to Broadway. I like to walk around the city a little bit. I like to be in Central Park," he said. "It is a city with a lot of life and energy, and I like that."
Like Serena, he likes to take staycations. "I normally take the vacations to be back at home and spend time at home and with my family," he said.
Murray's top picks: Melbourne and Shanghai. He also likes New York and Miami.
"We get to go to pretty much all of the big cities in the world when we’re playing and I love traveling," he said.
What can these tennis champs not leave home without, aside from their tennis equipment?
"Phone, laptop, just to communicate, when you're away, with family and friends," Murray said after playing table tennis at the Langham Place hotel in New York.
Nadal agreed. "I have a lot of free hours sometimes in the airports, in the room," he said. "Knowing what’s going on around the world is important to me."
Venus doesn't like to leave home without her dog, a Havanese named Harry. "He's here," she said.
What would be in their dream minibar?
"It would have to be some sort of green drink," Venus said.
"I was going to go with Sour Patch Kids, watermelon," Serena said.
If she could have tacos in there, Serena said she would be a happy hotel guest.
Eyeliner would be a nice perk for Venus. "You're on the go," she said. "If you just have eyeliner or mascara, it would change my life."
What's the first thing a tennis champ does when checking into a hotel?
"I check the shower," Murray said. "I don't know. I need good water pressure. It's important."
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