Kiwi tennis no.1 Marina Erakovic drops surprise album

Kiwi number one tennis player Marina Erakovic has swapped the tennis racquet for a guitar in a surprise album release.

Erakovic, the world number 143, released an EP titled Incognito in March under the alias of The Mad Era.

The 29-year-old told the official WTA website she put the album on a music website and it was picked up by a magazine which gave it a solid review.

"The response has actually been pretty positive. I always felt like I was doing it for myself and I never really knew if it was any good, so it's nice to know that people like it, which is a nice feeling," she told wtatennis.com.

Erakovic recorded the album on her laptop while travelling around the world playing in tennis tournaments.

"The little case I have for my guitar also fits two racquets in it," she told wtatennis.com.

"And that's how I've always travelled - I always have two racquets with me in the case so it's kind of cool, no one knows I play tennis when I'm at the airport. Everyone thinks I'm just carrying a violin. But at the moment, my bag is actually lost, so I don't know where those two racquets are."

She will line up in the French Open main draw next week as she attempts to advance to the second round for the first time since 2014.

Erakovic, who said she listens to Kings Of Leon, The Killers and The 1975, wasn't sure what to expect when she released the EP earlier this year.

"When I put this thing out there I just thought, well, here we go. I never really wanted to tell people about it, probably because I think I have a terrible singing voice so I didn't want anyone to know I was singing. But I really enjoy it, if it doesn't turn into anything down the road it'll always be a hobby for me, and music will always be a part of me as well as tennis - I think I enjoy them both equally."