Katie Swan

May 31, 2019

May 31, 2019 “We need to normalize it. We can’t make people feel as if they have some kind of disease just because they are seeking help and talking to a psychologist. You have all these people telling you things, but you need to find that one person, who you truly connect to, that can give you the tools to overcome your issues. Many obstacles I faced were not only on the court. During a tournament I was at with my coach last year in Spain, he got some awful news. His five-year-old son went through a glass window and had his throat cut on the glass. His son thankfully went through life saving surgery. I, of course, understood when my coach had to be home with his family but it left me trying to find my way at the beginning of the grass season. I had some help from my other coach to fill in a few weeks, but he was dealing with his wife sadly battling cancer, who succumbed to this disease at the end of last year. On top of all the devastating events my team and I had to deal with, my boyfriend returned home from (more…)

Stefan Bojic

May 29, 2019

May 29, 2019 “I believe when players dont make the cut, when they dont become real professionals or crack the top 100, they leave the game with a lot of resentment. This is one of the reasons the sport is where it is today. It’s interesting that after finishing my college career and thinking I was done with tennis, I started experimenting with a racquet and ball. From the start it was a project and I knew what I was doing. I still try to remember why I started it all and the impact that it will have in the long run. At first I didn’t realize it, but with each practice, my love for the actual sport of tennis was coming back. It was really pure and innocent, just like when we were kids. My project brought me back to the sport that I used to love, but was lost somewhere along the way. Now that it’s back again and although I am coming at it from a new angle, I realized the impact this whole journey had on me was extremely underestimated. I have many ideas for the world of tennis, and with each day I’m trying to (more…)

Carol Zhao

May 26, 2019

May 26, 2019 “Woke up this morning to your familiar touchAs I stretch my elbow above my head, the pain is just as muchMy body is sore and empty, my soul wary and incompleteIt’s day number 363.—Eighteen needle marks on my bodyDoctors say this time is the last, I feel crazyTo side with hope, to take your pain and uncertainty And now there’s a hole in my knee, we were almost ready—Sometimes I feel like giving up, but my brain won’t let meJust hold on a little longer, keep it steadySometimes I feel like letting go, but my heart won’t let meIf you wanted these words, set me free I’m ready—Been to the sides of the universe to find a cureBurning leaves, blue blankets, hanging off a tree and moreI run for the keys but you hide the locks in the floorYou’re the toughest villain I’ve met, of that I’m sure— I feel as though I’ve crawled this mile beforeI’m showing up again on my knees at your doorI’m doing all I can, two thousand hours by the shoreNothing is enough for you, is it anymore—Sometimes I feel like giving up, but my brain won’t let meJust hold on a (more…)

Juandell Brunner

May 24, 2019

May 24, 2019 “Tennis is a sport I fell in love with at the age of seven. It kept me out of trouble, and helped me form my dreams. With education, and decent tennis ability, I received a scholarship, for hitting a fuzzy yellow ball out of all things! I’ve traveled the world, coached on the tour and met some of my idols, like Arthur Ashe and Zina Garrison. Out of everything there is one thing I never imagined tennis would do, save my life. On October 17th of 2018 I woke up early with a bad headache. I told my wife I didn’t feel well and that something just wasn’t right. She told me to lay down and not work that morning, which I did. She also had practice that morning, but decided to not go. I thank God for her decision. I woke up with this unexplainable pain in my head and confusion. I tried to get up, but my body wouldn’t allow me. I tried to call for my wife but no response. I began to panic. My phone was on my left side and I summoned the strength to to send a text. No clue what (more…)

Marco Trungelliti

May 22, 2019

May 22, 2019 “It took the TIU (Tennis Integrity Unit) longer than they should have to announce. It seems that the pressure built to a point that they couldn’t ignore it. It was not a good situation and set a bad example for players who wanted to report anything. It was truly sad to see that a controversial ball mark posted on Twitter got way more attention than the serious problem we have in tennis. Players and coaches are throwing matches and gambling on tennis, and I tried to do my part to stop it. As players we know the difference when another player is tanking because of an off day or because they are a part of something much worse. This kind of tanking will ruin the sport and is awful for young kids to see. The worst part about this is I was not as supported as I thought I would be, getting called a snitch by multiple people. I was receiving hate from people in Argentina, Latin America and other regions. It picked up steam when a member of the ATP player’s council announced on Twitter that I was putting blame on others to protect myself. How (more…)

Mats Moraing

May 17, 2019

May 17, 2019 “It was right after high school. I completed school and was ready to compete on tour. It was only the first tournament of my career, while watching a match, I felt this crazy chest pain. It only got worse and worse. After visiting the physio at the tournament and them not having any idea, they called an ambulance for me. I got to the hospital and they took many pictures of my chest and found out that my lung was literally falling apart. I could breathe but it was really painful. They first thought it would get better over time, on its own, but after a few days, they had no choice. They were forced to operate and fix my lung. The operation took about four and half hours. I was on really, really strong painkillers, so for the first few days, out of the total three week stay in the hospital, I felt out of it. I was continuously losing weight, which for me is never good. The start of my career was a year out from tennis. They were relating my quick height growth to this problem, but it was mostly bad luck. I wasn’t (more…)

Noah Rubin

May 13, 2019

May 13, 2019 “I should preface this by saying that I understand if the first part leads you to believe I am ungrateful or cynical. There are no words to explain the extraordinary opportunities tennis has given me and my love for this game never ceases to stun me. Regardless, I have come across obstacles I never thought tennis would force me to face. I am 23, yet I feel so much older than that. It seems that this sport has a way of making you feel irrelevant while at the same giving you this sense of entitlement. With the likelihood of losing every week and the forever expanding field of players, chances are if you were once ‘talk of the town’, that will quickly diminish over time. I feel in the case of many players, even in the slightest way, that hard work and past success should allow for present fortune. It is a never ending battle. I remember a loss last year in Spain after losing first round of qualifying of a challenger. It was 11 at night and there I am, all alone, tears slowly dripping down my face. There were only a few lights on as (more…)

Jolene Watanabe

May 2, 2019

May 2, 2019 “At first glance I look like a normal healthy human being. I am tan, in great shape, and great hair aside from a few grays. I exercise pretty much everyday. I work full time on the tennis court training with and coaching some incredible kids, which I have been doing for years. I am even lucky enough to travel to many tournaments and see them compete to their fullest. Honestly, this is the career of my dreams. While the journey with them is filled with all kinds of enjoyment, nothing compares to seeing a kid win a gold ball or just have a huge win. The look on their face says it all. This is even better than my career where I competed on the pro tour. I played 11 years to be exact with 21 ITF pro titles, 17 gold balls, and 20 main draw grand slam appearances. All of that still doesn’t compare to coaching and mentoring kids towards achieving great things. Despite all of this, looks can be deceiving. I am not what a medical profession would define as a normal healthy human. On October 21, 2017 I was diagnosed with cancer of the (more…)