Month: June 2021

June 27, 2021

“I always played tennis because i loved the competition and had so much fun during my matches. Practicing was always tough and i never liked it a lot but i knew i had to practice well to be able to be competitive during the tournaments and it was totally worth it and i really enjoyed everything. During my career, I have also relativized a lot everytime i lost a match thinking i would have another chance next week. As they say “new week new chances” and that’s how i always saw it from inside. Specially when is so difficult to win a tournament and all players except one, lose. From when i was 19 to 25 years old, i was ranked between top 70-90 in the world and at some point i got bored of it cause i though i could do it better. So in 2017 i hired a new coach, started working with mental coach, followed super strict diet, i had bigger goals, more expectations and my journy was 24/7doing things for tennis and improve my game and be more proffesional. I changed so many things about my game, my way of thinking and my way of behaving, not just (more…)

June 24, 2021

#LegendaryBTR– “I was born for tennis. From the age of 4, I dreamed of becoming a professional tennis player. I loved to practice and improve every detail. I went through the normal steps to get to the professional level, from junior tournaments to ATP events. By age 21, I had won challenger titles. I started to play only ATP events because I thought it was the best way to improve. It was 1992 and things were looking bright. My dreams were all coming true. I won my first ATP title in Nice, France. I beat Pete Sampras, who was number one in the world. Two weeks later, I beat Ivan Lendl and Michael Chang. I had beaten 3 of the Top 5 players. Everything was in place. I was happy and enjoying my time on the tour. My nightmare began the following year. I won a five-set match at Roland Garros and was in my best shape. I went to the locker room to ask for treatment so my body could recover. The trainer was working on my back when the massage table broke. We fell and one of the table legs badly cut my toe. The training room broke (more…)

June 17, 2021

“I always felt that I had to work harder than average because my country is behind on many issues.  I come from a town of only 12,000 people where the idea of playing tennis professionally is totally crazy. From a very young age my family and I worked really hard to make this dream come true. When I started to compete, I remember feeling “weird” for taking tennis seriously. I was surrounded by a world where the majority of young people chose a team sport and not the idea of losing absolutely alone. When I was 18 years old, I signed a 10-year contract with sponsors who invested in my career. I went from being a teenager with doubts about being a professional, to actually being one. I didn’t necessarily feel the pressure from the sponsors, but it was just a radical change. I had to remove certain things that could distract me from tennis. I had to leave my life of being a teenager, my small town, family reunions, outings, soccer with friends and my last year of school, which I worked hard to finish. It was also a drastic change when the contract ended, which it took me (more…)

June 10, 2021

“I dealt with so many injuries I did not have a junior career. I hardly had a ranking and played few tournaments. I matured very late. I was short until age 16, then I started to grow quickly. I had problems with my knees, elbows and back. I played with pain then it got worse. I think I had every injury until I grew into my body. Over the last few years, I have been trying to reduce my injuries. They never go away but I have found a way to listen to my body. At 18, I started to play some $10,000 events. There was a lot of financial pressure because you are playing small tournaments and sometimes losing in the first round. But I believed in myself because I saw other girls who had similar game styles and had achieved good rankings. Deep down, I knew I could make it. In 2019, my ranking rose from number 140 to number 21. I had good results in a few big tournaments and it was a quick rise to the top. But then it was hard to think about how you got there and how to stay there. The next (more…)

June 3, 2021

“Growing up, one of my good friends was coached by my father. He was diagnosed with bone cancer and passed away less than two years later. This was the toughest moment in my life. He was like a brother to me. I have him in my mind every single day and I always travel with a shirt that has his picture. I always knew tennis was my path. I was certain that I would be successful and happy on the court. I led the Spanish Tennis Federation from age 15 until 19. Everything was easy and expenses were covered by the federation. At 19, I was playing a challenger and I fell and broke my wrist. I spent three months in a cast. Then I left the federation and hired a private coach. This was the only time that I was unsure about becoming a professional tennis player. My longevity on tour is thanks to many things. When I reached my 30s, I thought about my friends from Spain who retired at that age. I asked how I could extend my career because I was feeling great. For the next 10 years, I took care of my fitness. I have (more…)