Liudmila Samsonova
July 2, 2025
“My first memory of playing, I was six and a half. I started playing in a tennis group with five or six other kids. It’s honestly really special, because my first coach from that day, we still keep in touch. It’s a great relationship. My father was a professional table tennis player. There were times where I thought I might pursue that, but my mom said, “No, don’t go with that.” There was no money. I would play sometimes with dad, because he was still playing in the Italian Liga. I also loved figure skating and rhythmic gymnastics. But with tennis, I really loved the competition, and I had more chances. Moving from the juniors to the pros was so difficult for me. Really, really hard. I didn’t understand everything that came with being a pro. There’s so much pressure, I didn’t have a real personality already built. I had no idea who I was. Over the past seven years, I’ve invested a lot. I’ve invested in my team, myself. As soon as I had the chance to pay for a coach, I did it. I wasn’t scared. I knew, in my mind, that I could do more. What I (more…)
“My first memory of playing, I was six and a half. I started playing in a tennis group with five or six other kids. It’s honestly really special, because my first coach from that day, we still keep in touch. It’s a great relationship. My father was a professional table tennis player. There were times where I thought I might pursue that, but my mom said, “No, don’t go with that.” There was no money. I would play sometimes with dad, because he was still playing in the Italian Liga. I also loved figure skating and rhythmic gymnastics. But with tennis, I really loved the competition, and I had more chances. Moving from the juniors to the pros was so difficult for me. Really, really hard. I didn’t understand everything that came with being a pro. There’s so much pressure, I didn’t have a real personality already built. I had no idea who I was. Over the past seven years, I’ve invested a lot. I’ve invested in my team, myself. As soon as I had the chance to pay for a coach, I did it. I wasn’t scared. I knew, in my mind, that I could do more. What I (more…)
