Category: Story

April 22, 2021

“At around 14 years old, an important moment for my growth, I needed a lot of affection and love. The people close to me only saw Martina “the tennis player”, and not the girl who was growing up with her own needs. I think this made me who I am today. I am different from others because of my sensitivity.  I am a very sensitive person and really enjoy listening to people. I am not afraid of failure. I wake up every morning and do my best. I am always learning new things to improve as a woman and an athlete. If I do not succeed, I have no regrets because I give my full effort. I’m learning to not be impacted by judgment of others, but to care about what I think first. I am walking a path for myself, to improve myself and become a better person. I am working hard and this is the most important thing. I accept that you can fail, but I always o leave the next morning with my head held high. You have to follow your own path because everyone has their own. Tennis changed my life. There have been many positive (more…)

April 18, 2021

#CelebrityBTR– “I grew up in Plano, Texas. At age 11, my mom started playing at the local tennis courts. She said, “Oh my gosh, I love this sport. I’m going to bring my kids one day.” Then my brother and I fell in love with tennis. I played team sports and individual sports. I was quarterback of the football team and played baseball. I was big into a lot of sports, but tennis became my favorite because it was a solo sport, so I did not have to rely on anyone else. My best friends came from my time competing in Texas. I was captain of my high school tennis team. The team was my main friend group because I was playing five days per week, tennis was my life. In college, I played club tennis which was a good way to travel and make friends. My current roommate is one of my best friends. He was my teammate in high school before he played at Texas Christian University. We play all the time here in Dallas. It’s a great sport to stay active and play year-round. After college, I stopped playing for three years. When I picked up a (more…)

April 15, 2021

“My father died from a heart attack when I was 15 years old. I am not from a wealthy family. My mother supported school while my father supported tennis. My father loved all sports and worked with a national dance crew. I was in the middle of puberty when he passed and I lost my court title. I stopped playing tennis and started hanging with a bad crowd. I wanted to be part of a group. I searched for an adrenaline rush to replace playing a sport.  I had to start working as a coach. My uncle heard I was planning to quit tennis because we had no money. He contacted the owner of ISP Tennis Academy in France who looked at my results and offered me a full scholarship. At age 18, I won my first ATP point. I made the quarterfinals of the strongest futures events in the country. Nike approached my sponsor and I signed my first contract in France. My sponsor paid for everything. I did not want to spend his money for plane tickets to go home so I spent the holidays with his family. We had a father-son relationship. At age 20, I broke into the Top 400 and (more…)

April 8, 2021

“For a long time, I did not give 100% so I would have an excuse when I did not fulfill my dreams. I realized I was scared to fail. I had to accept this fear and mature to find my way. It took me a long time to encourage myself. My girlfriend and coach were very important during this time. In 2019, I decided to fully commit to my dreams and prepared for the season like never before. I trained hard and with maturity. But I had bad results and questioned my path. I felt like tennis was leaving me. Without results, the bank account turns red. Years go by, you endure more blows and patience runs out. At 27 years old, I thought it might be time to end my career. I decided to give myself one last chance and played the Savannah challenger. I did not have any expectations and won the tournament. After nine years on tour, I captured my first challenger title. I have dealt with pressure my whole life. I began competing at age 12 when my brother Guillermo was ranked 3 in the world. Wherever I played, people came to see Guillermo’s younger brother. (more…)

April 1, 2021

“I was born with a racquet in my hand, figuratively speaking. My sister was one of the best U14 in Sweden before she got injured and decided to play college tennis. My family is from Estonia, and my dad grew up competing in the Sovjet Union. He started working as a tennis coach in a local club when my family moved to Sweden.Tennis came naturally for me, and I remember being around the courts and developed a big love for the game from a very young age. I loved everything about the sport, playing with my dad and friends, hitting against the wall and even watching people practice. I was constantly holding a racquet in my hand. I basically lived in the tennis club, and it was the place I felt the most joy. I have never been forced to play, and it has always been my choice from the beginning. I remember my dad always telling me to play as long as I wake up and love what I do, but that is always up to me how hard I am willing to work for it, because life is not easy. My family has always been my inspiration for (more…)

March 28, 2021

#MyBTR– “I started playing tennis at the age of 6 in Lesotho, Africa. I was a swimmer first but they were charging 5 cents and my family lived off an $80 salary for a group of 5. My older brother started playing tennis and I was fascinated by the fact that he would bring tennis balls back and sell them in my village. I only got a pair of shoes once a year, and that would be on Christmas. I competed for years barefoot and my feet would tear until I started bleeding.  I would take a few days off, then when I felt better I would go back again. At the time I was only 8/9.  When I turned 10, I quit playing to help my mom start her business selling clothes on the side street so I can contribute to helping my family.  I had to grow up and basically be a man at 10.  One of my coaches (Letona Mokhitli) came to my house and talked to my parents about how much talent he thinks I have.  So my parents let me go back but I had to sell oranges from office to office so I can (more…)

March 25, 2021

“In 2001, I moved to Paris at age 15 to follow my dream of becoming a professional tennis player. My parents made this possible and I did not want to disappoint them. I trained full-time at an academy but struggled with solitude. I traveled alone for years without a coach. In 2006, I injured my knee and my tennis career became uncertain. Hard times prepare you to enjoy the good times. Four years later, I broke through at the US Open. I won five matches and faced Venus Williams on Arthur Ashe under the lights. I realized the huge impact of tennis as entertainment and I could not believe I was one of the players in this world. I gained motivation because I wanted to spend more time on the biggest stages. If you put in the work, it is in your hands whether or not you achieve success. My results improved and I started to earn a living as a professional tennis player. In 2016, I struggled from an injury that prevented me from achieving results. I felt like I forgot how to hold a racquet. I could not put one foot in front of the other and my (more…)

March 18, 2021

“I have been very fortunate with almost everything in my life. But there are certain things that make you think differently. My former coach was convicted for the murder of a friend of mine in 2016. He is still in prison. Dealing with that situation was like being in a strange, bad movie. It was very tough to handle the press. I had nothing to do with the situation but every article used my name in the headlines. I had emotions as well but was suddenly put in the center of the story. This lasted until nearly two years after the murder. The press told me they used my name because it sold more news. During this time, I did not leave my house for two weeks. Then I went out for lunch and people recognized me so I walked with my head down. I was almost embarrassed to be there because I did not know if they knew me from the tennis court or press from the murder. What did they think of me? This was not an easy time in my life. I always enjoyed playing tennis but during this time, I did not want to be on (more…)

March 11, 2021

“My life has always been sports. My father was a professional basketball player in Argentina and won five National Basketball League championships. I have been in a wheelchair since I was one and a half years old. I have always loved sports and I tried every sport. I played basketball and golf. Then I tried tennis because my mother played tennis socially. I have always loved to compete. Once I got into tennis, I realized I had a high chance of being a professional player. Over the course of days and years, I improved and became a tour player. My motivation comes from my passion for the sport and the ability to compete. I have a natural competitive motivation and have developed a way to perform under pressure. I have also worked hard and put many years of my life into the sport. I have always loved to practice. It might sound crazy, but I enjoy the bad times as well because they make you stronger. They make you grow and improve every day. If you combine these things and work hard enough, you will probably be successful in anything you do. When I was 11 years old, I said (more…)

March 7, 2021

#MyBTR– “I can’t imagine a life without tennis. Tennis is the drug you love and hate at the same time. I had a very difficult path getting to where I am today. Several times in my life, I was bullied because I was different. I felt lonely and cried many nights. When I stepped on the court, I forgot reality and felt safe because I was doing what I loved. When I was ten years old, I had knee surgery. I got through this time with the help of my incredible family that believed I would be victorious on the court and in life. I never got anything for free. I’m from a small city so I have not gotten help from others. As I grew older, I felt that people were talking about me. I stopped enjoying tennis. Then I realized I had to play for myself and not for others. I was determined to sacrifice everything to be the best. If I could do this, I thought there would be no more pain. I chose a new coach and went through six months of hell without my family. I suffered from a lack of food, sleep and joy. (more…)