Zarina Diyas
September 17, 2020
“At 18, I had shoulder surgery and did not play tennis for seven months. At 23, I had wrist surgery and did not play for nine months. The next year, I returned to the Top 50 but then I tore a ligament in my knee. When I returned to the court, I was in a lot of pain. Then my close friend passed away. I lost mental and physical energy to train and started to have stomach pain. I continued to play but I had this pain in my stomach and was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. I lost a lot of weight and suddenly I was scared to eat because I could not tolerate normal food. Training and competing with pain became really difficult. I fought through my pain in practice and matches because tennis helped me get through this time. It was really tough but I never felt like I wanted to give up. The support of my family, friends and team helped as well. It took me a year to manage my stomach issues and figure out a new diet. These difficult times made me stronger. Now, I am trying to stay positive through the pandemic and
“At 18, I had shoulder surgery and did not play tennis for seven months. At 23, I had wrist surgery and did not play for nine months. The next year, I returned to the Top 50 but then I tore a ligament in my knee. When I returned to the court, I was in a lot of pain. Then my close friend passed away. I lost mental and physical energy to train and started to have stomach pain. I continued to play but I had this pain in my stomach and was diagnosed with irritable bowel syndrome. I lost a lot of weight and suddenly I was scared to eat because I could not tolerate normal food. Training and competing with pain became really difficult. I fought through my pain in practice and matches because tennis helped me get through this time. It was really tough but I never felt like I wanted to give up. The support of my family, friends and team helped as well. It took me a year to manage my stomach issues and figure out a new diet. These difficult times made me stronger. Now, I am trying to stay positive through the pandemic and