Tennis players find balance to keep competing

Bruce Emond ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Nusa Dua, Bali   |  Fri, 09/12/2008 10:49 AM  |  Headlines

SPIRITUAL BALANCE: Tennis stars (from left, middle row) Shika Uberoi of India, Bardina Vasilisa of Russia, Vania King of the U.S. and Patty Schnyder of Switzerland take part in a Hindu temple ceremony in an off-court session held during the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic

Stories of teenage tennis stars who burn out after a flicker of initial promise are nothing new. Injuries, pushy parents, constant travel and pressure all take their toll on young minds and bodies.

There are the high-profile headline-making cases: Jennifer Capriati, who took time off to find herself before making a resurgent comeback, and one-time Wimbledon semifinalist Mirjana Lucic, once tipped as a future Grand Slammer, among others.

But there are many more who exited the tour with little fanfare, like Daja Bedanova, a former U.S. Open quarterfinalist who suffered chronic injuries, or talented Myriam Casanova of Switzerland.

"I learned being on the tour is not just about playing but also about your attitude in doing all it takes to be a professional player," former Indonesian number one Angie Widjaja said Thursday. She was participating in a clinic for up-and-coming juniors alongside the Commonwealth Bank Tennis Classic.

Angie, who won the junior Wimbledon and then the Bali title as a 17-year-old, enjoyed good results on the women's tour, taking home more than US$500,000 in prize money, but injuries and homesickness cut her career short.

At the age of 23, she now works for a sports and athlete management company in Jakarta.

In response to the complaints of players and fans disappointed by big-name players defaulting from tournaments due to injury, the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour has devised a streamlined tournament calendar beginning in 2009. The players also will have more off time at the end of the year to allow their bodies to recover.

Ultimately, however, it is up to the players themselves and their support teams to find what works best for them.

American Jill Craybas, a Tour veteran at the age of 34, says she is glad she went to college before embarking on a full-time tennis career.

"A lot of these girls start so young, at 16 or 17, by the time they're 25 they've been on the tour for eight or nine years," said the 76th-ranked Craybas. "I started a bit later.... By going to school, I learned to be a bit more independent by being away from home. For me, that helped me a lot to stay mentally stronger."

Russian Nadia Petrova, who admitted for a period she was "not very happy", said she has learned to enjoy herself more off court. Daniela Hantuchova, the top seed in Bali, also found an injury layoff earlier this year had an unexpected bright side.

For the first time after turning pro at the age of 16 in 1999, Hantuchova had some time to "be a normal person. It was kind of nice to wake up knowing I didn't have to do anything but rehab during the day."

In tennis terms, Swiss star Patty Schnyder is also a veteran, having turned pro at the age of 15 in 1994. She endured difficult times in her life, but has no plans to retire as her 30th birthday nears in December.

While other players have several people in their entourages, she travels with husband Rainer Hofmann, who helps manage her career. To observers, their relationship -- including arguments on the practice court or imploring looks from Schnyder to the sidelines during matches -- may seem extremely intense.

But the couple said they have learned to keep their private and professional sides separate.

"For sure, we are fighting together (on court), and off court we are living together. When we come off the court she's my wife ... and first of all I am her husband," Hofmann said.

Asked to name what he likes about his wife, he said simply: "She's a very good person, a fighter".

Schnyder said it helped to always have someone nearby for support because it took time to find genuine friends instead of people just interested in getting to know her public persona.

"It's easy to do small talk with people, but making new friends and getting to know a person.... People think they know me, but then they'll say, *You're different'. At the beginning there is a lot of distance."

Hofmann, she said, gave her what she needed to keep playing.

"The way he is fighting for me, he is always there for me, that's the greatest thing you can have."

Asked her secret for continuing to play, Jill Craybas said it was all about her love for the sport.

"I take it day by day. I still love it, I still enjoy playing. When there comes a day when I don't enjoy it, then I'll give it up."

Copyright © 2008 The Jakarta Post - PT Bina Media Tenggara. All Rights Reserved.