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SEA Games: Passion, determination drives veteran Thai tennis star Tamarine
At 42 years of age, veteran Thai tennis star Tamarine Tanasugarn came out of retirement to compete at the 2019 SEA Games and now has her eyes set on her next target, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
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Thai tennis ace Tamarine Tanasugarn prepares to serve during the women's doubles final at the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines on Saturday, Dec. 7. (JP/Ramadani Saputra)
F
or Thailand’s most successful female tennis player Tamarine Tanasugarn, the answer to all those who ask why she wants to continue competing at the age of 42 is simple. Tammy, as she is called by her family and fans, just loves the sport.
“I love tennis. I just love the challenge, that’s my thing. My goal is improve my world ranking and qualify for the Olympics next year,” she told The Jakarta Post recently.
“I’ll try. I’ll try. It’s not easy but I’ll try.”
Thailand’s Lawn Tennis Association (LTAT) convinced Tammy, a former world number 19, to come out of retirement for the 30th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in the Philippines. Tammy’s last SEA Games was in 2015 in Singapore, where she bagged bronze in the women’s doubles.
Turning pro in 1994, Tammy decided to hang up her racket in 2016. That same year, she also joined the Royal Thai Police Force and focused on establishing her own tennis academy.
Earlier this year, Tammy, who reached the quarter finals at Wimbledon in 2018, made her comeback, concentrating on women’s doubles. She proved that age really is just a number with a victory in Hua Hin, Thailand, in November.
Partnering with the Netherland’s Lesley Pattinama Kerkhove, the pair won the ITF Cal-Comp and XYZ Printing ITF World Tennis Tour, beating China’s Zheng Saisai and Ng Kwan-yau of Hong Kong in the final.
