When Yayuk was still active in the sport, she was regularly mentioned in newspapers, on radio stations and Dunia Dalam Berita (The World in News), the daily news program of state-owned television network TVRI. She was often mentioned in school textbooks as well.

With her free-flowing movement, powerful swinging forehand and beautiful one-handed backhand (a rarity in today’s tennis, especially in the women’s tour), Yayuk was a force to be reckoned with among her peers. While Yayuk is relatively small in stature (164 centimeters), she was equipped with a strong serve that could give anyone a run for their money.

Indeed, she beat players taller and stronger than her, such as top-ranked Lindsay Davenport (189 cm) and Mary Pierce (178 cm).

At the peak of her career in 1997, Yayuk reached a career-high of number 19th in the world, the highest for any Indonesian player, man or woman. In the same year, she reached the quarterfinals at the prestigious Wimbledon. She was even more prominent in the doubles category, reaching a career-high of number nine in the world.

Indonesians are more familiar with the other racket sport, badminton, which saw the national flag flown high as the team won gold medals in several editions of the Summer Olympics. In her biography, Yayuk wrote that she did play badminton as a child, even winning a school-level tournament.

So, how did she end up playing tennis — which is less popular than badminton and still considered a sport for the privileged by many — and becoming a legend in her own right?

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