It was summer of ’02 when, bored out of our wits at home, my uncle commissioned one of his friends to train me and two other cousins to play tennis. I cannot remember exactly what gave him the push, maybe he was secretly hoping to make Federers and Williamses out of us, to no avail. Regardless, I’m grateful he dragged us out of the house that summer and took us to the courts. Tennis became an avenue for me to meet interesting people wherever my wandering feet took me since.
In college, there were only three things I could count on to put me back on track whenever I felt overwhelmed by life. Friends, alcohol and tennis. The first two would typically go together and were fairly effective at pulling me out of whatever self-inflicted misery I’ve chosen to drown myself in. The last one was just as effective. I am certain I was only one absence away from getting forced out of my economics course because I’d rather spend my afternoons hitting balls down at the engineering courts. There is nothing like the mad rush you feel each time you hit a strong winner. Tennis is as much mental as it is physical. Word is, barring any physical injury, the only thing separating Nadal, Federer and Djokovic from the rest of the top 100 players is how strong their mental game is. On crucial points, the state of one’s mind can make or break the match, just like in real life.
Moving around so much, I had to find ways to socialize easily. With tennis, I got to meet people I share the same passion not only for the game but for life and living in general. Tennis enthusiasts are one of the most excitable people I know and they tend to bring so much zeal on the court sometimes raising the intensity of the matches to grand-slam final-like level. Off the courts, they’re fairly chill, perhaps after the cathartic release of all that pent up rage.
People who know me know that I’m obsessed with Rafael Nadal so much so that I chased him slam after slam finally getting a glimpse at the Australian Open in 2017 where he sadly lost to Fed in yet another nail-biting grand slam finale. I was crushed but having seen Fed play in person in the same tournament, I can now understand why he is GOAT. The man is flawless. I enjoy following the women’s draw too. Recently it’s been getting more traction with the debut of the up and coming stars like Naomi Osaka and Coco Gauff, but apart from Serena Williams, the rest seems to come and go. I find it hard to keep up with the erratic nature of the women’s game. But honestly, it’s just more fun to watch the men because they are so hot you’ll come begging for a love match.
I cannot enumerate the many times I took refuge in the sport over the years. While I haven’t been as committed to playing it as often as I hoped, every time I step into the courts, racket and fighting spirit in tow, I feel almost as invincible as Manny Pacquiao stepping into the boxing ring ready to obliterate his opponent. I’m not nearly as good at obliterating opponents but you get the drift.
In parting, here’s a three year old video of me I unearthed playing the sport that I love, in the same court I first learned to love it. Never mind my lazy form.
Smash it, girl!!