Last week, Lindsay Davenport came out on top at the Bali Open, just like she has done many times in her career. With three Grand Slam titles under her belt, another title in Indonesia should be of no news. However, this victory is a different one - Davenport has been away from the tour for over a year. Why, may you ask? Injury? No. Fatigue? Nope. Personal issues? Not that either, well, not really.
On June 10, Davenport had a baby! At the age of 31, Lindsay gave birth to a baby boy, Jagger, with her former tennis pro husband, Jon Leach. Davenport’s biological clock was obviously ticking and she said a year ago that the time was right to take a break from the game and start a family. It takes a lot of heart to do that, especially in a sport where fitness is highly scrutinized, especially on the women’s circuit. Once you leave, it is hard to come back. If a forehand is looking sloppy or some footwork is lagging, everyone knick-picks it and does not give you a chance. I cannot imagine how hard the girl had to work to get back in shape after having a baby. Making such a great comeback – a tournament victory, in fact – after having a BABY three months ago – a fantastic accomplishment!!
Many female tennis players have had notable comebacks that required them to revamp their physical fitness and mentalities after facing some life-changing events.
The most significant one that comes to my mind is Monica Seles. By the time she was 19, Seles had won eight Grand Slams and was number one in the world. She was showing the potential to be one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. Her biggest rival, Steffi Graf, was sitting directly below her in the rankings with two Slams and definitely hungry for more. Her fans were hungry for it, too.
In 1993, during a quarterfinal clash with Magadelana Maleeva, a psychotic fan jumped from the stands and stabbed Seles in the back on the court. The man said he did it not because he hated Seles, but because he was so obsessed with Steffi Graf that he would do anything to make her number one – even if it meant dethroning Seles by attacking her. Crazy man!
I was never aware of this occurrence because I was not even seven years old when this happened. However, once I became the crazy tennis fan that I am now and I saw footage from the catastrophe, this event always sticks in my
mind. Never have I heard of anything so obscene and so sick in my life. Luckily for Seles, doctors told her that she could come back to the courts within three short months. However, she was left so traumatized that it took her about 27 months. I don’t blame her at all. If I was in Monica’s tennis shoes, I don’t even know if I would be able to step on a court again. I would be so uncomfortable, so troubled to even pick up a racket. However, she finally put the past behind her and rejoined the tour in 1995 – to win her first title back in China, 6-1, 6-0, and make it to the US Open finals two years in a row. Seles was looking fit, healthy, and on top of her game again. A great comeback, indeed.
However, Seles was then struck by the news that her father and coach had cancer. She tried to play some matches, but her mindset was not all there. She had some weight problems and was scrutinized by the media for it. She never recovered from it and retired from the game last year.
This scenario is obviously much more of a different comeback than Davenport having a baby. Seles went through a trauma that made it unthinkable to ever come back to the top of her game. She dealt with the event with a strong mind and courageous heart and I give her all of the credit in the world. So what if she was never titled “great” again? She was more than great for coming through her life-altering trauma and coming back on tour with a bang. Do people see that? Sadly not really. Instead, Seles was criticized for her weight, her mindset, and how she was not playing up to the game that she once had. I sometimes think the press needs to stop for just one second and look beyond the physical parts of the game. Besides, tennis has always been said to be half mental – so focus on the mental part of it!
To even attempt to come back to the game after being away to start a family or recover from a trauma, that takes a lot of heart. It deserves much more recognition than the criticism an athlete may get as a result of “not being prepared” to make a comeback on the tennis court.
I have always been interested in how players overcome their struggles to come back to the game. It is inspirational and wonderful for the sport. I found this article that discusses some of the greatest comebacks in tennis. It is very interesting…Take a look.
On June 10, Davenport had a baby! At the age of 31, Lindsay gave birth to a baby boy, Jagger, with her former tennis pro husband, Jon Leach. Davenport’s biological clock was obviously ticking and she said a year ago that the time was right to take a break from the game and start a family. It takes a lot of heart to do that, especially in a sport where fitness is highly scrutinized, especially on the women’s circuit. Once you leave, it is hard to come back. If a forehand is looking sloppy or some footwork is lagging, everyone knick-picks it and does not give you a chance. I cannot imagine how hard the girl had to work to get back in shape after having a baby. Making such a great comeback – a tournament victory, in fact – after having a BABY three months ago – a fantastic accomplishment!!
Many female tennis players have had notable comebacks that required them to revamp their physical fitness and mentalities after facing some life-changing events.
The most significant one that comes to my mind is Monica Seles. By the time she was 19, Seles had won eight Grand Slams and was number one in the world. She was showing the potential to be one of the greatest female tennis players of all time. Her biggest rival, Steffi Graf, was sitting directly below her in the rankings with two Slams and definitely hungry for more. Her fans were hungry for it, too.
In 1993, during a quarterfinal clash with Magadelana Maleeva, a psychotic fan jumped from the stands and stabbed Seles in the back on the court. The man said he did it not because he hated Seles, but because he was so obsessed with Steffi Graf that he would do anything to make her number one – even if it meant dethroning Seles by attacking her. Crazy man!
I was never aware of this occurrence because I was not even seven years old when this happened. However, once I became the crazy tennis fan that I am now and I saw footage from the catastrophe, this event always sticks in my
mind. Never have I heard of anything so obscene and so sick in my life. Luckily for Seles, doctors told her that she could come back to the courts within three short months. However, she was left so traumatized that it took her about 27 months. I don’t blame her at all. If I was in Monica’s tennis shoes, I don’t even know if I would be able to step on a court again. I would be so uncomfortable, so troubled to even pick up a racket. However, she finally put the past behind her and rejoined the tour in 1995 – to win her first title back in China, 6-1, 6-0, and make it to the US Open finals two years in a row. Seles was looking fit, healthy, and on top of her game again. A great comeback, indeed.However, Seles was then struck by the news that her father and coach had cancer. She tried to play some matches, but her mindset was not all there. She had some weight problems and was scrutinized by the media for it. She never recovered from it and retired from the game last year.
This scenario is obviously much more of a different comeback than Davenport having a baby. Seles went through a trauma that made it unthinkable to ever come back to the top of her game. She dealt with the event with a strong mind and courageous heart and I give her all of the credit in the world. So what if she was never titled “great” again? She was more than great for coming through her life-altering trauma and coming back on tour with a bang. Do people see that? Sadly not really. Instead, Seles was criticized for her weight, her mindset, and how she was not playing up to the game that she once had. I sometimes think the press needs to stop for just one second and look beyond the physical parts of the game. Besides, tennis has always been said to be half mental – so focus on the mental part of it!
To even attempt to come back to the game after being away to start a family or recover from a trauma, that takes a lot of heart. It deserves much more recognition than the criticism an athlete may get as a result of “not being prepared” to make a comeback on the tennis court.
I have always been interested in how players overcome their struggles to come back to the game. It is inspirational and wonderful for the sport. I found this article that discusses some of the greatest comebacks in tennis. It is very interesting…Take a look.
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