Goodbyes are never pleasant in the world of sports, much less when we are dealing with a player who gave absolutely everything on the court, resisting the passage of time and the multiple injuries that appeared in her path. We talk about Andrea Petkovicdefeated yesterday in the first round of the US Open 2022 at the hands of Belinda Bencic in what was her last game in New York. Whether she will add one last event to her calendar on the European indoor tour remains to be seen, the almost 35-year-old German could have signed the last match of her professional career. And there would be no better word to define her than that, a professional.
The last Dance
“The hardest part was the last five days. When I won the first game I was very happy, I thought that I could fight for the match, although I knew that Belinda is a great player, you are obliged to bring a certain quality. The last few days I have ended up crying at every training session. After winning the first game I started to feel good, I was wondering how Serena would do, maybe I’ll have a chance to talk to her after the tournament is over. I’m glad it all ended like this, against Belinda, someone I love and respect so much. I am happy to have brought this courage and tenacity throughout my career, all the respect I have for the game and my opponents.”
Manage withdrawal
“These have been days of pure sadness, still passion for the game, but it is the body that no longer allows me to play tennis the way I want to play, train the way I want to train, just play a full season. All my life I have had injuries, but this season I have been forced to skip many tournaments and take several breaks. The last few weeks I was playing with painkillers and anti-inflammatories, this was the part that made me see that I couldn’t continue like this, but not because of a lack of passion or desire for the game. This was the saddest part.”
honest with their performance
“I wish I had won a few more matches, maybe on a bigger court. Above all, I’m glad I played against Belinda, someone I respect. It also feels good to lose against someone who is younger, the new generation is taking over, but I think I brought everything I had to this sport. In my world I feel that I contributed everything, my narrative was ready, I felt that I had nothing more to give. It was appropriate for me to lose to a very young and promising player, even though she has been here for a long time”.
Goodbye Serena
“I’m happy for her, I know how difficult it is, especially with all the attention she’s getting. I don’t know how she manages it, everyone is different, I don’t know if she feels a tenth of what I feel, although my attention is not being the same. I was impressed to see her win the other day, not because of her tennis, but because of the emotions that she had to go through. As a curiosity, I had planned to announce it a few weeks ago, but it coincided with Serena’s article in Vogue, so I thought it was not time to announce it that morning. I thought a lot about whether or not to say that I was retiring, but I felt that I owed it to my fans, they had to know that this was my last tournament. I did well, I don’t know how I would have dealt with the attention these last few weeks, in two days I will publish something on social networks “
16 years of professional
“My career is divided into three parts. The up-and-comer, then the steady star on tour, then the veteran. At first I was a promising player, then I had injuries, so my narrative was focused on seeing me come back from injuries. I always wanted to show that I could do it, until finally I got tired of that situation, this has been my situation for the last few years. My generation is that of Sharapova, Jankovic or Ivanovic; now we have other future stars like Swiatek, Sakkari, Bencic or Badosa. They will be the ones that sustain the circuit in the coming years”.
Your mark on the fan
“I would love to be remembered for the way I played every match, always with determination and tenacity, fighting for every point. I was always as professional as I could be, investing in my body, training hard, open to new ways of training. The most important thing for me is respect for the game and respect for my rivals, I feel grateful to be part of the WTA. All these incredible women have inspired me, I never thought I would have the opportunity to compete with them for so long.
What’s up with tennis?
“Despite all the pressure and demand we have from our countries, playing the Billie Jean King Cup or the Grand Slams, the number of hours we spend on the court, I always felt very identified with the rest of my Ladies, that’s why I’m so excited to talk about this. That’s what I take with me, that competitiveness and that feminine environment, an inspiring place where I love to be. I like reading, intellectualizing, but life is about emotions and connecting with other people. I always found that on the circuit, the companions who traveled this difficult path with me. I will take these memories with me for the rest of my life, so many lessons I learned to be competitive, but also the brotherhood that was generated in that time.
