3 мин.

Respecting Maria

546

by Jason de la Peña   May 9, 2017 6:43 PM HKT

12 years I went at my pro sports career and for 12 years I flitted between bouts of huge self-belief and total confidence in my abilities to periods where that vital ingredient for any athlete disappeared altogether.

Now, I’m certainly not comparing myself to nor am I condoning what Maria Sharapova did or might not have done with banned the substance Meldonium in January 2016 but as a former athlete I am looking at her plight from a different angle – one that I can totally relate to. 

In penning this I want to pay tribute to Sharapova’s unwavering ability to believe in herself. She was banned, vilified, cast out and nigh on excommunicated from the sport that has given her so much and to which she has dedicated her life. And we must note that the game will have moved on. Tennis players will have become fitter, quicker, stronger and more skilful than her during her time away. She was in grave danger of being left behind.

Now, love her or loathe her, consider her guilty as charged or innocent, she returned from 15 months away to reach the semi finals of a significant tournament on the WTA tour. Sure, she is a multiple champion in Stuttgart and is sponsored by Porsche (some models of the super car are made in the German city) so there was every likelihood she would be invited to play once organisers got a sniff that her ban might be cut. However, to walk out onto that clay court (to some jeers but mostly applause) and do what she did astounds me. I recall how I felt when walking out onto an oval and not feeling comfortable having been away due to injury. The whole place felt foreign to me. I was not at ease with my once familiar surroundings. Imagine how that feels to be at your place of work and it suddenly feels like an alien environment – unsettling doesn’t cover it. 

I also once had 15 months away from the sport that gave me a career thanks to a stress fracture of the lower back. I was only 19 and I was told by the physio’s at Lilleshall (then the top sports rehab centre in the U.K. that has treated luminaries like Paul Gascoigne, John Barnes and countless other football and sports stars) that I would never bowl again. Anyway, that’s an aside but I recall my feelings on coming back – total nerves because I hadn’t played in a competitive match for a year and a half, just like the 5 time grand slam champion.

Now, Sharapova will have trained her socks off and is clearly in prime condition as befits the multiple highest paid sportswoman in the world but she was not tournament ready. Not match cut. Her mental fortitude has to be admired and by the rest of the women’s tour it must be respected. Her break has also given her a lengthy rest for a weary, battle hardened body and, I would hazard a guess, Sharapova has gained different perspective – more dangerous ingredients as if she needed them. 

Also, in light of Serena’s pregnancy announcement, the WTA really needs this straight talking Russian. Like it or not, she puts posteriors on seats as proven by the packed stadia in Stuttgart. And, its little wonder that the odds have been slashed on her lifting a 3rd Roland Garros title, that is if the FFT (the governing body of French tennis) decide to let her compete (via wildcard) in Paris in the 2nd slam on Fox Sports and Fox Sports Play from Sunday 28th May.

http://linkis.com/foxsportsasia.com/nSxqW

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