Behind The Racquet • Shares A Behind The Scenes With Tennis 10sBalls • WTA’s Louisa Chirico

Editor’s note: 10sBalls thanks Noah Rubin for giving us permission to repost these great stories. We wish him and this endeavor the best of luck. Great seeing Noah wearing K-Swiss and playing Solinco Strings.

 

“2016 was probably the best year of my career so far. I broke into the top 100 for the first time and had some of my best results to date. Unfortunately, that season completely changed my expectations. I began to put a lot more pressure on myself. I felt like more people were watching me now, which made me uncomfortable. I liked flying under the radar and didn’t want to be in the spotlight. My preseason that year was awful, since my focus was on all the wrong things. I was so worried about defending/recreating the previous year I had, that I barely had a single productive practice. A month later, I remember sitting outside the locker room after a first round loss in the Australian open, crying, feeling overwhelmingly stressed out. I still can’t put my finger on why I was so upset at that exact moment, but I knew I was in trouble. It was only the second tournament of the year for me, but I remember feeling like I was already mentally fried. ‘Is this what I’m going to have to deal with for the entire season, or for the next several?’ Last season, 2018, was the worst year of my tennis career. My confidence was at an all time low, and I wasn’t enjoying any of the travel, training, or competition. Tennis was becoming more stressful than enjoyable, and it was affecting my whole life. I was disappointed in myself for letting my results on the tennis court dictate my overall happiness. I finally reached a point where I had to either decide to stop playing, or completely readjust my focus. I thought about why I even started playing in the first place. My love for the game trumped anything and everything else. I’m in a much better place now, and my top priority is making sure I never step out onto the court unless I’m happy and enjoying myself. I refuse to let my expectations get in the way of my genuine love for the game.” -Louisa Chirico

 

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Twitter | @Louisa_Chirico

Instagram | @louisachirico

 

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