TENNIS – Nicole Vaidisova has officially made her comeback to tennis competitions after four years away from the main tour. In her first match today in Albuquerque, she started with a good win against Sesil Karatantcheva 6-3 6-4.
Despite an opponent who was not playing at her best, Vaidisova started looking quite insecure, as you would expect, but slowly picked up her game and thanks to her best shot, the forehand, took control and never looked in danger of losing.
A few days ago, the Czech player commented her imminent return to the world of tennis with these words: “I don’t know how this will play out, but no matter the outcome, I know I will be proud of myself for giving it my all and for the person I have become through all this.”
The career of the former top 10 has been very peculiar indeed: one of the youngest and most promising talents of her age, she showed great power from the baseline and adaptability to different surfaces when, still aged 16, at the US Open 2005, she reached the fourth round.
During the year and a half that followed, she reached two slams semi-finals at Roland Garros in 2006 and at the Australian Open the following year.
For most experts and fans, it seemed as if it was a matter of time before she would make it to a slam title or break the top five in the world rankings.
However, something started to go wrong. During 2008, her back started to give her troubles and some losses mined her confidence.
The following year delusion piled up, while, in the personal life, she was living a relationship with fellow Czech player Radek Stepanek, a relationship started in 2007 and reached its prime in the 2010 summer, when the two married.
Before that, in March, Vaidisova called a career, sick of the losses, the physical problems and loss of interest for tennis, which was given as an official reason for the retirement.
The marriage did not last long though, and last summer Stepanek and Vaidisova divorced and ever since rumours of a possible comeback spread.
“This time last year I was recovering from my 2nd shoulder surgery and going through a very personal heartbreak,” revealed the Czech in a recent interview. “I will be forever grateful for the unwavering support of my amazing family, friends and medical team to get me where I am now.”
All the speculations about her possible comeback ceased to exist during the two weeks of the US Open, when her agent officialised the Wild Card she was given to the main draw of Albuquerque $75,000.
“It’s been a long process,” she said about the comeback. “But we kind of, with my team, with my coach, with my trainer, we were kinda looking at how it could progress and hopefully be ready. So kinda all came together last month or two when we kinda pointed that: “Okay, it’s ready. So let’s get going.”
For sure, she could not hope for a better way to restart her career and the joy that she let flow after the third and decisive match point clearly testify a renovated passion for the game.
