Heather Watson did not win a single match during a four-month stretch between January and May. Unsurprisingly, she was feeling pretty down during that run.
“It was really depressing,” the Brit said. “I thought you know what, I was trying my best to stay positive and I thought this is going to be the week, like this is it, I’m going to win a match. Nope. And it just was going on for months. And it came to a point where I was thinking: Why am I trying every day? Why am I going to these tournaments?”
She continued, “Then, when I went to Japan, I lost first round there. I played really well in that match, but the girl had nothing to lose and played a really good match.”
“It was a really tough time but I’m proud of myself for sticking with it and getting out of it now because right now, I really can’t complain. I’m happy in life, on the court, off the court and happy with my game.”
Joy in Japan for Watson
The turning point for Watson came during her second ITF tournament in Fukuoka, Japan. She won easily in the first round, and suddenly her confidence returned.
“I think dropping down a level and playing the ITFs in Japan (was the key),” the Brit said. “As soon as I won one match, I won the tournament. I just needed that one match to give me confidence.”
She continued, “I’ve done that a few times now in my career, drop down to ITF level, which is still really tough, but for me it was literally just about getting one win.”
After she re-discovered the winning habit, Watson built up her confidence step by step. She notched another two victories in a third tournament in Japan. Then she got through a round of French Open qualifying.
The Brit followed up those results with a couple of good wins on the grass at Surbiton, before she was knocked out in the first round of Nottingham by Maria Sakkari.
Watson unlucky to lose to Strycova
By the time she got to Birmingham, Watson felt ready to beat Barbora Strycova in her first round match. Unfortunately for the Brit, she lost a tight three-set encounter that could easily have gone her way instead.
“I was really upset when I came off the court today because I felt I was the better player most of that match,” the World No.122 reflected. “But my coach just put it into perspective for me. He got me thinking back to some of the tournaments we were at earlier on: Indian Wells, Miami, where I could literally barely put balls in the court. When he said that, it made me laugh.”
Despite the loss, Watson is encouraged by her performance. “I was really happy with my level today,” she said. “There wasn’t much in it at all and I thought it was a high-quality match so I am feeling like my game is there and it should come together.”
Watson loves British crowds
There is no better place to play well than in front of a home crowd, and the Brit relishes this time of year. “I really don’t feel much pressure when I play at home,” she said. “When I think about it, I’m really excited, really happy to be playing on grass at these tournaments, not having to fly anywhere and having home crowd support.”
She continued, “I don’t know whether it’s because of the surface, whether it’s because I’m at home and I’m happy, or what it is, but I always feel like this time of year I do play some of my best tennis and I think that’s shown in my results in previous years at Wimbledon and Eastbourne. Unfortunately not here yet, but maybe next year.”
