She said she was no longer playing at the top of her game and needed to move on in her life, but her announcement stunned the tennis world. Some say she's quitting. I know better. I didn't quit tennis - I retired. And so has she.
Unlike my retirement from wheelchair tennis, people actually know she's retired. I don't envy her. I was able to roll quietly away from the court, stow away the duct tape and my tennis rackets and escape any comment or scrutiny.
It's not easy, no matter what people say. I wonder how Justine will feel when certain times of the year come around. For me, spring meant upping my training, preparing for the first tournament down in Lancaster PA. It meant sending my tennis wheelchair to the shop so the tires could be trued, fixing ripped upholstery and packing a travel bag I could use all spring, summer and fall.
It also meant I was going to see my tennis friends. I can still do that, although I've learned it's not the same. I miss the sound of tennis balls, the smell of tennis balls and even the humor that tennis balls brought into my life.
Do you realize how inane it is to attempt to hit a tennis ball across the entire length of a court when you have quadriplegia? Do you realize what a rush it is when you find out there are ways to make that happen?
But- oh - the comedy involved when two beginning quads play each other! And then, after practicing, the beauty is stunning.
You can't quit from that. You wouldn't. Only the word retire works, because once a tennis player, you'll always be a tennis player.
[visual image: Two male wheelchair tennis players hug each other over a net on a tennis court.]
No comments:
Post a Comment