The hardships and difficult moments that a tennis player can go through do not monopolize as many lights as titles, victories and jubilation. However, the vast majority of professional players have experienced a situation at some point in their careers. almost of necessity. And when the need is pressing, you have to try to save the furniture in almost any way. Some have even done it by putting their health at risk. Tell it to Aljaz Body.
In a public outburst written through Behind The Racquet, the Slovenian tennis player, a regular in the noble part of the classification and a familiar face on the circuit for more than a decade, narrates a practically extreme situation that he experienced during a preview of the Us Open. The story is absolutely heartbreaking and shows the B side of tennis, the one that must also be shown.
“In 2012 I entered the top 100. I could not earn too much money so every game was very important, especially those of Grand Slam. I got ready to play the classification of the Us Open. There was a rain break and my stomach started to hurt. I just thought I was hungry. I won my match and we went down to dinner. I could barely walk and had to lie down, with a lot of pain in my abdomen. I tried to sleep, but it hurt too much so we went to see the doctor. He told me he had appendicitis and that he did not play the next game. I really didn’t want to know how appendicitis could affect my body, because I had to win. He had to forget the pain because he needed the money.
I lost the first set and won the second. I started to suffer cramps all over the body at the start of the third set so I asked for an MTO. In any other situation, I would have withdrawn from the party, but I was not thinking clearly: I needed that money. I started with match ball and my opponent made a mistake, but the linesman did not call the ball out. I lost the match in the tie-break. I was disappointed as I felt brutal pain in my abdomen. We went straight to the hospital and they told me they had to operate. If he had won the game, he would have continued playing. He was lucky to lose that day: it might save my life.
People said I faked those cramps. It hurt a lot: I never fake injuries or pretend to go through problems that I don’t have. I know that others would have called me an idiot if I retired in one of the biggest tournaments in the world. I have also played with a broken wrist because I needed the money. These situations show the difficult path that a tennis player follows. We don’t have a salary, only some elite level players can make a living. The rest of us have to fight for each game: on the circuit you are alone, you are in the jungle.
I was born in Slovenia, where tennis was not popular at all. People told me that I would not become a professional tennis player as there was only one Slovenian tennis player on the circuit at that time. I don’t come from a wealthy family and my twin brother also plays tennis. My parents fought for sponsors. If life were easierI don’t know if I would be playing tennis because my situation was what motivated me to be successful. “
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