Bumm-boom-bine, that was once. Boris Becker was still present in the tennis audience with his serves, a successor was being sought for Steffi Graf, and yes: they loved such titles on the boulevard. Sabine Lisicki came at just the right time with her vigorous tennis and her rise to the Wimbledon final. She was 24 and at the peak of what must have been her first career.
Now she has started her second. In Berlin she is facing an emotional peak. She received a wildcard from her Rot-Weiss club for their grass tournament – with Naomi Osaka and Andrea Petkovic, but for a short time without world number one Iga Swiatek: for the qualification. In three tournaments and in eight matches, of which she won five, Sabine Lisicki has worked her way up into the three-digit world rankings in five weeks.
If she is successful, she qualifies for the main draw at the weekend. She rejects expectations. “I’m happy that I’m healthy on the pitch,” she says: “I’m not here to prove anything, I’m here to let my passion run free and to reward myself for all my hard work.”
Not on the home stretch
Sabine Lisicki had been away from professional sport for three years. First contracting glandular fever prevented her from competing, then she literally tore her left knee to pieces when she represented herself in doubles at the tournament in Linz. “No,” she said, before the question is uttered, “No. Please don’t ask me that again. I never thought about giving up.”
The operation on the inner ligament, outer ligament and meniscus lasted three hours, and beforehand she told the surgeon that she wanted to play tennis professionally again. She took eighteen months to rehabilitate. In the meantime she has turned 32 years old.
“Serena was still winning tournaments at 39”
Nevertheless, she does not see herself on the home stretch of her career. “There is no age limit,” she says: “Ten years ago, everyone stopped at 24 or 25. A Serena Williams and many others have shown that it is possible to play longer. Serena was still winning tournaments at 39. As long as the passion is there, I see no reason to stop.”
Sabine Lisicki played the final at Wimbledon at the age of 24.
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Image: dpa
She has fought long enough to return, and she and her father, who coaches her, have taken the time to prepare in depth. “I train a lot more than a few years ago,” she says: “My body is allowing a lot at the moment. I’m excited about the journey.” The ordeal should become a success story. After the surgery, when she was on crutches, she found it a marathon to get from the bedroom to the bathroom.
The ambitious athlete learned: “You need help and that is difficult. You have to be able to allow that.” While still in the hospital, she linked herself to former ski racer Lindsey Vonn on Instagram, who also made headlines with her story of suffering. This reported personally. “Rehab is a frustrating process, especially when it’s stagnating,” says Lisicki: “I talked to her about it, and that was helpful, a great inspiration.”
The bang, the talent of the player who hit 27 aces in a match in Birmingham in 2015, is still in Sabine Lisicki. And: “I still hold the world record,” she says, referring to the serve, which was measured at Stanford in 2014 at 211 kilometers per hour: “Thank you, body!”
