Not being able to handle the life on tour and fighting depression, Canada’s Rebecca Marino became a retiree at the young age of 22, but almost five years after quitting, the former world No.38 is returning to tennis, fresher, stronger and more mature. Currently unranked, the 27-year-old will need a base of three tournaments to get a ranking and now she’s playing the $15,000 GD Tennis Cup in Antalya, Turkey.
Marino was very open about her struggles, her homesickness and overwhelming sadness, and even held a TED Talk, explaining the reasons for her retirement and the problems she faced in the lifestyle of a pro athlete. Five years away from tennis helped Marino reconnect with friends and family, pursue other interests and rekindle her love for the sport.
The Vancouver native used her retirement to study English literature, compete on the varsity rowing team at the University of British Columbia and do some tennis coaching. The time away from the sport helped Marino recharge her batteries and now she’s happy to be hitting again, as in the meantime she revived her personal relations, got ready to face the spotlight and realized that she actually wasn’t missing out on things.
The comeback in Antalya has been a success so far! Playing her first tournament since Memphis 2013, Marino lost a total of just ten games in three qualifying matches and then defeated qualifier Sina Zuger of Switzerland 6-1 6-2 in the first round on Wednesday.
I’m so happy about Rebecca’s comeback. She really did well before. I hope she finds success on her second career.