A lot of women’s tennis players are returning to the sport after giving birth to children and even after lengthy retirement periods. Jarmila Wolfe (née Gajdosova), once a world No.25 player, is a mom of a two-year-old and even though she still keeps in shape (she wakes up at 4:30 a.m. every day to exercise!), the family life keeps her fulfilled and she doesn’t plan to return to the tour.
Jarmila used to be very active on social media, but after she gave birth to daughter Natalia in November 2017, the Australian player born in Bratislava decided to keep her family life to herself. I caught up with her yesterday to see what she’s been up to and she was so kind as to send me some family photos and tell me how she’s been spending her time.
The 32-year-old Jarmila has been living in Miami for the past two years, where her husband Adam Wolfe works for a justice department. The family will likely move in three to four years, due to the nature of Adam’s job, but right now they are thoroughly enjoying Miami and its warm climate. Jarmila and her daughter spend 90 percent of their time outdoors, either on the beach or in the pool, while the rest they spend going to parks, museums, zoos and aquariums.
WTA players often talk about how abrupt the change is from being a pro to being retired and they often struggle with depression and feelings of being lost, but Jarmila doesn’t have such problems, as her daughter occupies all her time and they are active all day long. In her own words:
I love being a mom. it was an easy transition from tennis and it’s so much fun with my little one. we hang out, have fun together, then we go for lunch with friends, and play with my dogs which she loves so much.
When it comes to her involvement with tennis, two to three times a week for about three hours Jarmila helps one 14-year-old girl from the USA and one from Canada that are upcoming stars. She still enjoys hitting and is happy to have that outlet in her life.
Jarmila retired in January 2017, due to a chronic back injury. She won two singles titles — Guangzhou 2010 and Hobart 2011. She won one mixed doubles Grand Slam title, partnered with countryman Matthew Ebden at the 2013 Australian Open.
To be honest, I can’t stop thinking about the fact that Jarmila wakes up at 4:30 a.m. every day to exercise. That’s called dedication! I’m in awe!
Great to have some news on Jarmila! You’re lucky to have caught up with her (and very nice of her to agree to do an interview with you and share some photos)! I miss seeing her on the tour, but I’m happy she’s doing well and enjoying family life! 🙂 I wish her and her family the best! Hopefully we’ll have more news/updates on Jarmila and her family in the future…!
Frank, I’m glad you like this update. It was a great pleasure to connect with Jarmila. She was very open to talk to me and very kind to dedicate her time to send me the photos and info about her life. In the future, I may publish some chats with her on various tennis-related topics.
So glad to hear Jarmila is happy and doing well. Was a fan of hers and enjoyed watching her on tour. Even said hello to her in Charleston a few years back.