In an interview with La Gazzetta Dello Sport, Timea Bacsinszky revealed about the impact of her father in the early years of her tennis career and also reflected on how she is happy with how things are now.
Her strict father
The Swiss star was a teen prodigy in her early years winning numerous titles. She always had her dad by her side, Igor Bacsinszky. However, it was later on in her career that Bacsinszky revealed the impact her strict father had on her. Playing tennis became a chore. “I was playing because I could not choose because I had to do it. It was all automatic I could not think,” revealed the Swiss with the constant pushing from her father. “I was becoming crazy,” added Bacsinszky who found it so overwhelming to the extent where she contemplated running away from it all.
“I said to my mother that if she did not split up with my father, I would have escaped,” recalled Bacsinszky when she was 15-years-old. Her dad was taking over her life and a foot injury in 2011 was like a blessing in disguise as she decided to take a hiatus from tennis.
Break from tennis
Tennis was stifling her which prompted her to do something entirely different with her life. She chose to work in a hotel. And she had learned so much from that part of her life. “I learned to be humble,” expressed the Swiss of her career of serving others. “I was a maid, there were rich people who did not smile, did not thank,” said Bacsinszky. Despite it all, she learned to always service with a smile.
Rekindled passion in tennis
When she received an email saying she was eligible to take part in the 2013 French Open qualifiers, she decided to give it a try. And the Swiss star has not looked back since, finding her passion for tennis again, going up from 285 in the rankings in 2013 to ending last year at an impressive 12. The ever smiling Bacsinszky now sits at eight in the world as she looks to compete in the French Open, as last year’s semi-finalist, and perhaps to go one better this year.