The Retirement Game

by tennis_psych

Let’s be creative and make a situation for ourselves here. Do we want to hit the pro tour on our professional stride, riding the tide of winning and losing, leaving tempers on the court, with nothing to hide? Journey the skies to finally hit the ground, blast through the competition and wear our winning crown? Do we grind and continue to grind and accept the falls until one day it finally clicks? Do we want to go away as champions, remembered for holding one of the biggest titles of all? 

In the colorful world of TennisForum, one thing you certainly don’t want to be is a bridesmaid. Bridesmaid, the casual tennis fan may ask? Here is the simple definition…

Brides ∙ maid

1.      In tennis terms, the person that is the runner up at a Grand Slam tournament.

Much was said about the possible retirement of Russian tennis player Dinara Safina at the beginning of October. Many sources pointed to her brother announcing that Dinara should just finish tennis completely and begin to enjoy life. Oh what a remark he could make, he simply faded into retirement, what a way to root your sister on. But I digress, he may be right. Thinking about retirement should definitely not be anything to worry one’s self about. It wasn’t just Marat’s fault. The article titles gave fans of Dinara a scare, and other fans accepted and wanted to wish her well saying something to the effect of “Dinara Safina has Retired”. Then those same articles say her brother feels she should devote a year to become physically healthier and think about retirement. One article goes to say she’s not retiring. I admit this can become quite confusing. Well I’m here to set you back on track!

Dinara isn’t going anywhere! Let’s look at a trail of events, shall we. Early 2011, she plays a couple tournaments, lost early, made strides on the hard courts. Nearing May and the beginning of the clay court swing, her persistent lower back injury that she acquired in late 2010 became worse at the Marbella tournament. After this she finally made the decision to take an indefinite break from tennis to focus getting treatment for her back.

After Marat’s comments were made the tennis world spiraled and fans began wishing Dinara a nice life after tennis. So like others, little sister took to twitter, telling her tweeties, she was not going to retire.

“My sweet tweeties, I didn’t make yet any official announcement… Give my please some time and I’ll let u all know… Right now I want to take care of my back, on Tuesday i’m having a treatment… Ones I’ll decide something U’ll be the first to know I promise!! Love u all.”

Why rush your sister out Marat?! 

Currently, the tennis world would remember Dinara as a former number one, who unfortunately was a bridesmaid not only once, but three times in grand slam finals. Dinara has had a great career for someone who started out as a player the elite would crush regularly. That took a change in 2008. Before that, she broke into the top 10 in 2006 but ended the year at number eleven. Safina went on to have an average year in 2007. The following year, she would start poorly, but gain a winning wind at the tier one clay court tournament at Berlin. She defeated world number one at the time, Justine Henin in the third round, in the quarters she defeated Serena Williams and in the final she was victorious over fellow Russian Elena Dementieva, to win the title. She ended the year ranked number two and acquired the number one ranking on April 20, 2009.

Those wins sparked something in Dinara, who in the earlier part of the 2009 season, thought about quitting tennis. That was just her emotions talking, but luckily for her she kept at it. She was certainly more of the player I ever thought she would be. I actually liked her big medium paced swings and was amazed at the consistency of the topspin she’d create on both the forehand and the backhand. She played with a new confidence and I was happy for her. She gained more fans. I know she would love to have a grand slam title, especially on the terre battue of Roland Garros. 

She’s currently ranked 132 in the world. 

You can come back Dinara!