I remember a post-match interview from early 2014 that turned some heads, or at least turned mine. Eugenie Bouchard had just made her first Grand Slam semifinal at the Australian Open from a ranking of No.31, her first real major breakthrough – pun intended. When asked about her Cinderella run, here is some of what she had to say:
“I’m proud of how I’ve improved as a player throughout the tournament. But I’m never satisfied with losing. I’m always disappointed; I always want to go further and do better. I wouldn’t say I exceeded my expectations, but I’m happy with how I did.”
To me, still fresh on tour, this came off as blatant arrogance. You expect this? How could you possibly expect to reach a Grand Slam semifinal, much less actually say that in press? It had always appeared to me that, no matter how hard you work, no matter how great the coaching you receive, making a Grand Slam semifinal had to involve a little bit of luck. Surely, then, you would be humbled by the experience.
Perhaps my bias toward the involvement of luck in success on the tennis court was imparted to me by my first coach: my father. I remember clearly when, one day, he pulled me aside during a practice in which I was shuffling around listlessly and not giving my full effort. He said, “There are tons of kids out there who work every bit as hard as you, maybe even harder, who will never achieve what you’re setting out to achieve in tennis.”
Kind of brutal, no? But the bottom line stuck with me: you can give everything you have to this game and still fall short of lofty goals like “making it” on tour.
So when Genie said that she expected results like a slam semifinal, I was confused and even a bit put off.
Now, fast forward to my first three months of 2016 – months that have MOST DEFINITELY NOT seen me reach a Grand Slam semifinal – but months that have included some of my best tennis and results to date. Here are some of the questions that have been cropping up, especially after my fourth round appearance this past week at the BNP Paribas Open:
Are you surprised?
What changed?
Can you keep it up?
These questions seem simple, maybe even small talk material, but they’re not.
Am I surprised? Yes, and no. I am surprised to have arrived at a place where wins that used to evade me are feeling comfortable. But I also don’t feel that I’m doing anything unsustainable.
What changed? Everything, and nothing. I’m looking at myself and my potential very differently than I was a year ago, but it’s still me, I’m just accessing a better version.
Can I keep it up? Absolutely, but maybe not. I have every confidence that if my team stays solid, I keep working hard, and I stay healthy I can continue to improve. But nothing is ever promised, and right now I’m just trying to enjoy the process, the day in day out grind.
In other words, this recent improvement in my results has been a long time coming, and all of a sudden.
Lately, I’ve put in the work, committed to the things I’ve needed to improve, and changed my outlook to include a stronger-than-ever sense of self belief. And it’s been coming together quickly in the past few months. Things that didn’t seem attainable six months ago are feeling well within reach. When asked how far I think I can go in tennis, “Top 10” has replaced, “I don’t know, maybe Top 50.”
This is all new for me. But I’ve also wanted to be a pro tennis player since I was 11. Every life decision I’ve made since then has centered around maximizing my tennis, giving myself the best shot. Tens of thousands of hours have been spent sweating out weakness in the gym and pushing through insecurities and frustrations on court. So, in one way, I’m humbled by my recent success, but in another way, I expect this and much more.
Sorry for doubting your outlook, Genie.
To keep up with Gibbsy, you can follow her on Twitter @Gibbsyyyy and Instagram. Nicole Gibbs will feature as a regular columnist for WTA Insider. Click here for her first column, and check back regularly as she files a variety of dispatches from the road to give fans a glimpse of her life on tour.
