Do you play tennis a lot every day? Not if you ask Tessi Antonis (12) from Amsterdam. She is off the field six times a week to play. Tessy is now very good. Since her birth in 2008, she is number seven in the Netherlands and in the age group up to twelve, including number ten. Does Ts love tennis? “I really enjoy playing tennis.” She laughs. I’m not sure why. Maybe because I do it a lot and also train with the kids that I really like. Anyway, I like the ball sport. I like tennis more than hockey. I did, too. You can play tennis a lot. In hockey, you practice twice a week and only one match.
That sounds like a lot in love … I saw you play a very long exciting match and what surprised me was that you were so comfortable on the track. I really enjoyed it! “Yes, I like exciting competitions, I like it the most. If you win really big, that’s cool too, because then you can try things well on the right track, but I prefer an opponent with the same strength, so he is more exciting. Actually, I think. The more excitement, the greater the fun! ”
So you really love to play matches. Do you know kids who don’t like that? “No, I really don’t know them.”
Tell me what are your best wins? Which match do you remember well? When I played the region’s youth championship final. At first I was very late but in the end I won the third set in a big tiebreak with 13-11. Then I was allowed to go to another important match. I was so happy about that. ‘
Wonderful! So this was a big fight! And when you think about the future, do you have a dream? ‘Yeah, just to be really good. I would like to play Grand Slam.
Wonderful! These are the most important and toughest tournaments in the world: Wimbledon (England), US Open (America), Roland Garros (France) and the Australian Open (Australia). Do you really want to be a professional? ‘Yeah! Lots of kids from my group want it, almost everyone.
Photo: Marilyn Foucher
A tennis fool like you must have a few favorite players …? “Yes, Kiki Bertens and Roger Federer. I think I especially like Kiki because she is Dutch and she is good. Federer is so cute and kind. He never gets mad at the job!”
Beautiful! Finally, if you had to pique other kids’ interest in tennis, what would you say to them? It is great fun! Many children also think tennis is a solo sport which is why they don’t like it. But this is not true. Where I play tennis, for example, we play a lot of team matches and then you have the feeling of a team. And if you play the league, you also do it in a team.
So you don’t think tennis is all this “lonely”? “not at all!
So, the tennis player! “Tennis is a very enjoyable sport that you do a lot with your tennis buddies,” says Tessi. And I totally agree with her. What do you think of our conversation? Did you probably feel you got really good, too? Or to play more? I hope so! Next time a nice blog about Grand Slams.
Tut it! Sufi
