Amelie Mauresmo leaves the Wimbledon court after her first round winLoic Courteau, Amelie Mauresmo's coach, says that Mauresmo "really needs to completely recharge her batteries, to re-energise, to come back with new ambitions and goals." He even implies the possibility that the world number 6 will skip the U.S. Open, but I think that is unlikely. Mauresmo has been down before. As a matter of fact, in the latter part of the 2005 season, she said she was so burned out, she did not think she could go on. She then proceeded to win the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour Year-End Championships, which was a big turning point in her career.
Mauresmo has had an unlucky year. Appendicitis caused her to miss the Sony Ericsson Open in Miami, the two U.S. Clay tournaments, and most of the European clay court season. Returning to the tour with chronic abductor problems, the defending Wimbledon champion was dismissed in the Wimbledon round of 16 by Nicole Vaidisova. And last weekend, she lost a crucial Fed Cup match to Italy's Francesca Schiavone. It is no wonder she is feeling down. Her only victory this year has been at the Proximus Diamond Games in Belgium, where she spoiled everyone's fun by defeating hometown (and retiring) favorite, Kim Clijsters.
"For now," says Mauresmo, "the urgent thing is to cut off to take some holiday. Right now I need the sea, the warm sea. To go off on a boat.
"I need to change my environment a little bit, to leave a little bit the world of tennis. To exit all of this. Moreover, if there had not been the Fed Cup, I would have already been in the break."
She plans to take off at least two weeks. Her fans--and I am an enthusiastic one--hope her injury will be totally healed in time for her to participate in some of the U.S. Open Series.
Actually the photo is from after her early win over American Jamea Jackson.
ReplyDeleteI think Mauresmo is doing the right thing by taking time off. So many players just go along with what they think, or are told, is the right way to play the tour. Her holiday shows a mature, healthy attitude toward sport and her own well-being.
Thanks--I made the correction. I think that photo may have run on your post about her loss and I made some type of connection in my head about it.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, she is absolutely right to take some time off. I don't even know if her injury is healed, so for that alone, she needs to rest.