US Open: Patty Schnyder with 39 years before Grand Slam comeback

When Patty Schnyder stepped into her first New York qualifying match against Romanian Marina Sanewska last Tuesday, only a small group of interested visitors came to the match. Schnyder won the match in just three sets and then won two more bidding matches against the Russian Veronika Eduardowna and the American Jessica Pegula.

And suddenly and unexpectedly she, the 39-year-old Swiss, was suddenly the phenomenon of the US Open – even before the first ball was hit in the main field of last season’s major. “It’s a huge success for me, a bit unreal,” says Schnyder, who now lives in Isernhagen, Lower Saxony, together with her partner Jan Heino and daughter Kim Ayla (2).

Twenty years ago, highly talented Schnyder entered the quarter-finals of the American Grand Slam as a teenager, ten years ago she repeated her push into the last eight. But the most amazing New York tennis moment she managed as a mother and reactivated a retiree before her 40th birthday.

And as a reward for the impressive qualifying performances, the opponent she was drawn for the first round appointment on Tuesday evening at Louis Armstrong Stadium was also there – a certain Maria Sharapova then faces her in the second largest, probably sold out US Open Stadium, in the first Grand Slam game since the French Open 2011.

“I’ve regained my self-confidence here,” says Schnyder, “I’m finding more and more security in my game.” Schnyder’s capricious career is definitely once again experiencing the last amazing chapters, which have to do exclusively with sports, with the fight on the Centre Courts.

For many years of her life on the tour, the Basler had stubbornly served the newspaper boulevard and the colourful leaves, with a dependence on the sectarian “orange juice guru” Rainer Harnecker or later with her relationship to the windy Rainer Hofmann. Seven years ago, Schnyder retired from the tennis circus, mainly because his performances were less and less suited to his own requirements.

But when Schnyder felt a desire for exercise again after pregnancy and the birth of daughter Kim, she also got a taste for tennis again. She soon returned to small and medium-sized tournaments, working her way up the world rankings tenaciously and persistently.

Qualifying for the US Open is the highlight of this last of many Schnyder comebacks. “But I don’t even lead a profile life,” says Schnyder, the former top ten size, “I take care of my daughter for at least half a day. But it’s still going well.” Not only good, but always better. Which I’m sure Maria Sharapova will feel as well.