Interview: Tamira Paszek – “The touch was right back”

Tamira Paszek has had a long period of suffering. In an interview with tennisnet, the 27-year-old from Voralberg tells about her long injury break, the goals for the next few weeks and gives advice for future generations.

tennisnet: Mrs. Paszek. We have missed you on the tournament courses for well over a year. How are you doing?

Tamira Paszek: I am very well. I’m overjoyed that I’m now back in training. That was my main goal, to stand healthy on the court again. The body develops well, so does the fitness.

tennisnet: When will we see you on the court again?

Paszek: That is still in question. I once set myself the goal of May. The way the training is going at the moment, I see it as quite realistic. But last year was tough with my nervous disease and my foot surgery in November. Now I take my time to realize: I’m ready, now it starts.

tennisnet: But you are playing tennis again…

Paszek: I’ve been on the pitch for ten days, and much more intensively. Before it was more for fun, almost hobbyistically hitting a few balls.

tennisnet: Are the old instincts back?

Paszek: Amazingly I feel the ball very well on the racquet. Since the beginning. I did nine months of zero come sport, and it was already a big challenge, also from the side of fitness. But the touch was right back, and the enthusiasm to be able to stand on the pitch again.

tennisnet: Who is currently helping you with your re-entry?

Paszek: I am currently working here at the Stejarii Country Club (in Romania, note. the editor), here I have a fitness trainer, who is currently at the ATP tournament in Miami with two men. There are enough coaches and sparring partners here for my tennis. The conditions here are ideal – and I’m using them for my comeback. You have to be realistic. I start from scratch, also in terms of ranking. At the moment, my first goal was to be back on the pitch. Luckily, it’s not the first time I’ve played tennis, so I know what to do.

tennisnet: Can you already tell Stand which tournaments you plan to return to?

Paszek: Not at all! That’s on my to-do list, I’ll keep an eye on it soon.

tennisnet: You will probably have to return to the hard way with many smaller tournaments.

Paszek: For the first time I am in the same situation as when I started my career 13 years ago, when I played my only future so far. It’ll be an interesting time, I’ll figure out a plan. And of course I hope for help from one tournament or another. I also have my Protected Ranking, which I will try to use wisely.

tennisnet: Does the communication with the players’ association work during such a long break?

Paszek: Oja, yes. There was permanent contact from WTA Player Relations. And one is generally in exchange, also because of the protected ranking.

tennisnet: The protected ranking only reaches position 400. Should the WTA think of something else here?

Paszek: For me it was enough, my ranking will be about 199. But of course it’s difficult. In the case of Andreea Mitu, for example, who was suspended because of her pregnancy. Andreea still has a ranking of about 700, which really has to start all over again. With me it’s also difficult because I really start from scratch after a one-and-a-half year tournament break.

tennisnet: There have just been voices in Miami that Serena Williams and other players should be seeded after a baby break at the tournaments according to their protected rankings. How do you feel about that?

Paszek: Very difficult subject. Of course, Serena is considered the best player of all time, and everyone recognizes that. But I think the rules should apply to everyone. I think Serena’s gonna make it back to the top like this.

Page 1: Tamira Paszek about her ball feeling and Serena Williams

Page 2: Tamira Paszek about her new passion for tennis and her biggest goal