(New York) In 2011, when Rebecca Marino was just 20 years old, everything seemed to come so easily to her on the tennis court. The Canadian reached the third round at Roland-Garros that year and soon after reached the 38e place in the world rankings.
Posted at 7:22 p.m.
It wasn’t so easy off the pitch, though.
At Flushing Meadows on Friday, and for the first time since then, Marino will compete in the third round of a Grand Slam tournament.
This will mark, so far, the high point of his comeback after a five-year absence from the WTA.
An absence caused by anxiety and, in his own words, burnout.
“If you spoke to me during my retirement, I don’t know if I would have thought I would be back here. That’s why I’m really proud of myself. I overcame a lot and managed to get this far – and hopefully even further,” Marino said.
“The word I keep coming back to is gratitude. I feel very, very lucky to be able to come back to tennis and be successful. Every moment I’m on the pitch, I’m grateful. »
The pressure of being a young athlete traveling the world trying to break through can come at a heavy cost.
Naomi Osaka, a four-time major champion, is just one example of players who have addressed her mental health issues in recent years. Ashleigh Barty was off the tour for over two years, came back and won three Grand Slam titles, then retired this year. She was ranked No. 1 in the world, at age 25.
“You can’t stop young people from living their lives,” Marino’s mother, Catherine, said over the phone from her home in Vancouver (watching Rebecca’s games there from the same spot in the kitchen where she listened to Roland- Garros in 2011).
“I’m there with her every step of the way. when she won [contre Daria Snigur au deuxième tour], I had to pinch myself. I couldn’t believe it, said mom, who sent Marino pictures of the two family dogs, Jasper and Stanley. I am very proud of her. We have come a long way. »
Things got overwhelming for Marino in 2012. She tried taking a six-month break, to see if that would help. When she performed next, things weren’t much better. So she stopped for good. Or so she thought.
“I was completely exhausted – not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I was totally flat, said Marino, who is 31.
“Now that I’m more mature, I wish I could help the younger version of me through it all. But at the same time, it also made me who I am today. »
Outside of tennis, Marino has tried new things. She studied English Literature at the University of British Columbia. She took up rowing (her uncle, George Hungerford, was a gold medalist in this sport at the 1964 Olympics). She gave tennis lessons.
Returning to his old life wasn’t on the cards until 2017, when his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He died in 2020; his life was celebrated in April at the Billie Jean King Cup, on the second anniversary of his death.
“It made me think about a lot of things,” said Marino, who found talking to a therapist helped her — she encouraged others to do the same.
“Something I kept coming back to was my tennis and how it was unresolved. »
She was invited to be a training partner at the Vancouver Open, which was a turning point. For the first time, she felt ready to return to the game.
“I wanted to see if I was comfortable in a tournament environment, and then I would make my decision,” she recalls. At the end of the week, I said to myself, “I have to do this”.
“Mentally, I was in a fantastic state. Two weeks before my senior year of college started, I dropped out of school, quit my job, and quit rowing. I threw myself into it. »
At the beginning of 2018, Marino was back in competitions. In 2021, she played her first Grand Slam tournament in eight years. In July, she returned to the top 100 for the first time in 10 years (she is 106e this week).
Marino can now advance to the fourth round of a major tournament for the first time in his career. On Friday afternoon, she will face China’s Zhang Shuai, 36e in the world.
“She’s been through more than anyone can imagine and done it alone,” said Austin Nunn, who has known Marino for about 10 years and started representing her this year.
“To be in such a dark place, to get through it, to continue to love playing tennis and to get to where she is, it’s just amazing. »