(Montreal) Even at 32 and despite a career punctuated by numerous injuries, Vasek Pospisil has lost none of his passion for tennis. And if he wishes to continue playing a few years on the circuit, he recently discovered another center of interest by launching a business with the marketing of a new sports drink made from mushrooms.
Posted at 3:58 p.m.
The likeable British Columbian, who received a bye to the main draw at the National Bank Open, is enthusiastic when he talks about the place Canada now occupies on the international tennis scene
“The level is the best in the history of our country,” commented Pospisil on Friday, a few hours before the draw for the Montreal tournament. Milos (Raonic), Eugenie (Bouchard) and I were the first to achieve good results in singles. Now with Leylah (Fernandez), Bianca (Andreescu), Denis (Shapovalov) and Félix (Auger-Aliassime), we are one of the countries with the best players in the world. »
According to him, several Tennis Canada decisions explain this success, including the hiring of Louis Borfiga as vice-president of elite development in 2006. And since success breeds success, Pospisil believes that the future is bright. .
“We can be excited in the country for the years to come, because there is a lot of talent among young people. »
After a promising start to the year, Pospisil was once again hampered by an injury, a torn elbow muscle, which kept him out of competition for about three months. He is slowly getting back into shape.
“It was a somewhat complicated injury, but I haven’t had any pain for three weeks. I worked very hard in training to recover. I feel like I’m ready to play at a good level, both physically and mentally. »
Give players a voice
Another activity close to the heart of the 2014 Wimbledon doubles champion is the Association of Professional Tennis Players (AJTP), which he founded with Novak Djokovic in 2020.
Although the initiatives have been rather limited since the beginning, Pospisil promises that announcements will come to the United States Open at the end of the month.
“This is something really needed in our sport, especially after what we have witnessed over the past six months. Tennis is the only major sport in the world where players do not have an independent voice to be heard.
“We aim to enable more players to be able to make a living from their sport. Currently, only the top-100 can do this. »
The one currently occupying 141e however, does not go so far as to want the creation of a rival circuit, like the new LIV golf league, financed by Saudi funds.
“That’s not our goal. We simply want an association that defends the interests of the players, because right now it’s a monopoly. »
During his recent convalescence, Pospisil took the opportunity to found the Hekate company, with two businessmen, which specializes in mushroom-based performance products.
“I started using Functional Mushrooms only three years ago when I was injured (back surgery). A nutrition doctor recommended it to me and this is the first I’ve heard of it.
“I was incredibly surprised at how it helped my recovery, it’s an anti-inflammatory. And even when I started training again, I recovered much faster. There are several health benefits and I thought why not start a company that will make the best products with the best ingredients. »
Multiple Olympic medalist Penny Oleksiak, who has been using functional mushroom supplements for years, joined the adventure as an ambassador and partner. Functional or medicinal mushrooms have been used for thousands of years in Eastern medicine for their health-promoting properties.
“It’s an experience that fascinates me, it gives me a lot of pleasure,” concluded Pospisil. It gives me more balance in my life, because I’m not just a tennis player. There will be life after tennis. »