After wrapping up a hard-fought victory over Timea Babos in Wimbledon Qualifying on Tuesday, a tearful Sabine Lisicki needed a few moments to herself before she could conduct her on-court interview.
“Look at my hands, they’re shaking,” she said before going on air.
It was only a first round Qualifying win, but it’s understandable why the former Wimbledon finalist was overcome with emotion.
Over the past three years, she has battled through a shoulder injury that kept her out for seven months, she then had knee surgery, and finally dealt with a four-month foot problem last season.
She started 2019 by suffering nine consecutive defeats, before getting her first victory of the year – in qualifying at an ITF event in Surbiton – this month.
...the most important thing is that I found the way to happiness on court again. And wins certainly help with that
Lisicki’s 6-3, 3-6, 6-3 triumph over Babos at Roehampton on Tuesday was just her third win of the season. A former world No.12, who is now ranked No.283, she is determined to fight her way back, but more importantly, has managed to recapture the joy she gets from the sport.
“I got back to my dad as a coach five weeks ago – the person that was there when I had the most success and I think that’s the part that made me feel more secure,” revealed the 29-year-old German.
“Unfortunately it didn’t work out with the other coach, the first five months of the year, but things happen like that. But the most important thing is that I found the way to happiness on court again. And wins certainly help with that.”
The Babos result was Lisicki’s first match win at a Grand Slam – main draw or qualifying – since Wimbledon 2016. Her runner-up showing to Marion Bartoli at Wimbledon in 2013 remains her best effort at a major and despite the string of injuries that hampered her career, Lisicki insists she never considered walking away from tennis.
“I love it too much and I still feel so much fire in me,” she says.
“When you lose matches, it’s always difficult. The first two injuries were hard but I came back very well straightaway, and the last injury when I came back I was struggling, so I think that was the biggest challenge because I’ve never been in a year without wins until June.
I believe that when you work hard, it does pay off eventually, that’s what I strongly believe in and all those struggles make you stronger in the end
“For me it didn’t feel that way to be honest because in March, even though I didn’t play any tournaments, I played a lot of practice matches and I won them.
“And I played Bundesliga and I won some matches. So for me it didn’t feel that negative thankfully but on paper, I did have very tough draws. It certainly didn’t help when you’re a bit rusty and don’t have that much confidence.
“But those struggles, I believe that when you work hard, it does pay off eventually, that’s what I strongly believe in and all those struggles make you stronger in the end.”
Injuries are a painful reality for almost everyone in tennis, but some players have had worse luck than others when it comes to physical problems. Lisicki mentioned an unnamed friend who helped her greatly back home and says she can also relate to others on tour who have faced similar struggles.
“I wrote with DelPo before the match actually,” Lisicki revealed, referring to Juan Martin del Potro, who had knee surgery earlier this week, and has endured four wrist surgeries over the past 10 years.
“It’s our path, we were saying. I was so sad, I didn’t know what happened, I saw the picture online that he had surgery.
“I feel so sorry for him because he’s such a nice guy, plays incredible tennis, I love watching his forehand go boom, straight past everyone. I really hope and wish him the best to come back, I want to see more booming forehands and serves from him.”
Lisicki has earned legions of fans with her own brand of ‘boom-boom’ tennis. Wimbledon holds a special place in her heart – she made the quarter-finals or better on five consecutive occasions from 2009 to 2014 (she skipped 2010) – and a practice session at Aorangi Park at the All England Club on Monday ahead of her Qualifying opener saw her relive the fond memories she has from the lawns of SW19.
Asked about the main reason behind her decision to reunite with her father, Richard, as coach, Lisicki said: “I wanted to try something else, as always you think you can always do better and better. I’m a very family-oriented person, and I play with passion.
“I work hard but I have to enjoy it, otherwise I cannot compete well. And I think at times people forgot that, or because they didn’t know me well enough, so I think that’s something important that dad and mom bring in – because I sometimes travel with mom as well – but those two know me the best.”
Her next test comes in the form of India’s Ankita Raina, and Lisicki is thankful she can live to fight another day.
“I’m very grateful for getting the wild card to have the chance to compete here. I will try to make the best out of it and we’ll see how far it goes. I have so much support here which I’m very thankful for, so let’s see what happens,” she says.