"It is still what I want to do" - Stosur on returning to play tennis in 2021

Tuesday, 18 August 2020 at 08:30

Australian tennis star Sam Stosur might be approaching the twilight of her career, but the former World No.4 believes she is not done yet.

After a recent addition to her family in June, the 36-year old decided to take the rest of the year off. However, she plans to return stronger in 2021, according to an interview she had with Tennis Australia.

"My singles ranking is still in the top 100, which is great because it means I can play the Grand Slams," said the 2011 US Open champion. "Before COVID-19 happened, I was really succeeding in doubles and am in the top 30. I guess you could say it is a crossroad in my career where I might soon need to make a decision about what becomes more of a priority. However, for now my motivation is to get my ranking in both events as high as they can be so that I can keep playing all the big tournaments against the best players in the world."

On qualifying for the Tokyo Olympic Games

The former doubles No.1 still has aspirations of participating at the Olympic Games, which were postponed this year but will be held in Tokyo in 2021.

"Qualifying for my fifth Olympic Games was a big motivation for 2020," Stosur stated. "Understandably it had to be postponed, but it was still a real kick in the guts when it happened. It is not easy to qualify, so to be so close and then have to start again next year is tough. But I’m planning to play on again next year, so hopefully I will be able to qualify."

On spending time with her daughter and taking the rest of the year off

"Our daughter Genevieve, who we have nicknamed Evie, was born in mid- June. To be home for most of the pregnancy and her birth has been an incredible highlight of this year and my life! The bonus is I have not had to worry about missing events or training to enjoy this family time.

My plan at this stage is to take the rest of the year off to spend time with my family and watch Evie grow and enjoy all those moments that are so special. I’ll then prepare and start playing again in January. This forced time off has only proved to me how much I do love tennis and that it is still what I want to do. My story is not finished yet."

Stosur, who is currently ranked 98th in singles and 26th in doubles, has won 9 singles title and 26 doubles titles on the WTA Tour.

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Arthur Ajayi

Growing up in a household where soccer was king, my earliest memories are filled with chants from packed stadiums and the rhythm of a ball being passed across neighborhood streets. But somewhere along the way, the quiet elegance and raw emotion of tennis pulled me in. What began as a curiosity became a lifelong passion; not just for the sport itself, but for the stories it tells: of grit, of heartbreak, of improbable comebacks and human resilience.

As a tennis writer, I bring the observational lens of someone who didn’t grow up in the sport, but fell in love with it as an outsider; a perspective that lets me see both its technical beauty and its emotional depth. Over the years working with TennisUpToDate, I’ve had the privilege of reaching more than 3.5 million readers worldwide, with one of my features ranking among the site’s top three articles.

With a background in storytelling and a creative mind always searching for meaning beyond the scoreboard, I aim to craft narratives that go deeper than results and rankings. Whether it’s a rising star breaking through or a veteran fighting off Father Time, I try to capture the heartbeat behind the headlines.

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