Elise Mertens is one of the all-rounded players like Ashleigh Barty. The Belgian is currently on 23rd place in the WTA singles Ranking and also no. 6 in doubles ranking. During her still short career, 24-years-old Belgian was successful in both singles and doubles. Now, Elise shared her tennis story with Behind The Racquet.

“It is not easy taking that big step from ITF to WTA. I was top 10 in juniors and I felt like I was in the dark again, starting over. It was exciting that I can start from scratch but also scared about how much work was ahead. Even with all the travel with my mom, I think my character is a bit more like my dad. He doesn’t play tennis or know a lot about it but he knows me really well and has helped me mentally get through things. I started playing pro tournaments later than others, around 17. I went fully pro at 18. It wasn’t easy in the beginning learning about all the new opponents . You begin by losing a lot of matches at first. The feeling of winning my first 10k was an unbelievable feeling. That winning feeling keeps you going, the passion keeps you going. I used the inspiration from other players in order to raise my level of tennis to theirs. After reaching 500 you get a feel of it, and just want more. It doesn’t always go as fast you want and tennis players are not very patient. I always think there is some way to improve. The worry was not about me being too lazy but more about fixing my mentality. It took me a while to play against top 100 players or girls who have won WTA titles, and truly believe I could beat them," Mertens said.

"I’m just a simple person. I am an animal lover, with a few dogs and turtles at home. I just enjoy being at home relaxing with my friends and family. During tournaments, you have the same routine every day which can get boring. It is not easy to always stay motivated away from home. People outside of tennis never understand how I can constantly travel all the time. I really do not know any other life. I started playing tennis when I was four years old and started to play under 18 events when I was only 13 years old. That was when I began to travel full time. I don’t really have that feeling that I’ve missed out on anything. I still managed to have some friends at home that I get to see every once in a while, I love the sport and wouldn’t do anything else. The toughest part of the tour for me is the travel and not being home as much as I want to be. I just don’t have the time to do usual things like sit on the couch at home, be with my dogs, or see my family or friends. I was lucky to at least have my mom who used to travel with me a lot to tournaments. People always think being on the road, doing the same thing each day, is exciting. The fans only see the matches, which is the fun part, but there is much more going on off court. It all becomes a routine. It is important to break the rhythm sometimes. I love what I do and it is my passion, but it is important to mix up the routine. Even if it is as simple as changing how you eat. I go to different restaurants as often as I can or even stay at an apartment so I can cook myself. Sometimes just need a little bit of that home feeling," said Mertens.

"There are some things I would do over again if I got the chance. I feel at times I was too independent. It is always difficult to find the right coach or person at the time you need them. You also don’t always know what the ‘right person’ means. Everybody has to walk down the path and see what they like and don’t. From every situation and relationship you get to learn that everything has been put in your way for a reason. I’ve learned that you just have to take the positives out of it," Mertens said.

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