Tired, powerless and lacking energy. Sabine Lisicki imagined her pregnancy to be different. The fact that she will miss Wimbledon is bothering the tennis player. Talking to Kerber helps.
Sabine Lisicki now reaches for the sofa blanket more often than the tennis racket. Reading instead of sweaty training. Writing a diary instead of preparing for Wimbledon. Pregnancy has thrown the life of the former 12th ranked player in the world into disarray. “I imagined it a little differently. It took me a while to get used to the idea that it’s okay to be exhausted sometimes,” admits the 34-year-old.
Lisicki has not played on the tennis tour since December. If you look for her name in the world rankings, you now have to scroll down to number 445. At least this time, injury is not to blame for the sporting setback. Lisicki is expecting a baby. “It will be an autumn baby,” the Berlin-based woman told the German Press Agency, beaming. Everything else remains secret for now.
“Stability is lost”
The anticipation of the new life with a child is huge, even if the past few months have been anything but easy. “Nausea and tiredness” were constant companions, as Lisicki reported. New territory for someone who is bursting with energy and always has to be active. “I was able to sleep for three hours in the afternoon without any problems and still go to bed early in the evening and sleep soundly again. That was gnawing at me.”
So much so that the need for exercise finally prevailed and Lisicki cannot give up tennis even during pregnancy. “Every now and then” the Troisdorf native is still on the court. But intensive rallies have long since been out of the question. “Only from a standing position, because stability goes out the window there too,” said Lisicki.
Eleven years have passed since Lisicki served her way into the final of Wimbledon with her hard serves. When the elite around Jelena Rybakina and Iga Swiatek play for the title in the grass court classic starting next week, the German will be sitting in front of the television. “I want to jump straight onto the court and play myself. It’s not easy for me and I’m really nervous,” said Lisicki.
Long conversations with Kerber
Her passion for tennis is still huge. Lisicki’s eyes sparkle when she talks about the love of the fans and thrilling duels on the biggest tennis stages in the world. The question of ending her career was therefore never an issue for the German. “I’m coming back. I want to get everything out of it that I can,” she announced. However, Lisicki wants to take as much time as necessary for her comeback. “My standards are still very high and I don’t want to come back on tour if I’m not ready.”
Together with Angelique Kerber and Tatjana Maria, Lisicki can then found the German Tennis Moms Club. The Berliner is already getting tips from her colleagues. Mother of two Maria has been travelling with her daughter Charlotte for over ten years. Kerber and Liana have been travelling around the world since the winter. “We spoke for a long time. That was good and helped me a lot. I’m looking forward to the tournaments with both of them,” said Lisicki, sending a challenge to the competition: “If I come back, I’ll do it properly.”
Source: Stern
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