Goerges: "I don't miss tennis at all".
Julia Goerges, former world no. 9, has decided to retire in 2020, at the end of the French Open. The German speaks about her post-career life and her relationship with tennis: "The biggest change is the pace of life.
I used to think about tennis 24 hours a day, timing every training session. I have to admit that for the first two years, I just kept training.
But then I slackened off, gave up weight training and concentrated more on yoga and meditation.
As an athlete, I always had very high expectations, but now I know my body a lot better.
Today, I'm moving in other directions that have nothing to do with tennis, even though I sometimes comment on matches on television.
I don't miss tennis at all. Sometimes I can play with Wesley (Koolhof, her partner), but I'm not looking for that.
All these years, it's been my profession, my dream, but you have to be careful not to lose yourself, because this world is very particular.
Joy is sometimes defined by victory or defeat, when it shouldn't be. Stopping at that point did me a lot of good, even though I've continued to watch tennis thanks to Wesley.
What's for sure is that I'll keep all the memories and experiences I had as a player in my heart, and tennis is still just as great for me."
