I can’t stay a tennis champion If I want children
iam thinking of going into property and interior design – which might sound funny coming from someone who won the Wimbledon mixed doubles last year, competed in the Olympics twice and has played with Andy Murray and against Serena Williams. But at 25, as a professional female tennis player, I don’t have much choice but to walk away from the sport I’ve devoted my life to in a few years’ time if I want to start a family.
It’s not that I want to quit tennis; it’s been my passion – my world – since I jumped off the plane in Florida to go to the Nick Bollettieri tennis academy at the age of 12. In a typical year, I spend 11 months away from home and six hours a day training and at the gym. Can I do that with a baby – and play a good match on very little sleep? No. I won’t be able to put tennis first if I’m putting my baby first.
Historically and currently, it’s very challenging to be a mother on the tennis tour. And more could definitely be done to help women out in this predicament, so they’re able to go on tour with a baby or a small child. Introducing crèches at all tournaments would be a start. There are very few crèches around in the tennis world, so female players with babies have to invest in a nanny or enrol a family member to give up everything and look after their child while they train.
It’s a lot harder for women; a lot of male tennis players have wives or girlfriends who look after their babies so they can carry on playing. I wouldn’t want that for my partner, Lloyd Glasspool, who is also a professional tennis player. I think it’s important for him to have his own career. Especially as I’ve been lucky enough to enjoy so much of mine already. Quite simply, it’s an industry where women can’t have it all: the high-flying career and the family life. If you want a child in tennis you definitely can’t do it alone.
I have one high-profile tennis player
friend who is in her late twenties and has a baby. Luckily, she hasn’t had to give it all up yet because her husband travels with her. He used to be her coach so is well-acquainted with touring and the tennis world. It is possible at a huge expense – he’ll have to pay for flights and hotels – but not everyone has a partner who is able to do that.
I feel the pressure of my biological clock so I simply don’t want to postpone having children until my fitness fails me. Even in my mid-twenties it’s nerve-racking to think I might not be able to conceive if I want a child. You never know until you start trying, so there is a risk that comes with stalling motherhood to be able to play for a few more years. But there’s no way I’d be ready for a child right now. If I get to 30 and I’m still at the top of my game, I’m going to be faced with some very tough decisions.
I accepted long ago that I’d need to quit to have a baby – it’s part of the sacrifice that comes with the job, just as I’ve sacrificed seeing my family and friends for years because I’m always away travelling for tennis. It’s scary. It’s sad, I am very grateful for what I do and it makes me want to make the most of the years I’ve got left. I have an amazing career, but it’s been stressful. The highs are unbelievable – winning Wimbledon is the best feeling in the world – but the lows can be really low. I still have nightmares about the match I played with Serena Williams where I lost by only two points.
When I resign, I know how special it will feel to have that time to spend with loved ones. But life after tennis terrifies me; this world is all I’ve known. I’m not the type to sit around for long so hopefully I’ll be OK in the property and design world. I’d also like to try my hand at commentating and I’ve done some charity work with children, so I’d love to carry on with that after tennis. Until then, I’ll be making the most of my last years and playing as well as I can.
quite simply, in the tennis world, women Can’t Have it All