Anastasija Sevastova never expected that among her experiences as a mother, she would find herself learning to walk again alongside her infant daughter.
Yet, slightly more than a year ago, this became her reality. After playing only four tournaments following her return from maternity leave, Sevastova sustained a serious knee injury during the Austin quarterfinals, harming her ACL, meniscus, and cartilage. For six weeks, she relied on crutches, precisely when her daughter Alexandra was mastering walking.
“That wasn`t enjoyable,” Sevastova commented before the Internazionali BNL d`Italia, where she is participating using a protected ranking and is scheduled to meet Lucia Bronzetti in the opening round on Tuesday. “But having another life certainly helps. And then I began walking alongside her!”
Following the premature halt to Sevastova`s initial return, many doubted she would compete again, let alone achieve the impressive performance she delivered at the Mutua Madrid Open. There, in her first match, the 35-year-old Sevastova finally beat Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova after previously losing all eight encounters. She then stopped Stuttgart winner Jelena Ostapenko`s winning run in straight sets to advance to the third round. Her characteristic drop shots and slices appeared as sharp as ever.
“Nobody defeats me nine times!” she quipped regarding the match against Pavlyuchenkova. “When the score reached 3-3, I thought, `I`ve won three games, that`s sufficient.` Then I relaxed and stopped overthinking. It was a gradual process.”
This resilient mindset also supported Sevastova during her severe injury ordeal. “Pregnancy, childbirth—nothing measured up to that experience,” she stated. Thoughts of returning to tennis were distant; initially, her sole objective was regaining the ability to walk independently.
“While on crutches, playing tennis isn`t even a consideration,” she explained. “It was step by step. After six months, perhaps I could manage an hour on court once weekly. It was one step after another. I was eager to resume practice seeing the improvement, but by November, December, it worsened again.”
“After practicing, my knee would be swollen and painful for the following four days. I attempted some injections, but they offered no relief. In January, I underwent another surgery, which proved very effective. From that moment, I envisioned my return.”
Known for her dry wit, Sevastova can now discuss her injury with a sense of detachment.
“I can`t complain,” she remarked. “Far worse things occur to others. Being injured for a year was my experience. You can`t explain why it happens. But now I`m healthy, I have a healthy family, a healthy daughter.”
Sevastova`s protected ranking has been reinstated. She intends to bypass Roland Garros to utilize her two Grand Slam entries at Wimbledon and the US Open. The latter holds significance as the venue for her most notable major achievements, including a semifinal and two quarterfinal appearances between 2016 and 2018. However, she now considers her performance in Madrid last month her proudest career accomplishment. She jokingly suggests this signifies she`s at the pinnacle of her career.
Considering her apparent satisfaction away from the court, what prompted her return? Sevastova describes having a “beautiful life” in Graz, Austria, alongside her partner and coach Ronnie Schmidt, their 2-year-old daughter Alexandra, and their Portuguese water dog Oscar (who, ironically, isn`t fond of swimming). Alexandra has even shown some curiosity about tennis, though typically only for about five minutes before her attention shifts to water, sand, or the trampoline.
“I simply want to prove something to myself,” Sevastova stated. “I want to expose my daughter to this lifestyle and demonstrate that persistence can help you achieve certain things. It`s important for her to witness that. While you might declare, `I want to win X, Y, and Z,` for me, that`s my objective [showing persistence].”
