Hsieh: "With my style, it would be easy to remain on the tour for another 10 years"

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Diving into the current women's circuit, we find a woman who is anything but 'current'. Not just because she was born in 1986 and has just turned 39, not because she focuses solely on doubles, not even because of her Asian roots. We are talking about a player who practices a unique style of tennis, endangered, hitting everything with two hands and always opting for touch over power. We are talking about Su-Wei Hsieh, one of those veterans that we are delighted to have before our eyes, an athlete from another era who still maintains the hunger to continue traveling the world.

In an interview from a few months ago with Tennis Magazin, we can read Taiwan's player returning to her roots and explaining how it all began, why she had no choice but to adopt that style of play. "When I started playing tennis at just five years old, I remember I was very small and thin. I couldn't even hold the racket with one hand, and at that time, there were no shorter rackets, so I stuck with this style of play. It's a shame that this style of play is disappearing, but any style of play is good as long as you feel comfortable with it. It should match each person's personality," contrasts Hsieh.

Sometimes I step onto the court without a game plan," explains with humor a tennis player so gifted that she doesn't need strategies. "Sometimes my coach tells me something before the match, but most of the time I don't even remember it. I enjoy playing with my style, I like to rely on my magic on the court. I know that when I'm in the zone, anything is possible," proudly points out someone who always had a clear role model. "When I still played singles, I loved chasing down every ball, I learned a lot from Angelique Kerber, one of the best defensive players, I loved how she easily switched from defense to offense."

NO EXPIRATION DATE

With seven Grand Slam trophies in her suitcase, all in doubles, few careers can compare to Su-Wei Hsieh's. An Australian Open, two Roland Garros, four Wimbledons, and... so far, no final at the US Open. Perhaps the lack of that title is what prevents her from retiring, although she tried that path in 2022 and a year and a half later was back, unable to face a life without the adrenaline of competition. So, how long will we have the privilege of seeing the Taiwanese shining on the big stages? She may not even know right now, but there's no rush to find an answer.

"Kimiko Date paused her career for ten years before returning, but I'm not sure if I will play as long as she did," Hsieh comments in comparison to the legendary Japanese player, who reached #4 in singles. "If you compare our careers, the truth is I've been on the circuit for a long time. I started in the 2001 season, so at the end of this year, I will have spent 25 years. The WTA should give me something nice, although with my style of play, it would be easy to stay on the tour for another ten years," she jokes with her usual sense of humor.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Hsieh: “Con mi estilo, sería fácil permanecer otros 10 años en el tour”