Lisicki: "I want to return to the circuit, but my body needs more time"

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At 36 years old, the German Sabine Lisicki still has things as clear as she did twelve months ago. In September 2024, when she became a mother for the first time, she stated in each of her interviews that this did not mean farewell to the circuit, not by any means. In fact, long before giving birth, she already expressed her intention to absorb this experience and then pick up the racket again. A plan that, considering the timelines she is navigating, could be shaky.

Without playing an official match since a W100 in December 2023, the former world number 12 reveals that her intention was to have already returned to competition, but her body has not reacted as quickly as she dreamed. Without a ranking, without rhythm, but with that fire that still drives Sabine Lisicki to give herself one last chance, even if it's to bid farewell on the court of a sport that allowed her to reach a Wimbledon final (2013) or a BJKC final (2014). In a conversation with Tennis Magazin, from Troisdorf she analyzes her situation and reveals her next steps.

BELLA, HER FIRST DAUGHTER

“It has been a very exciting stage, in twelve months many things can happen to a baby. My idea was to return to the courts after nine or twelve months because I see how quickly other players do it after having their first child. Now you don't see those stories where the body needs a little more time, but each childbirth and recovery is different. In my case, I breastfed for a full year, I didn't realize how exhausting breastfeeding is for the body.”

RETIREMENT IS NOT AN OPTION

“I stick to the plan, I want to return to the circuit, I am the person who puts the most pressure on myself. It was good for me to hear from the doctors that I am in a normal process, that the body needs more time. I want to return in shape and, therefore, I am aware that it will take time to achieve it. We will adjust the training plan accordingly to this goal.”

BEING A MOTHER AND TENNIS PLAYER SIMULTANEOUSLY

“I prefer to train in the morning, as my daughter has a lot of energy and loves going to the court. That's very good, luckily I was able to play a lot of tennis during pregnancy, maybe that's why she likes it so much (laughs). She loves the place, she already knows it, even though sometimes she falls asleep in the shade while watching me. Beyond that training block, the rest of the day as a mother is more routine: meals, nap, swimming, and games.”

AN EXAMPLE TO FOLLOW

“Tatjana Maria, of course. I have known her daughter Charlotte since she was a few months old, I have always been impressed by the way she and her husband, Charles, managed situations within the circuit, how they mastered the whole context of being parents. This is beautiful to see, of course, an incredible success story with two girls throughout the journey. I am very happy for both, they deserve everything.”

LOVE FOR TENNIS

“Being a mother, you have to control everything very well for everything to work. I still love playing tennis, so I don't have a planned end, I don't think about when I'm old or the moment to stop. The fire is still burning; when it stops burning, I will stop. For me, it was very important to return after the torn ACL I had in 2020, my goal was always to win a title again, so I am very proud to have achieved it. I imagine the end of my career on grass; luckily we have some wonderful tournaments in Germany. There is the Berlin tournament, my club, my hometown, in addition to the Bad Homburg tournament.”

HER GREATEST LEGACY: A RECORD

“Honestly, I find it incredible that my record for the fastest serve in the WTA circuit –210.8km/h, Stanford 2014– still stands. Normally a record doesn't last that long, maybe a few years, but not more than ten. For me, breaking the record for the fastest serve was always a very nice goal, so it was great, even my father wrote a doctoral thesis on it. Confirming that doctoral thesis, so many years after he wrote it, is very special for my family.”

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Lisicki: “Quiero volver al circuito, pero mi cuerpo necesita más tiempo”