The terrible testimony of J.J. Wolf about his shoulder injury
The American tennis player has recounted the terrible incident that kept him away from the circuit for a year and that deeply affected his daily life.
J.J. Wolf has experienced the most bitter side of tennis in the form of injuries. During the qualifying rounds for the ATP Delray Beach last year, the American tennis player suffered an unimaginable injury against Tristan Boyer: he dislocated his shoulder, tore his labrum, and fractured three bones. As he described in an interview with the ATP, this has made him live a nightmare until he finally returned to a competitive level, in a chilling and unusual account in the tennis world.
In fact, it took a year until last February Wolf returned to the circuit. Moreover, he made a grand comeback by winning an ITF, although in the Challenger circuit, he struggled to maintain the same momentum. However, last August he won the Vancouver Challenger, and immediately after secured a place in the main draw of the Cincinnati Masters 1000 from qualifying and won a set against Bublik in the first round of the US Open. He is still far from the player who reached number 39 in the world, but he is now ranked 246 and rising. Of course, he is acutely aware of everything he had to endure to enjoy tennis again.
"It was more like a car accident than any injury seen in tennis. I was allowed to walk on the treadmill for five minutes a day and it hurt a lot. My shoulder kept moving and the screws were still settling. Walking with my arm in a sling on the treadmill for five minutes doesn't keep you in shape. It was the first time in my life that I was really out of shape. So I had to start from scratch when I could move again," he revealed.
An injury that affected Wolf's daily life
Beyond the time he had to stay away from the circuit, what is truly painful is that Wolf couldn't even live a normal life. Something as simple as showering or getting out of bed became excruciating. "Not being able to wash your hair or do anything similar... If you sleep poorly, you can't get out of bed. I needed someone to get me out of bed. You lose everything."
Although today he continues to fight daily to prevent his shoulder from acting up, Wolf has also learned an important lesson after the injury, asserting, "I think my life doesn't revolve solely around tennis. I have many other interests and I have great friends and family around me. I think it might have been harder for other players who might be very focused on it, but for me it's very easy to disconnect. I didn't watch any tennis matches. Honestly, I tried not to think too much about it and just control what I can control.”
Beyond a few minor setbacks, Wolf is back to try to reach his best level again and compete in the major tournaments. "I want to find my limit. I want to get to a point where I feel that I have understood everything about myself on a tennis court and can look back and feel proud of it.” The positive aspect is that by the end of the year, he will barely have to defend points, allowing him to build a significant cushion to return to the level he belongs to.
This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El terrible testimonio de J.J. Wolf sobre su lesión de hombro