Stavya Week 14: Wimbledon
Photo from Google
My family has always been interested in tennis. When I was 7 years old, they took my brother and I to Wimbledon, arguably the most prestigious tennis tournament in the world, where I had the opportunity to watch matches between some of the best tennis players in the world. I remember the experience, which encouraged me to quit soccer and start playing tennis, like it was yesterday.
It was 2015 and the summer before 4th grade. I was tired of going to summer camps with my brother and told them that I wanted to try something new, something different. We had not gone on vacation in a while, so my parents decided to plan a last-minute trip to London. I never asked why we were going to London, of all places. I thought we would be going sightseeing, like we always did when we visited new places, but little did I know that I would be having one of the most influential experiences of my life.
The plan was to buy a grounds pass, so we could roam the courts and freely watch the less-crowded matches for about a week, and then buy tickets for the Wimbledon final. For the week leading up to the final, I had a great time. We would watch various matches during the day and in the evening, we would all go out for dinner. As the days went by, I felt more and more fascinated by tennis. I loved how physical the game was, the fact that there was no time limit, which meant that you were never completely out of the match, and how, best of all, it was an individual sport. Unlike soccer, there was no goalie to blame. The pressure was all on you and you were the only person you could blame after a loss.
The final was on Sunday, between Roger Federer and defending champion Novak Djokovic. Although our seats were in the far back, it was a thrilling experience for me. The fast pace and the athleticism had me on the edge of my seat for the three-hour match. Novak Djokovic ultimately prevailed in four sets, and I was amazed by the large, golden trophy that he received. We flew back home the next day, and I made a promise to myself that I would be back at Wimbledon. Not as a fan, but as a player.
I have clearly not been able to live up to the expectations I set as a 7 year old. However, Wimbledon was not only impactful to me for starting my tennis journey: it also created a desire within me to be the best and to feel like Djokovic did when he held up that trophy in front of thousands of people. My memory of Wimbledon pushes me to work hard so that I can one day also have that moment of glory in whatever it is that I pursue.
ReplyDeletePersonally, my family has never been interested in tennis but my brother and I love football so I understand what its like to have a fun bond with your family over a sport. Its really cool that you were able to visit Wimbledon, even though it is so prestigious, at such a young age!
I enjoyed the narrative based writing, I also noticed that you formatted your writing in chronological paragraphs and I found that it made the blog more engaging and connective.
I loved that you got the chance to incorporate tennis into a family vacation, and it depicts to the readers about the significance of tennis in your family life.
Though you sadly aren’t a world famous tennis player yet :(( I am happy that Wimbledon was an impactful experience that led to the start of your tennis journey, and it pushed you to work hard to achieve “whatever it is that [you] pursue.”
Hi Stavya, I enjoyed how inspiring your blog this week was. I think it’s pretty admirable when someone’s able to find that one dream that is really theirs. Like, not to become a doctor because everyone told them they had to be, but to become a world famous tennis player because they’ve been dreaming about it since they were seven. The way you told your story was really captivating, hearing about your fascination with tennis because of the physicality of the game, the lack of temporal restrictions, and the fact that the only person you can depend on is yourself. In addition, I enjoyed your storytelling about that experience at the Wimbledon tournament and learning about how that memory “pushes [you] to work hard so that [you] can one day also have that moment of glory.” Overall, your blog this week was really motivating—it’s in my life plans to become successful enough in life that one day I can quit everything and just draw for the rest of my life—and I’m sure we’ll being seeing you on the news as a famous tennis player one day.
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