THEMartina Trevisan’s smile it explodes like her curls when she frees them from clips and barrettes. A smile that smacks of freedom, of goals achieved, of canceled ghosts. The Florentine tennis player, semifinalist at Roland Garros and now number 27 in the world, has a long history. Of tennis, suffering and rebirth.
Crystal clear tennis talent since childhood, Martina, which owes its name to her mother’s passion for Navratilova, was engulfed in the darkness of anorexia as a teenager. A difficult story but with a happy ending and now, the 29-year-old from Florence is going through the happiest moment of her career.
An intense spring
Martina Trevisan in the semifinal at Roland Garros. (Photo by Andy Cheung / Getty Images)
Martina, yours was an intense spring. The first WTA tournament in Morocco and immediately after the semifinal at Roland Garros with the best ranking of his career. How is it up there among the big ones?
It looks great! Since the tournament I won in Rabat, I have lived weeks full of emotions and good sensations. The ranking is not an obsession, however, of course, every time I look at it and see myself in the top 30 in the world, I suffer a little dizzy. I say to myself: «Mamma mia how tall I am!». If I look back and see the road I have made, I feel a great emotion. Yes, I am happy.
Martina Trevisan of Italy after the defeat against Coco Gauff (USA) on the 12th day of Roland Garros on 2 June 2022 in Paris. (Photo by Robert Prange / Getty Images)
A happiness that has the flavor of rebirth. She left tennis, then started from scratch. How did the spark reignite?
Teaching the kids. When I stopped playing tournaments, I started being a tennis teacher. I thought I would do it forever, that it would be my future. Then around the age of 21 something clicked, like the desire to try again. I knew it would be very hard, that I would have to start over. But I was serene and I wanted to give myself a new chance.
He said he quit due to too much pressure from high-level competition.
I was only 15 and I found myself living only by and for tennis. An alienating feeling that led me to leave everything behind.
The courage to ask for help
He also told about his anorexia problem. His story teaches that you can heal, you can start over, you can smile again.
Yes, but you need to have great responsibility and respect for everyone’s stories. I could never say that mine is the right recipe. But I had the courage to get help, and perhaps this is the only advice I can give: you don’t heal alone, you need a path, qualified help. If my story may have been a push for someone to try to heal themselves, then I can only be proud of it.
In recent years there has been more and more talk of mental health in tennis.
Yes, it is important that you become aware of this problem. While the life that we professional athletes lead is a beautiful reality, there is also the other side of the coin. You are often far from loved ones, from your comfort zone, from the people who make you feel good. You find yourself moving from one plane to another, from one hotel to another and sometimes it is tiring. It is important to be clear about the things that frighten us and scare us. Give them a name and be aware of it to move better within your life.
And now when you go through difficult times during the season how do you deal with them?
I rely on my team, on the people who love me. Last year I went through a complicated period, the results were not coming. But they were good at showing me that even if I didn’t win, I still managed to improve on the aspects of the game I was working on. Sometimes it is enough just to look at things from another perspective …
What would you say to Martina a few years ago?
To be proud of the road he has made, of his path, of the commitment he has put in to grow. I would also tell you that it is not over yet, that there is still a long way to go to grow further.
The embrace of Coco Gauff and Martina Trevisan at Roland Garros (Photo by Robert Prange / Getty Images)
The name Martina was chosen by her mother in homage to Navratilova, a legend of the racket. Do you have any idol that you are inspired by?
More than an idol, a point of reference. It’s Flavia Pennetta.
In what was it a reference for you?
Except for the results, for the way you are on the pitch. I think he made a beautiful transition between career and “life”. She retired with a Grand Slam trophy in her hands and I don’t think many of her would. But once she reached the biggest milestone for a tennis player, she started another wonderful project. She got married, she created the family she dreamed of since she was a child.
Did he give you any advice?
We spoke once in a while, but then we met in Paris as she played (and won, ed) the doubles tournament of the Legends. Before I entered the field for the Roland Garros semifinal he sent me a beautiful message, in which he told me to enjoy the experience, have fun and fight on every point.
Sport is her life, her job, but if she hadn’t chosen to become a professional athlete, what would she have dedicated herself to?
I don’t know, but I certainly would have done a lot of sport. Because sport is fun, it is health, it helps you release tension as well as keep your body healthy for a long time. If I could I would go skiing. I love the mountains, the silence, the views and all that white. As a child we always did the white weeks with the family. Now I can’t, because I risk getting hurt.
Fiorentina supporter
He could have a good ski with Jannik Sinner …
Maybe he started skiing earlier than walking! I saw on Instagram a video of him in which he was skiing. It’s fantastic, I’ve seen and reviewed him because he made me envious …
Is football? We remembered her as a Fiorentina fan.
I certainly am. I always inquire about the results and once I even went to the stadium. Now I have no time but the heart is always purple. And then I went to Imola to see the Grand Prix. It was beautiful, adrenaline pumping. So I went back to following the GPs a bit. Of course always go Ferrari!
What is Martina Trevisan like off the pitch?
A normal 29 year old girl, who loves to go out, be with the people she loves.
And what woman is Martina?
One who also takes care of her femininity when she is not on the pitch. I like skirts, heels. I wear little makeup, a little mascara, a gloss. Simple but feminine.
With the earnings of recent times, have you made any gifts?
A nice watch. I like shopping, I don’t do crazy things but I love to give myself small gifts. Bags, shoes, small jewels.
What relationship do you have with your wonderful city, Florence?
I am proudly Florentine and in love with my city. I love walking along the Lungarno, in Ponte Vecchio. When I can I go to dinner on a terrace where on one side you can see Piazza della Signoria and on the other the Ponte Vecchio. A poem for the eyes, a moment all to myself, which puts me at peace with the world.
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