In the biggest upset of the tournament so far, Anastasija Sevastova surprised third-seeded Garbiñe Muguruza in the second round, 7-5, 6-4. Muguruza has struggled since winning the French Open in June, having also lost in the second round of Wimbledon.
Sevastova, a 26-year-old Latvian, walked away from the sport for two years, retiring at 23 after physical and mental difficulties.
“It was tough,” Sevastova said. “I was staying around No. 150, and not playing that great, not feeling good. Every time I had problems with my back, problems with my arm. I was not having fun anymore. Just fighting and coming back, but the next day it hurts again and you cannot practice. Then I decided, O.K., I need a break..”
Sevastova’s time away from the tour, spent in Vienna, helped her to recuperate and gain perspective.
“I don’t believe in this ‘burn out,’ but sometimes it’s tough, it’s depressing, you know?” she said. “You’re alone on the court. I decided just to stop and to stand back a little bit from tennis. It helped me, these two years. I was still playing tennis a little bit, hitting balls just for fun, giving some tennis lessons, and just staying back, not watching it, just enjoying it from the other side of the net.”
Once she began her comeback, Sevastova soared up the rankings, from 885th in February 2015 to inside the top 50 this week.
“I go on the court more relaxed than before,” she said. “There’s another life after tennis, and I know that. You try to think this every time, but it doesn’t work every time. There are some matches when you don’t feel comfortable, and you have to accept this. But it’s easier to accept losses and accept wins. You are still you if you lose a match.”
