Comeback of Su-Wei Hsieh: The most unusual tennis player in the world
Su-Wei Hsieh is finally celebrating her comeback at the 1000 tournament in Madrid - and that can definitely be described as good news for all fans of the sensitive hand.
by Florian Goosmann
last edit:
Apr 24, 2023, 10:38 am
When Pete Sampras had to play Karsten Braasch in the first round of Wimbledon in 1995, he stopped laughing. Sampras struggled to win in four sets and paid Braasch an unusual compliment: Playing against him was "a pain in the ass," said Sampras.
Braasch, the man with the corkscrew serve, played a different kind of tennis on the men's tour, with the nasty slice and a lot of feeling anyway.
Hsee already with victories over Kerber, Osaka, Pliskova...
Has Su-Wei Hsieh ever received a similar compliment? Quite possible. The 37-year-old, formerly number 23 in singles, has already brought some top players to despair with her two-handed forehand and backhand game, with the many feelings, the overview, the short swinging movements. Garbine Muguruza, Johanna Konta, Bianca Andreescu, Aryna Sabalenka, Naomi Osaka, Karolina Pliskova, Angelique Kerber, Simona Halep - they've all been on the losing side against Hsieh, even in the really big tournaments around the world.
Comeback with Barbora Strycova
However, Hsieh celebrated her greatest successes in doubles, where she made it to number 1 - and will celebrate her comeback this week after a two-year break, alongside regular partner Barbora Strycova - who is also returning after the baby break.
But Hsieh not only surprises on the pitch, but also off it, as her former coach Paul McNamee (desperately) put on record a few years ago.
Hsieh hasn't strung her racquet for years
There is only one like her, said the ex-professional. On some days the training with her was extremely short. "She hit a ball or two, didn't hit it and broke it off. Said she doesn't feel the ball."
And then the thing with the strings. Hsieh usually plays so precisely, could change direction like no other. One day in Eastbourne, she missed several balls by a meter - completely unusual. "Then I noticed that her strings were broken. I called out: Su-Wei, your racket. She just said: Oh yes..."
In general, she hardly ever breaks a string, she sometimes uses her strings for more than three years, and doesn't change her racket. And play without outfitters. "It's a bit like Times Square, with the different logos."