Tennis mom Tsvetana Pironkova stirs up the US Open - after a three-year break in tennis
Tsvetana Pironkova is one of the feel-good stories of the US Open 2020: after a three-year break, she is completely surprising in the second round - and wants even more.
by Jörg Allmeroth
last edit:
Sep 06, 2020, 12:37 pm
When the US Open started a week ago, many observers of the traveling circus had a sentimental mother story on their mind. There are now more and more players who have returned to touring after pregnancy, childbirth and maternity leave. Kim Clijsters, for example, could have been such a surprise story, Belgium's undaunted tennis darling, even mother of three. But Clijsters was eliminated in the first Grand Slam round, who knows how her comeback will continue in this difficult time.
But now a completely different mom is suddenly getting mobile on the hard courts of the Billie Jean King Tennis Center. One that no one would have expected, not even herself. Tsvetana Pironkova, the 32-year-old Bulgarian who has now sensationally reached the second round in New York, has always been something of a surprise bag in professional business. Over the years she has disappeared into oblivion more than once before she landed a spectacular coup - about ten years ago when she made it into the Wimbledon semifinals out of nowhere.
Pironkova: Baby break since Wimbledon 2017
But now everything is a little different. More than three years ago Pironkova played her last professional match, it was also in the All England Club at Wimbledon, she lost to the Danish Caroline Wozniacki in the second round. Wozniacki has now retired, and one could have assumed that from Pironkova. She was injured for a long time after Wimbledon in 2017, and became a mother in spring 2018. The big tennis was suddenly gone, very far away.
And yet Pironkova is back now - against all expectations, against her earlier life plans. “At some point I thought: That couldn't have been all in tennis,” says the 32-year-old, “then I accepted the challenge and planned my comeback.” At first it went stupid, because just when she announced her return , the traveling circus went into corona standstill in March. The game break for Pironkova was unintentionally extended by a few months.
At the US Open with victories over Muguruza and Vekic
But this does not prevent them these days from causing fear and horror on the Gran Slam squares. In the second round she eliminated the eighth seed from Spain Garbine Muguruza, after all a former Wimbledon champion, with no apparent effort. On Saturday, she ended the grand slam dreams of number 18 Croatian Donna Vekic. Pironkova is what people literally call a “dark horse” in tennis, a competitor who nobody knows what will happen to her and for her. The next surprise coup, a march through to the final weekend - or the expected end soon?
She traveled to New York because a maternity leave enables her to start. Thanks to this protective article, she can contest twelve tournaments, including two Grand Slams, at her own discretion - prior to this tournament she had exactly zero world ranking points. If she wins her last 16 against Alize Cornet (France), she could meet Serena Williams afterwards. Your mission is “far from over”, says Pironkova: “I play here better than seldom before.” After a break of more than three years.