Welcome to Tennis Canada’s month-to-month mailbag for March 2025. This month, former doubles world No. 21, Billie Jean King Cup staff member, and WTA 1000 winner Sharon Fichman talks about how she obtained into tennis, reminiscences from her enjoying days, and shares her ideas on the sport at this time.
How did you begin enjoying tennis?
My mother and father’ solely interest actually is tennis. So my brother and I had no alternative however to return to the tennis courts with them. We inevitably picked it up as a result of we have been round it a lot. My first time enjoying I used to be 4 and a half years outdated and I discovered just a little racquetball racquet in our basement playroom. I discovered a ball and began to hit in opposition to the wall with my mother. The remainder was historical past.
At what age did you first play at Nationals?
8 years outdated I imagine. It was U14 nationals.
What’s your favorite event that you just ever performed in?
Rome will all the time have a particular reminiscence and place in my coronary heart.
What are some areas for progress within the ladies’s sport?
Nice query. I’d say consistency in outcomes is the largest factor in the mean time. This goes for each the boys’s and girls’s sport. It’s tough to attain as a result of the extent is so excessive however I believe having a dominant drive just like the Williams sisters, Steffi Graf, Martina Navratilova, and so on… is one thing we haven’t see shortly.
Sabalenka and Swiatek have been the closest to essentially dominating however to constantly do it the way in which the ladies listed above have is one thing lacking proper now.
What’s your favorite reminiscence enjoying for Canada on the Billie Jean King Cup?
Sharing the bench with Captain Rene Simpson. She was my mentor and position mannequin. I’ll all the time cherish these reminiscences and be glad about the whole lot she taught me.
Learn additionally: Highway to the NBO Replace – Draxl, Cross Proceed to Lead After March ITF Occasions
What are your ideas on the nice begin to the season by the Canadians, notably the Canadian ladies like Victoria Mboko?
It’s so thrilling! It’s unbelievable to see the gamers we now have arising the pipeline like Vicky, Kayla Cross, Cadence Brace, Carson Branstine, Ariana Arseneault, and extra. We’ve a promising era of gamers to hold on the legacy that Canada has/is creating as a tennis powerhouse.
Learn additionally: Guillaume Marx on Canada’s Professional Success and Teaching Future Stars
