Inside the Life of a Professional Athlete
Sports . Student lifeDaria Kuznetsova is a 22-year-old from Moscow who started playing tennis when she was 4 years old. In this interview, we will explore her experience growing up as a professional athlete.
How did you get involved in tennis?
Since I always had a lot of energy, my parents knew that I would be good at sports. They gave tennis a try because it is one of the most popular sports in Russia and in Europe overall.
At what age did you become a professional tennis player?
I started playing my first tournaments when I was 9 but I wasn’t paid until I was about 15. When I turned 12, I went to the States and that was one of my first professional tournaments and ever since then I have been travelling around Europe playing tournaments.
What did your average week look like as a professional tennis player?
My average week was normal, I still had to go to school every day. I usually had 2 hours of practice and English lessons in the evenings. I had to miss a lot of days of school because of the tournaments and sometimes I had to leave early to go to practice. I went straight from school to practice and from practice to my English lessons.
Was it difficult to balance school, work, and tennis?
I am not going to lie; it was very hard when I was in the States. It was also hard when I was back home but it was easier because my parents were always there to help me. When I moved to the States, it was hard to adapt because I had to go to classes, do homework, attend practices, travel with the team, and do community service. I was also on a Student Athlete Advisory Committee which also took up a lot of time.
Was it difficult to have a social life while being a professional athlete?
It was difficult when I was still at home going to school because I had zero spare time to do anything. During the summer it was easier when there is no school. I got to go to a couple international camps and I met a lot of friends there but when I was at home doing my routine stuff, it was pretty tough. When I went to the States, I had a lot of fun and I was always around people. I met so many people, not just on my team but also from other teams at Wayne State. It was actually a really good environment to balance both tennis and social life.
Were there ever times that you no longer wanted to play tennis?
There were definitely times when I didn’t feel like playing tennis anymore but that is when my parents usually told me that “you have already come this far; you can’t just stop here”. When I turned 14 or 15, I discovered that I could go play tennis and get an education for free in the States and that kept me going.
Do you plan to continue playing tennis now that you are graduated?
I do not plan to continue to play tennis professionally but I do play as a hobby here in Munich. I really had to choose between being a professional athlete and pursuing my other career goals. I decided to follow my educational path but I still love tennis and I try to play it as much as possible.
What advice would you give to other tennis players that want to become professional?
You have got to believe in yourself first. You have to be resilient after a tough loss, you have to wake up the next morning and come back to practice. You have to be consistent and persistent with what you are doing because tennis requires a lot of effort.
Is there anything that you would do differently looking back?
Honestly, I wouldn’t do anything any differently. I just got all of those cool memories, all of those people that I met, all of those life skills that I learned and all of the experiences that I have are just so important to me. I wouldn’t change that for the world.
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