I watched Belinda’s match on Thursday morning. When I saw her face after the match point, I cried. I’m so happy for her – I’ve always loved her!
Three or four years ago, a lot of negative things were written about Belinda. That she was not fit, that she would not make it all the way forward. I talked to her about it at the Fed Cup, told her: “People can be mean, don’t listen to them. Don’t let anyone tell you what’s good or bad for you. You still have so much time ahead of you. Enjoy your sport, your job and you will find your way. “
Et voilà! Belinda has found her way – and it’s not done yet. Olympia in Tokyo is just the starter. She is still young and has many years ahead of her. But now she should just be proud of herself and enjoy the moment – the medal, the friendship with Vicky and the shared, fantastic experience of playing doubles for gold. Vicky can also be extremely proud of herself!
Unfortunately there is no audience in Tokyo, but maybe that’s even better. Viewers give a lot of energy, but they also take a lot. That’s why I’m not writing her any personal messages at the moment. Only our Fed Cup chat on Whatsapp, which even Patty Schnyder is still in, is of course hot. Belinda should now concentrate on her family and closest friends and not be distracted by several congratulatory SMS messages.
Belinda already has two medals for sure, that’s huge. Gold would be the greatest. Every tennis player may see it differently, but for me the silver medal that I won with Martina Hingis in Rio is at least as valuable as a Grand Slam victory – even if I would have liked to have won one in my career .
But games only happen every four years, and they’re much older than the tennis tour. In addition, I grew up in Lausanne, the Olympic capital of Switzerland, where I live and train right next to the IOC. Unfortunately I have now resigned. For Paris 2024 it would be almost worth it to come back again and get a medal!
Summer Olympics in Tokyo
The 32nd Summer Olympics will take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021 in the Japanese capital, Tokyo. All information about the opening, broadcast, competition dates, disciplines, innovations, venues and mascots can be found in the large overview.
The 32nd Summer Olympics will take place from July 23 to August 8, 2021 in the Japanese capital, Tokyo. All information about the opening, broadcast, competition dates, disciplines, innovations, venues and mascots can be found in the large overview.
Everything about the Olympics