In the world of tennis, it is not uncommon to hear players announce their retirement, only to reverse their decision and return to competition a few months later. Thus, when Kimiko Date, aged just 26, announced her retirement in 1996, it appeared to many specialists to be a temporary decision.
Her comeback on the women's circuit, the Japanese tennis star would indeed make it...12 years later.
Credit : Wimbledon
In 2008, during an unpredictable press conference, Kimiko Date surprisingly announced her desire to play at the highest level again. Having previously played alongside the likes of Monica Seles, Marie Pierce and Steffi Graff, Date stepped forward in time to discover a whole new circuit dominated by the Williams sisters.
Courageous and determined, Date will do everything in her power to get back to a competitive level, thereby enabling her to take part in the most prestigious tournaments of the tennis season.
June 22, 2011, on Wimbledon's center court, two generations of players face each other. In an exciting match, the princess and five-time champion Venus Williams takes on a Japanese veteran by the name of Kimiko Date, now 40 years old.
Kimiko Date after a spectacular match against tournament favorite Venus Williams, Credit : The New York Times
«All around the World people are thinking where are my old racquets? Maybe I can play like this ! »
Age is just a number, and this was perhaps the greatest lesson offered by Professor Date in the first 20 minutes of a match ruled by her technique and clever shotmaking selection.
In front of a crowd stunned by this unexpected spectacle, women's tennis legend Serena Williams appeared totally baffled by the brilliant tennis of an opponent who was supposed to be a highly favorable draw.
At the end of an intense and exciting 3-set battle, Venus Williams would eventually triumph over the Japanese tennis idol in what would undoubtedly become one of the most spectacular matches of the season.
Kimiko date surrendered her weapons a few seasons later in 2017, at the age of 46, and remained for many a unique player who had transcended the ages.
Yorumlar