Conchita Martinez: For the Love of the Game

05/16/24 • 46 min

Many tennis players start by hitting a ball against a wall - but Conchita Martinez took that early pastime to a new level. Watching her brothers and father play on the courts outside of her apartment as a child gave her spark to try, and she "loved it from the very beginning".

Her imaginary matches against her heroes caught the eye of local coaches, and soon Martinez moved full-time to Barcelona at age 12 to train. Despite dealing with homesickness, the payoff was quick as she captured her first WTA title at age 16 and reached the fourth round of Roland-Garros. She details her mindset in big moments on court, and how her naturally relaxed personality paid dividends. She shares her love for playing for her country in Fed Cup and the Olympics, why clay gave her more time to "express herself" and how it came to be that a grass tournament - Wimbledon - gave her a career triumph.

Conchita Martinez won Wimbledon in singles in 1994 and reached the finals of the Australian Open and Roland-Garros. She captured 33 WTA singles titles, and is one of Spain's most successful players on the team stage with three Olympic medals and five Fed Cup titles. Martinez has captained Spain's Fed Cup and Davis Cup teams, and currently serves as the Tournament Director for the Billie Jean King Cup Finals. She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2020.

Previous Episode

Michael Stich: The Desire to Improve

Over the course of a year during 1990-91, Michael Stich went from being the 400th ranked player in the world to sitting inside the top 10, and winning Wimbledon. It was a steep and relatively quick ascent for a player who called himself a "terrible" juniors player. But for Stich, he credits his immense love for the sport as the reason he chose to continue, and make a career of tennis.

Family is a key factor in Stich's development, and he is quick to thank his parents for letting him try to live his dream - and also put him in his place when needed. Before winning Wimbledon in 1991, he had only captured one previous title on the ATP Tour, but Stich was uniquely prepared for the championship match. He details how he attacked it as any other match, despite playing countryman Boris Becker, his memories of meeting his heroes after and how he was ready for the next stage of his career. Stich was a proud competitor for Germany alongside legends in Davis Cup, Hopman Cup, and the Olympics and won 16 more titles before retiring in 1997.

Michael Stich is a Wimbledon champion in singles and doubles, Davis Cup champion, and Olympic gold medalist in doubles. He reached a career-high singles ranking of No. 2 in the world, finishing his career with 18 titles and finals appearances at both Roland-Garros and the US Open. He was inducted into the International Tennis Hall of Fame in 2018.

Next Episode

Gabriela Sabatini: Reflecting on Positives and Passions

Argentina's Gabriela Sabatini was a rising star as a junior, and she lived up to her early expectations. After becoming the youngest player to ever win the Orange Bowl (at age 13), she reached the semifinals of the French Open and the top 10 of the WTA rankings two years later. It wasn't all smooth sailing, though - her well-documented struggles with shyness made duties off the court difficult.

Gaby credits working with a sport psychologist and the global exposure tennis gave her as helping her become more outgoing, and take her game to the next level. After reaching five major semifinals and the final of the US Open, she broke through with the 1990 US Open title over No. 1 Steffi Graf. She credits her depth of experience on the major stage, and adjustments she made with her coaches, for her victory. Gaby details her passions outside of tennis, including charity work, and shares her advice to aspiring players to pursue balance beyond the court.

Gabriela Sabatini is a two-time major champion, former world No. 3 in singles and doubles, and Olympic sliver medalist. In 2019, she was awarded the International Tennis Federation's highest accolade, the Philippe Chatrier Award, for her achievements on court and in giving back through charitable causes. She became the second Argentinian inducted in the Hall of Fame in 2006.