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A little more than two years ago, Timea Bacsinszky was pursuing a career in hotel management. Now, she’s the best story of the 2015 French Open.
After making the semifinals at Roland Garros, easily her best finish at a major, she pushed World No. 1 Serena Williams to the edge, winning the first set and going up a break in the second. She lost steam and was eventually upended by Williams, but the loss doesn’t take away from Bacsinszky’s amazing story.
Here’s everything you need to know.
1. Her Father Pushed Her Into Tennis at a Young Age
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Igor Bacsinszky, a tennis coach from Romania, pressured his daughter into tennis when she was only a child. She was successful as a result, enjoying a terrific junior career before making it to the quarterfinals at the 2006 Zurich Open at the age of 17. She names that as her most memorable tournament.
Now 25, though, Bacsinszky has admitted that it was never really her choice to begin playing:
I was proud that I was doing this job and doing it pretty well without willing it. But I wasn’t proud of myself, because in some way, I knew that I was not giving it my best. I’m sure that I wasn’t giving my best because at the beginning it wasn’t my choice to do it.
Bacsinszky hasn’t spoken to her father in years.
2. She Left Tour in 2013
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Once a child prodigy, she decided to quit tennis in 2013 in hopes of pursuing a new career. The thing that brought her back? An automated email stating she was eligible for qualifying for the 2013 French Open.
3. She has enjoyed a resurgent 2015 season.
Bacsinszky, who entered the year with just one WTA title, won the Abierto Mexicano Telcel and Monterrey Open back-to-back in late February and early March. She also made it to the third round at the Australian Open, her best finish at a major before this year’s French Open.
4. She entered the French Open ranked 24th in the world.
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Bacsinszky, who cracked the top 100 in 2014, entered the year ranked 47th. She has continued to climb the ladder, and was at No. 24 prior to Roland Garros. It’s safe to say the arrow is still going to be pointing up.
5. She Admires Roger Federer
Unsurprisingly, the Swiss international has an admiration for her compatriot Roger Federer, who is one of the most decorated players of all time.
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