Gabriela Sabatini: “Self-determination is very fulfilling”

Gabriela Sabatini, one of the most popular female athletes of the 20th century, turned 50 this year. The Argentinean loved tennis, but hated fame. A conversation about self-determination in professional sports and the art of ageing happily.

I don’t attach great importance to my birthdays, but yes, I am happy today. Of course, I’m not unaware of my age but I feel very good. I’m healthy and grateful for it. For what I’ve achieved and for the life I live today.

I actually feel like a young person, which is also due to my lifestyle. I start every day with sports if possible – I like cycling, I go jogging and swimming a lot – it cleanses and grounds me. I am also very active in other ways and travel frequently. This helps me to stay mentally young.

Absolutely. Over the years, you learn to set limits and decide what is good for you. I’m more selective in what I do and only meet those people I really want to be with. This self-determination is very fulfilling and gives life a new depth.

I believe that if you do what you really care about, you basically feel free. But there were moments when I was more focused on what the media and fans expect from me than what I want myself. And that was before social media. For the young players, this pressure is much greater today.

Yes, at the beginning of my professional career I was really very introverted and shy, I also didn’t speak English very well, which is why I found the interviews with the international media to be an ordeal.

Not on purpose. But this fear shaped me. I remember semifinals in which I suddenly thought: “If I get to the final, I’ll have to talk to the journalists again.” And from that moment on, I almost threw away the match and lost it. Fortunately, over time, the desire to win the tournament became stronger than that fear.

On the contrary: Steffi was a stroke of luck for me. She got the best out of my tennis and was a very decent, reserved person off court. Over the years, when we stopped playing tennis, a friendship developed.

I began to apply what I had practised with my trainer and went up to the net whenever I could, full of determination and self-confidence. This unbridled offensive spirit ultimately helped me to win. It was the most important moment in my tennis career. After all the years of effort and dedication, my dream came true. I could never have imagined such joy and feeling of liberation and I began to enjoy the tennis even more.

No. I had already been on the pro tour for twelve years and felt very tired and unmotivated. When I woke up, I thought: “Now I have to train again, even though I don’t really want to.” I talked to a psychologist and over time I realised: “Enough is enough.” I have always listened to my inner conviction in life – and this is self-determination too. And that’s why I’m at peace with my decisions.