Tétreault rediscovers her love of tennis
By STEPHANIE MYLES, The GazetteJune 3, 2009
Before a sparse crowd, nine time zones and a universe away from the famed red clay of Roland Garros, Aleksandra Wozniak's old junior rival was making her own way.
And a year after seriously considering giving up her lifelong dream of being a professional tennis player, Valérie Tétreault won her first title.
The Home Depot Challenger, a minor-league event offering $50,000 U.S. in prize money, isn't the French Open. But the 4-6, 6-2, 6-4 win in the final against former Wimbledon semifinalist Alexandra Stevenson tasted just as sweet to the 21-year-old from St. Jean sur Richelieu.
"It's really one of those things where afterward, you start thinking a little bit about where you've been. A year ago, I never would have thought that, a year later, I could win," Tétreault said. "I was getting on the court back then and all I had in my head was 'I can't lose.' That's not the best approach."
Tétreault's first year as a pro in 2006 had gone remarkably well. Playing small tournaments, she jumped more than 700 spots in the rankings up to No. 239 in the world - right on the cusp of being able to play the qualifying at the Grand Slam events.
But going back to do it again the next year, and the next, proved a much bigger challenge. The crisis of confidence came quickly.
Last April, Tétreault left on what was to be a six-week tour of the U.S. At her first stop in Florida, in the first round, she played an obscure American named Stacia Fonseca, a wild card. She lost in three sets, called home, and told her parents she just couldn't do it any more.
It was rock bottom, just about. Tétreault went home.
"Sitting on the plane, I thought tennis was really done," she said.
The crisis didn't last long. Three days later, she was back on the court with local pro Jack Cinciripini.
"He started to say: 'You look like you still like it; you always call me to play,' " Tétreault said. "So it crossed my mind that I hadn't lost the love for the sport. It was just in my head that it wasn't working."
There were other issues. She made a coaching change, and began working with Cinciripini. She put in the time in the gym, something she hadn't done enough.
"I realized that I was playing too defensively," she said. "Slowly, I tried to change that, take the ball earlier and control the points more. I already knew that, but it took the courage to do it on the big points."
Tétreault trained through the summer, and other than a couple of matches in Canada didn't play another tournament until October.
She pretty much had to start over; when your ranking is below No. 600, you're playing the qualifying in tiny events, trying to earn back computer points practically one at a time.
Sunday, it all came together. In addition to the welcome winner's cheque of $7,700 U.S., Tétreault should see her ranking (which stood at No. 304 going in), jump up close to her career high of No. 221 once the rankings are updated after the French Open.
"If it all hadn't happened, I might not be here today," Tétreault said. "Now, it's part of my baggage. The page is turned and good things are happening. At the beginning of the year, my goal was to finish in the top 250. I didn't think it would come so quickly, but I'll take it.
Tétreault's short-term goal is to make it into the qualifying at this summer's U.S. Open, which would be her first Grand Slam appearance. And out in California last week, she was keeping a close eye on Paris and the success of Wozniak, only four months older, but among the world's top 25.
"Every day, I was checking her results," Tétreault said. "And I was remembering when we were in the 10-and-unders, in a tournament in St. Basile le Grand. We would always play in the finals. She usually won, but we often went three sets. And now, to see her playing Serena (Williams). ... She's the same Aleks that I practise with all the time.
"We all dreamed of that, way back then. And now, Aleks is right there. It tells us that if she can do it, we can get there, too."
