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Relatively unknown tennis star Arianne Hartono is on her 25th birthday for her Grand Slam tournament debut. The daughter of Indonesian parents, who surprisingly won three Australian Open qualifying matches, says she has “shaped and grown” in American college tennis.
In the United States, she couldn’t just walk down the street in September 2018. Everywhere she was approached for her special achievement: the best college player in the country. And her studies didn’t suffer from her successes in tennis, in fact: the same year, she graduated with honors in psychology.
I think everyone goes their own way
At that time, few people had heard of Hartono. And that’s understandable, because many players who are on the verge of a career as a professional tennis player choose an adventure in the United States, where they can combine their passion at a competitive level with an education.
“When someone asks me about that experience, I always say it was the best time of my life. I learned a lot about myself, about others and about tennis there. I knew that I was not yet mature enough to go to college tennis, but I grew so much into it through the combination of studies and tennis,” said Hartono after reaching the Australian main draw. With his participation, four Dutch people participate in the tournament.
,,I think everyone goes their own way, including guys like Tallon groenpoor and Botic van de Zandschulp. The three of us have become a more complete person and you need them on the track too. You can hit forehands and backhands very well, but if you’re not good mentally, you won’t be able to do it. Technically I’ve always been fine, but thanks to confidence and self-belief I’m now here,” said the world number 191.
,,I don’t want to say that I switched to professional tennis, but I always had it in mind and worked on my thing day after day and week after week. I took so much with me from all those years of college tennis” and the years that followed on the tennis circuit, Hartono looks back. “Apparently the puzzle pieces are supposed to fit together here. But three years ago, I would never have thought that I would be here today. I wasn’t very into it, so to speak.”
Hartono has collected almost €70,000 in prize money during her career and she has now doubled that amount by reaching the main tournament. “Unreal”, is often heard from his mouth. ,,This is my first time here, I have no words for it. Going to the Australian Open alone was a dream for me. And I will stay there for a while.
The American Amanda Anisimova (20), the world number 60, is Hartono’s opponent.
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