Rysan

We knew it was coming since September. Since that big day for her. Now it's here. The day has come. No more Flavia on tour. It feels odd.

I only got to know she existed in 2013. Just before the Fed Cup semis. The sad Fed Cup semis our girls lost to Italy. She was on the team. Never got to play, but made me feel sympathy. She was just coming back from a pretty serious injury.

I had been a tennis fan at high school. Well, all my interests had come short since then. I was too busy making my own way to stardom. It wasn't to be. I took my fifth and final hit in late 2012. After some months of processing, I slowly started to live again. To live a normal life. To pick back up the things I used to like. Including watching tennis. I basically didn't know any of the players, in fact I only remembered the Williams sisters. So I started catching up. I did a little research. Wow, she used to be good. Maybe too good to miss. Top ten in singles. Number one in doubles. Big winner with then already retired Gisela Dulko (I didn't know her either).

Flavia played on. Sometimes she struggled. But then she reached US Open semis. Yes, she had done it before. In the time I was still working on my career wannabe. I just got to know it that time.

Fed Cup victory, off season and the new beginning passed. In March 2014 Flavia won Indian Wells. A pretty big tournament. Felt like a fairytale. She said she had been on the verge of retiring a year ago there. Oh, I almost missed her completely! I was so glad I didn't. No more big victories were coming. Consistency isn't a WTA quality. And I knew Flavia wouldn't play forever. Why do I always favourite "old" players anyway? I only have to watch them retire! I just wished her one more victory...

I knew it was coming. Just a few days after my vacation this year, Flavia reached US Open semis once again. I felt she could beat Halep. But she was supposed to play Serena the Queen in the final. That was what we all thought, right? When Serena's Calendar Slam dream came to an end, I was sad for her. She won't play forever, too! What are the odds she gets another chance? But I also felt the chance for Flavia. Felt it could be the last one.

When the match was over, I almost cried. And then the moment came. Flavia wasn't holding the trophy yet, and she wanted to say something more. What? This was the last match of her career? She can't mean it! No more Flavia on courts? On my fantasy teams? I really ended up in tears that moment. I cried myself to sleep only to find out in the morning it wasn't over yet. She'd play the rest of the season. I got time to process and accept. She had made that decision before. So all this was an extra gift. Now I'm actually glad I could have shared it.

Enjoying all the new career high rankings, no more peak was coming. But Flavia reached WTA Finals anyway. I wished she would make the play-off phase so I could watch her last match during the weekend. It wasn't to be. Just one set off Sharapova would have been enough. And it looked close on livescoring. The match ended like a normal one. No ceremonies, no nothing. And it was all over. I'm still processing it. It was so silent!

Thank you, Flavia Pennetta, for not retiring in that 2013, and enjoy anything what's coming up for you!