Arienne Loves...The Australian Open

The bodies, the grunts, the fluro outfits, the sweat. Love. It.

On a more serious note, tennis is one of those sports I can actually watch a full match of. I don't know why, I can't really even play tennis, but I find watching a yellow ball go back and forth on the screen strangely mesmorising.

It might have started off when I was about 7 years old and we were living in Hamburg, Germany. We lived in the hotel dad was managing and there were some tennis players staying with us for the Hamburg Open, Andre Agassi included. He probably looked something like this at the time (nice pink!):

He unfortunately lost his match and came back to the hotel and gave my Dad his (still sweaty) tennis bag with used racquet, shoes and shirts as a souvenir for his Daughters (lucky us!). Supposedly some of the bellboys asked Dad if they could have them, but luckily for us Dad said no. So my sister and I were the proud recipients of these wonderfully precious (and probably a little stinky - I can't remember) items from 'somebody famous', as I really didn't know who he was at the time (and I have no idea where those items are now!).

So maybe that experience rubbed off on me and my interest in tennis grew.

I think that I really admire the mental strength and physical stamina the players. Watching matches that go on and on and on for hours really awes me. Maybe it's because I've always wanted to be really good at one thing. Like you know those people who are amazing singers or horseriders or artists.

I never had that one thing that I excelled at above everyone else around me. That I could focus my attention on and become even better at. I remember my mum calling me a 'Jack of all trades and a master of none', meaning that I could do almost anything pretty well, which I guess can be pretty cool in itself, but I don't think it's as cool as being fabulous at one thing and pretty good at everything else!

The skills they show with their amazing shots and the balls they run their hearts out to get. The obvious hours they've put into honing their craft. The focus and determination. The ability to come back after being one point away from being beaten. I thank the players for the fights they play and the show they put on.

Perhaps my amazing shots and the things I will run my heart out to get is helping women to live their own rewarding and lavish lives. Something I am willing to put hours into with focus and determination and to bounce back from disappointments and lessons...

Make it as you wish SSSs!
Arienne
xo