DalmaGalfi
Falling in love with the game
I started playing, when I was five. My father had two tennis courts, not far from our house, and I pretty much grew up there. He taught me how to play. I really liked every part of the game. I played my first tournament when I was six and narrowly lost in the final. But the experience was amazing. From then, all I wanted to do was play matches in other tournaments and be successful. The same thing still motivates me today.
I enjoy the time on court, developing myself day by day, and seeing all the hard work pay off. That feeling that you left it all on the court, and if you think back, you know you enjoyed every second of it.
The development is about the balance between mental and physical. Both are very important, but for me almost every time, the mental shape is what influences my game the most.
For this, it’s important to never give up and always believe in myself. Everyone has ups and downs, but only the ones who climb the mountain can see the great view.
If I can do all that, it will increase my profile and help me become a role model for children who want to play the game. That’s my ultimate aim.
I enjoy the time on court, developing myself day by day, and seeing all the hard work pay off. That feeling that you left it all on the court, and if you think back, you know you enjoyed every second of it.
My best so far
My biggest moment in my juniors’ career was winning the US Open Singles title in 2015. That same year, I became Junior World Champion by finishing as world number 1. On the pro circuit, I’m proud of climbing to 136th on the WTA rankings, and of competing in all the 2017 Grand Slams.
Player Stats
Day in. Day out.
I head to practice for about 9:00-10:00. After the morning session, I take lunch and a short rest. Then I start at 14:00 with a fitness session, followed by another tennis session in the afternoon. I usually finish around 17:00, including stretching and cooling down after the second practice. Then I usually go to see the Physio for injury prevention, or to have a massage.
My pro tips
I would advise young players to always try to do your best, no matter what. Then, whatever happens, you can be proud of your efforts.
That way, when you do suffer a loss, or a bad day’s training, you can look at the positive. That’s something I’m always trying to do (with my coach’s help of course). Because you can always find one positive thing to hold onto, even if it’s the tiniest thing. It’s tough sometimes, but that’s what gets me through. That’s what helps me push towards my ultimate aim of being a happy person.
You can learn a lot from your role models too. Mine is Serena Williams. She inspires not just me, but millions of people with her story.
My favourite quote really reflects that: “Tough times never last, but tough people do.” It describes my life and who I really am.
Staying grounded
I don’t think anybody likes to travel the amount we do. It can be tough to pack and unpack your suitcase every week, to sleep somewhere different all the time. But then there are not many people who are as fortunate to visit as many countries as we do.
Away from tennis, I like to watch any sport featuring my Hungarian countrymen. I also like to be in the kitchen, and to bake sweet things in my free time. It feels so good when people enjoy tasting my creations.
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