SANTIAGO, Chile – Martina Trevisan is back on court after a year out with injury, proud of the success her Italian Billie Jean King Cup teammates achieved in her absence, and paying close attention to what Aryna Sabalenka will do in the controversial end-of-year exhibition against Nick Kyrgios in Dubai.
“I’ll cheer for Aryna, of course,” she told CLAY in an interview also published by RG Media.
Trevisan, a former world No. 18, underwent foot surgery in March, went through a successful recovery process, and is now looking to regain the level that helped lead Italy to the Billie Jean King Cup title in 2024.
The interview took place in Santiago, Chile, after the Italian’s participation in the WTA 125 in Colina, where she lost in the first round but rediscovered important sensations. “I still love this game and this life,” said the 32-year-old.
Trevisan also praised the progress of her friend and teammate Jasmine Paolini, highlighting above all the attitude of the world No. 8, who led Italy in the defence of its title in the former Fed Cup: “She’s a very happy person and doesn’t take everything too seriously. That’s important in tennis life because you often lose.”
Interview with Martina Trevisan
– It’s been a difficult year for you with a big injury, but I see you happy coming back to the court. What are your feelings now?
— Yes. I’ve been through a very difficult year since last November. I underwent surgery in March after so many treatments that didn’t work. It’s been challenging, but the positive side is that every day I feel a bit better, and my body is reacting the right way. I still need work and practice to rebuild my body, but the big change is I don’t have that pain that made it hard even to wake up in the morning, to just walk. Coming back is never easy after nine months away without matches, so I need to be patient. But I’m very happy to be back on court and to compete. I still love this game and this life. That is the important thing. I just have to be patient and work very hard every day.
– During that time away from the courts, how were you feeling mentally?
— Honestly, I thought it would be easier to manage. Sometimes after surgery and after the first matches, it was very hard. I’m working a lot on myself, especially off court, because I believe if you feel better off the court, you’ll feel better on the court. I’m trying to work on myself and, honestly, I can say I’m enjoying time off court now more than before the surgery.
– You were one of the Billie Jean King Cup champions last year representing Italy. This season you were coming back and you were not selected —how did it feel to be away from the team while your country was defending the trophy?
— I’m very happy for the girls. They did an amazing job—defending the title is never easy. I followed them through the whole week in Shenzhen (China). Of course, I wanted to be part of it. Even if I wasn’t there physically, I felt part of the team. As a professional player, I would’ve love to be there, but this was a tricky year for me and we have to accept that sometimes you can’t be with the team. I’m very happy for my country, for Tatiana (Garbin, the captain), Elisabetta (Cocciaretto), Lucia (Bronzetti), Jasmine (Paolini).
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– Jasmine is such an important player for the team, and her career has really taken off at an older age than the average elite tennis player. How do you analyse her path?
— I always thought Jasmine was a great player with explosive forehand and backhand. Even when she was 80, 95, 115, 150—whatever ranking—I believed she was incredible and that at some point she would show how good she is. She believes more in herself now. She’s very stubborn—in a good way. I remember three or four years ago she played an ITF and lost first round to a very young player, maybe without ranking. I messaged her to check how she was. She wasn’t happy to lose, but she was still positive. She’s a very happy person and doesn’t take everything too seriously. That’s important in tennis life because you lose often. If you focus too much on a loss, it’s hard to react well. Jasmine handles this side very well compared to others: she tends to take things the right way.
– When you look at the current top 10, do you see an open field for more players to break through?
— Except probably Aryna or right now Iga. I would add Rybakina… They have something extra—height, serve, physicality. But overall the level on the rest of the players on the WTA Tour is higher than four or five years ago. There are no easy matches. Aryna and Iga have something different and they show it in the tournaments, but the general level is very high. Every match is difficult. I think Jasmine said something similar: the bar is higher now than ten years ago. Even players ranked 120 are playing well. You always have to show your best tennis to win.
– Do you see Jasmine as a possible Grand Slam champion?
— Of course. She was very close last year. I wish for her to win a Slam, but it’s not easy. On hard courts, when someone serves well, it’s hard to break. I hope she goes as close as last year, but you can’t just say, “you’re going to win a Slam”
– How do you explain this successful era of Italian tennis? It’s the golden era for men and women.
— It’s fantastic. These are the results of incredible work from previous years. The Italian Federation helped us a lot. It’s the result of important work that was done before.
– What do you think when the top guys skip Davis Cup? Is it a mistake despite Italy managed to win the title without Sinner and Musetti?
— I don’t think it’s a mistake. There are many tournaments during the year and people who don’t know this life can’t understand everything we deal with. We’re lucky to live this life, but it’s not as shiny as it looks. There are many sacrifices and a lot to handle mentally. At the end of the year you must listen to your body and your mind and decide what’s better for you. For me, playing for Italy is always a privilege and a dream, but every player is different and timing matters. For example, Lorenzo Musetti—with his girlfriend Veronica, they are expecting a baby. That’s an incredible moment in private life; it happens once or twice in life, and it’s important to be present.
– Jannik Sinner or Carlos Alcaraz…Who will have a better career? Why?
— They’re very different. Jannik has incredible technique and mindset. Carlos has more variety in his game, more fantasy when he plays. To say who goes further, we must see how their bodies react over the years, how they manage pressure and situations, because they play a lot and usually go deep in tournaments. It’s a tricky question—I don’t know the answer. I love watching both. They’re different personalities on the same court, and that’s good for tennis.
– Who’s going to win in the new Battle of the Sexes? Aryna Sabalenka or Nick Kyrgios?
— Yeah, Aryna is going to play Nick. He said, “you have to be scared of me” and Aryna answered showing a lot of condidence. I will cheer for Aryna, of course.
– Do you think this kind of event is good for women’s tennis?
— I think when there are smiles and good behaviour, it’s always good—not only for sport, but for people. It’s going to be fun.
– Would you like to play a male tennis player in an exhibition someday?
— Yes. Why not?!
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