New world number twelve Flavia Pennetta admitted that she almost gave up on her tennis comeback following a six-month break of wrist surgery after posting dismal results in the first few months.
The 32-year old Italian made a comeback in February 2013 and her ranking dropped to number 166 in June during Wimbledon. During this time, she gave herself a timetable to return to the world’s top 100. If this was not realized prior to the US Open, she would bid tennis goodbye.
However, she would go on to reach the fourth round of Wimbledon and reach the semifinals of the US Open which catapulted her ranking back in the world’s top 40.
“Last year I just say, Okay, if I finish the year Top 100 it will be okay,” she said. “I finished 29, I think, [actually No. 31] so was much better.”
The former top 10 player is now just within distance of making it back to the elite after winning the BNP Paribas Open 2014 Indian Wells on Saturday after she defeated world number three Agnieszka Radwanska.
