Zvonareva’s wiped off her tears

Remember 2004, and Vera Zvonareva at Wimbledon and the US Open? Just two of the countless tournaments...

Remember 2004, and Vera Zvonareva at Wimbledon and the US Open? Just two of the countless tournaments where she turned on the tap. Strangely enough, the tears would trickle down regardless of whether she was leading or trailing.

The Russian came in for some sharp criticism from the rest of the tennis troupe for her crying bouts during matches. They said they had never seen anything like it.

Compatriot Svetlana Kuznetsova and former world No 1 Lindsay Davenport were among the many who questioned her emotional and mental tenacity. “You can’t be crying, it’s a bizarre time to be upset,” was Davenport’s harsh verdict then.

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A top-10 player back then, it was felt she could have reached much higher, riding on her talent alone, but unfortunately her tantrums on court were more famous than the tennis.

“I don’t think I was fragile, I was always fighting out there. I used to get very upset about my mistakes, but that was in the past. It’s important to care, and I still think it’s really important to have emotions. It brings excitement into the game,” smiles Vera, clearly a changed person from the cry-baby of old.

After an injury last year, she is slowly getting back to her best, and maybe she can reach the higher echelons she had once tentatively stepped into. “I am a different player now. I am much more experienced and mature.

“I have realised there is a lot more to life than just tennis. Tennis is my job, and life is not over if you lose,” says Vera.