“It was a cruel regime,” Agnieszka Radwanska opens up about the differences and the fear of getting beaten by her father


“It was a cruel regime,” Agnieszka Radwanska opens up about the differences and the fear of getting beaten by her father

Agnieszka Radwanska and her father Robert

Agnieszka Radwanska became the first Polish player in the Open era to reach a Grand Slam singles final at the Wimbledon Championship in 2012 and also was the first Polish to win the WTA singles title. Even though she had won 20 WTA titles but could not win a Grand Slam despite being considered a great tennis player.

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She announced her retirement from the professional sport in the year 2018 when she was just 29 years of age as she penned down an emotional note on her announcement. On her retirement, Radwanska had said “Taking into consideration my health and the heavy burdens of professional tennis, I have to concede that I’m not able to push my body to the limits required.”

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“Didn’t ask what my thoughts were and imposed everything,” Agnieszka Radwanska on the differences with her father Robert

Agnieszka Radwanska

Agnieszka Radwanska plays for the Billie Jean King Cup which is also known as the Fed Cup and has played a total of 48 matches with 41 wins and 7 losses. She had a unique style of play and was regarded as the most tactically sound, subtle tennis player in the world as could pull off the most difficult shots in the game with ease. She won the junior singles title at Wimbledon in 2005 and also went on to win the French Open junior title in 2006.

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Radwanska began her tennis career with her father, Robert Radwanski, as her coach. She reflects on the tough times she had to face during her growing years because of his father’s attitude which caused a lot of differences as well as was even abusive at times. She said ” “In 15 years of training with my father, everything was perfectly planned, but Dad didn’t ask what my thoughts were. He imposed everything in advance. Only what he said mattered.

She added “I constantly repressed my feelings and then I couldn’t do otherwise. For a while, we operated in match-dad-war mode. There was a cruel regime. I needed a trainer who could handle the pressure. Dad didn’t bear it. A row every week, stress. I wasn’t quarrelsome, I wanted a normal atmosphere, but it didn’t exist.

Agnieszka Radwanska additionally expressed that she was afraid of her father’s reactions rather than facing failures. She further added that “Father was not a father to us at all, but a coach.  At one point I was unable to function normally, he was attacking me all the time. Grateful to my dad, because if it wasn’t for him, we would not have achieved success. On the other hand, bad moments cannot be erased from my mind. It took years.

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