Other side of the mic: W50 Roehampton on the ITF World Tennis Tour
Mila Burek is a 21-year-old political science student studying at the University of Manchester. She joined the ITF’s Jethro Broughton in a roving reporter role at W50 Roehampton as the pair went in search of content which showcases the ITF World Tennis Tour at its best. They did not have long to wait – keep a close eye on itftennis.com and @itfworldtennistour on Instagram in the coming weeks! Here are Mila’s key takeaways from her time in Roehampton.
We often see the press conferences, the trophies and medals, we hear about the results – but how often do we get to know the people behind the players?
Last month's W50 Roehampton event on the ITF World Tennis Tour was yet another example of fantastic tennis as No.3 seed Vendula Valdmannova from Czechia earned the singles title, and Great British duo Freya Christie and Eden Silva sealed doubles glory.
Every day the matches displayed consistently high levels of athleticism, despite some challenging wind conditions, and incredible sportsmanship all round. It was a beautiful show of what tennis is about: hard work, dedication and a whole lot of respect.
Having grown-up playing tennis and competing on the ITF World Tennis Tour Juniors throughout my teen years, coming back to the tournament environment, almost five years after stepping away, was truly a full circle moment.
I’ve always loved creative writing, but since coming to university I have taken a greater passion in journalism and the media. Now seeing it as part of what I plan to pursue post-graduation, as soon as the opportunity to help cover W50 Roehampton came up, it was an easy ‘yes’ from me.
On day one, I was hit by a wave of nostalgia. Being back at a tournament venue – especially one as beautiful as the National Training Centre at the LTA's headquarters in London – and seeing the players walking around, it was like being back on Tour.
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It was picking up my press pass that reminded me of the new lens I was coming into this environment with, and I felt excited to take on this role to deliver the best coverage possible.
We headed straight out to interview some players as we chased engaging content for the ITF's digital channels.
Of course, I knew that players would be polite and courteous. What I did not necessarily expect was their willingness to open up about life on Tour.
Quite a few of the questions were fun and light-hearted: ‘what are your favourite movies?’ and ‘is this a tennis ick or not?’. But we also got to hear about their lived experiences as an athlete, what the untold realities of being a tennis player are and what the sport has brought them besides the titles.
Mila Burek
What we found, really, is that the trophies are probably the least important take-away of all. Most players we spoke to touched upon the journey the sport has taken them on, the lessons they have learned and challenges they have overcome.
What you come to realise as a player on Tour is that the time spent holding up that trophy is just a fraction of the time you spend dedicating your life to the sport.
A common theme of what players pointed out to us was all the behind-the-scenes stuff that people on the outside do not see: the training and sacrifice which is needed just to play and compete at the highest level you can.
Still, in the end, it is all worth it. We spoke to Belgian player Clara Vlasselaer on balancing studies alongside tennis and she highlighted how the challenges of the sport highlight its beauty also.
Especially paired with the financial aspect of equipment, training and travelling to maintain your ranking, the mental resilience it takes to keep going when you lose is not easy.
To accept the result, pick yourself up and get out there to train again the next morning - that in itself is a display of love, respect and dedication.
Roger Federer himself pointed out that during his storied career, he only won 54% of points he contested. Clara said something similar. That you could be playing your best tennis, but something so tiny and so out of control can change the outcome of the match in the very last moment.
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Still, these players keep going, keep their heads and carry on working towards their dreams. Because it is about more than just the outcome. And the outcome is more than the score at the end of a match.
I was wondering what also felt so nostalgic when I was at W50 Roehampton. I now realise that it was people from a variety of backgrounds putting their energy into their love of tennis. The players, the coaches, the officials — they all had their own unique story to tell.
What I found most important of all is that despite the challenges and financial risks, the countless hours of hard work and sweat, no matter how desperately these players want to win, there is always room for everyone.
There is no space for discrimination or stereotyping, and that showed in the attitudes displayed both on and off court. It was an environment that encouraged togetherness and curiosity, and one that we should hope to see more of across society.
Overall, W50 Roehampton was a beautiful display of tennis. A kind thanks to the ITF's Advantage All programme for helping me attend and working towards encouraging more women to stay in tennis both on and off the court.
All in all, speaking to the players, interacting with the tournament staff and capturing content was a wonderful way to step back into the sport, and I hope to continue working in such an inspiring space.
Mila’s trip to London to cover W50 Roehampton was supported and funded by the ITF Advantage All Programme, which aims to encourage more women to pursue opportunities in these roles and to promote women across tennis, both on and off the court.