La tenacia di Errani trionfa: record di longevità
Sara is one of the symbols of the 1987 class that continues to roar: in Italy there is her friend Fabio Fognini, who fights daily with the difficulties of a body worn out by twenty years of tennis at the highest levels, but when he is feeling good he is still a sight to behold. In the world, however, there is the more unique than rare case of Novak Djokovic who continues to stay ahead of everyone, but also Andy Murray who has made a mantra out of the battle against advancing age.
A valid discussion also for “Sarita”, someone who has achieved a lot in her career, reached number 5 in the WTA rankings when only her father Giorgio would have bet a euro on it, and having really nothing left to prove could easily hang up the racket to pursue something else. Instead, she continues to fight like day one, like when as a young girl she had to work twice as hard to get noticed, with a tennis game that – we would later understand – had a lot to offer. To think she is capable of reaching certain goals again is exaggerated, but it makes her sporting example even more concrete: she fights without a true destination, but only for the love of what she does. Because she has always been accustomed to it and evidently does not see (yet) a reason to say goodbye.
The results support her thinking, both in singles and a rediscovered competitiveness in doubles, the specialty that saw her win all the Grand Slam tournaments with former partner Roberta Vinci. Nearly ten years after the last Major won by the “Chichis”, Sara is trying again with Jasmine Paolini and the pair is working great. In the first part of 2024, they reached the round of 16 at the Australian Open, won in Linz and reached the semifinals in Miami. Results that place the pair at number 8 in the Race, the last valid spot for access to the WTA Finals in doubles. In addition to fueling the dream of an Olympic medal, the only major achievement still missing in the career of a player to be taken as an example.
