Gabriela Sabatini, one of the most popular female athletes of the 20th century, turned 50 this year. The Argentinean loved tennis, but hated fame. A conversation about self-determination in professional sports and the art of ageing happily.
You turned 50 in May. Is it true that the happiness curve is U-shaped and you feel happier again from your mid-40s, as happiness research claims?
I don’t attach great importance to my birthdays, but yes, I am happy today. Of course, I’m not unaware of my age but I feel very good. I’m healthy and grateful for it. For what I’ve achieved and for the life I live today.
People say that 50 is the new 30 – do you agree?
I actually feel like a young person, which is also due to my lifestyle. I start every day with sports if possible – I like cycling, I go jogging and swimming a lot – it cleanses and grounds me. I am also very active in other ways and travel frequently. This helps me to stay mentally young.
Does one become more self-determined as you get older?
Absolutely. Over the years, you learn to set limits and decide what is good for you. I’m more selective in what I do and only meet those people I really want to be with. This self-determination is very fulfilling and gives life a new depth.
You were one of the tennis wonder children and made it to the top in record time. At the age of 14, you were the best junior player in the world, at the age of 15, you were in the semi-finals of the French Open. Did you sometimes feel as if your youth was lost or determined by others?
I believe that if you do what you really care about, you basically feel free. But there were moments when I was more focused on what the media and fans expect from me than what I want myself. And that was before social media. For the young players, this pressure is much greater today.
You later confessed that you found it difficult to become famous so quickly.
Yes, at the beginning of my professional career I was really very introverted and shy, I also didn’t speak English very well, which is why I found the interviews with the international media to be an ordeal.
Gabriela Sabatini: “Self-determination is very fulfilling”
