Photo: Martin Sidorjak
It has been a successful 2022 campaign for Rebecca Marino, one where she has accomplished goals and achieved several career-firsts. Her performance during the North American summer hard court season was no exception.
It started with an impressive run to the quarter-finals of the Citi Open, a WTA 250 event in Washington, D.C. She played her way through qualifying to earn a spot in the main draw where she posted a memorable victory over the legendary Venus Williams in the opening round. The 31-year-old also beat Andrea Petkovic before falling to Daria Saville in the final eight.
Marino then returned to Canada to play in Toronto’s National Bank Open presented by Rogers, her home tournament, the Odlum Brown VanOpen, in Vancouver which was contested at the Hollyburn Country Club for the first time in three years, and the National Bank Championships in Granby where she reached the quarter-finals for the second time in a month.
A Grand Slam Breakthrough
Her summer ended on a high note thanks to her first third round appearance at a Grand Slam since 2011 in Flushing Meadows this week.
Marino’s two match wins at the U.S. Open, both in straight sets over Magdalena Frech and Daria Singur, will propel her back inside the Top 100 in the WTA rankings, at her highest ranking since announcing her return to tennis in 2017. In July, she broke into the Top 100 for the first time since 2012 and now she’s back, sitting somewhere around no. 90. The jump will allow her to gain direct entry into bigger events. In New York, she squeaked into the main draw with a no. 106 ranking which meant she could avoid the stress of having to qualify. Getting to the third round also means that she earned the biggest payday of her career as she’ll take home $188,000 US (or $246,500 CAN) in prize money.
Marino will look to continue her climb up the rankings during her next scheduled WTA 250 tournaments in Chennai, India, and Seoul, South Korea, beginning on September 12.
A Long Road Back
Marino has left no stone unturned during her comeback and has not cut any corners. She is an inspiration on and off the court. The courage and strength she showed a decade ago in speaking openly about her struggles with depression and symptoms of burnout at a time when it was still considered taboo to do so have helped so many.
“I’m really, really proud of her because this has not been an easy road for her, a lot of challenges,” said Sylvain Bruneau, Head Women’s National Coach at Tennis Canada. “She’s a very quiet, peaceful warrior, but she’s a warrior in her own way and when it matters, when it counts, don’t bet against her.”
On the court, Marino’s hard work and determination continue to make this second chapter of her career so rewarding. The best part is, it looks like she’s just getting started.
