Tennis Acumen at the Columbus Fall Challenger 2022. And we are here with Rinky Hijikata, from Australia.
(photo credit: Karl Corbett)
Tennis Acumen: Rinky, let me ask about your spirit, your attitude. Some guys absolutely love to win, and some guys absolutely hate to lose. Where are you on that spectrum?
Rinky Hijikata: I definitely go both ways. I feel like I'm somewhere in the middle. When you win, there's no other feeling like it, I think. And especially when you're in tight matches, when the stakes are high. There is all kinds of adrenaline. The euphoria when you win can't really be compared to anything else. And then, obviously, when you lose the tough one, it's the same level of emotion. It's a tough pill to swallow and it can be pretty painful. But, when you're on the tour, you pretty much lose every week. There's only one winner. I feel like I've tried to become a better loser. I guess I'm trying to not take it as hard as I have in the past and try to move on a little bit quicker.
Tennis Acumen: Thanks for talking with us. I hope to run into you a few years down the road, maybe a decade or so. I'll ask you about life after tennis.
Rinky Hijikata: Perfect. That sounds good.
(This exclusive interview has generated seven ‘quick read’ excerpts, to be posted at tennisacumen.com over time.)
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