ℝ𝕚𝕔𝕔𝕚𝕒𝕣𝕕𝕠 𝕧𝕤 ℤ𝕖𝕥𝕠𝕧
𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟛 𝔽𝕣𝕖𝕟𝕔𝕙 𝕆𝕡𝕖𝕟
𝔽𝕚𝕣𝕤𝕥 ℝ𝕠𝕦𝕟𝕕
I walk out onto the court and hear the crowd as they cheer. The stadium was completely sold out, thousands and thousands of people were packed into one stadium, all for this match.
I look over at Maria Zetov.
She's warming up her shoulder, stretching her legs as men in the crowd holler towards her, she turns and waves towards them before returning her attention to her legs.
She's currently ranked the highest of her career, number sixty-nine. But she has a rabid fan base out of proportion to her ranking.
She's stunningly beautiful-tall and thin, blond hair, blue eyes.
She's a model for Calvin Klein, does commercials for Diet Coke, and features in some UK YouTube peoples videos - I don't really know what it is but I know it attracts a lot of viewers.
And she has a burden I have never had. In order to keep getting paid, she has to keep looking beautiful on and off the court.
I wonder, briefly, if it weighs on her. Or, if it's better than the pressure I live with, the pressure to win. The pressure to constantly win.
Either way, it's a prison. Both her beauty and my ability-they've both got an expiration date.
"It is an honor to play you," she says, meeting me at the net to shake hands
"Thank you" I nod to her
This will not be hard.
I fully admit that I do not have what she has. But it is equally true that she doesn't have what I have.
The coin is tossed; Zetov wins.
She elects to serve first, her face bright and hopeful, as if she thinks this bodes well for her, as if she has a real chance.
I take the match in straight sets.
And by the end, the crowd is screaming and I can't help but smile.
Make sure to vote and comment!
YOU ARE READING
She's back ~ L. Hamilton
FanfictionDelaney Ricciardo is fierce and her determined to win at any cost has not made her well liked. But by the time she retires from tennis she is a twenty four grand slam winner and regarded as the greatest tennis player the world has ever seen. But si...
