RISKE Alison

General
COMPETITIVE BREAK
In 2020 she took some time away from competitive tennis, and played in several exhibition events in the northern hemisphere summer. She says she appreciated the break but admits it came at a cost, as she initially found it tough to regain her form when she returned to competition. "I chose to take some time off. And you know what? In hindsight I don't necessarily regret it because I loved every second. It's something that I never had in my career, but I really believe that I paid for it when I came back." (tennis.com, 12 Jan 2021)

BREAKTHROUGH
After more than a decade on the WTA Tour, she reached her first Grand Slam singles quarterfinal at Wimbledon in 2019. Speaking in 2020, she said 2019 had seen her mature as a player. "It was more maturity that hit me at the right time, it was my 11th year on tour, I felt like I belonged there. I matured later than my peers, I am a very emotional person, that's my biggest obstacle and something I'm working on with professional help. 2019 was a dream year for me." (tennis.com, 18 May 2020)