The crazy story of Andrea Jaeger: at the age of 18 in the Wimbledon final – later a nun in the convent

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Andrea Jaeger (58) made her way to the big tennis stage as a teenage phenomenon in the 1980s – culminating in the Wimbledon final in 1983 against the then series winner Martina Navratilova (66). Two years later, she ended her promising career due to a shoulder injury. For them a blessing instead of a curse.

The American then studied theology and put all her tennis savings into a foundation that helps cancer patients. In 2006, she joined the Dominican Order of the Anglican Church for three years and became a nun. “Ever since I was a child, I felt called to help those in need. I think that’s why I struggled so much with tennis, because you have to be selfish to be successful,” she said in a 2008 interview with the Daily Mail.

Phenomenal climb with negatives

Jaeger became a tennis pro for her family – at the age of 14 years and eight months. She wanted to make her financial contribution with the prize money. The plan worked out impressively, in her first tournament appearance she played her way from qualifying to winning the title with 13 wins. In the same year she becomes the youngest player to be seeded at Wimbledon (Jennifer Capriati breaks this record in 1990).

Jaeger’s ascent continued unabated, at the same time she soon realized that she was uncomfortable on the professional tour. She had been offered steroids several times. She refused several times. “I was looking for a way out, not a way to stay longer.”

Her father, who was also her trainer, was a discipline fanatic and sometimes beat his daughter. After a dispute before the Wimbledon final, Jaeger fled from him and sought help in the apartment of last opponent Navratilova. Due to a guilty conscience for disturbing her opponent during the concentration phase, she did not even try to win the final – she lost 0:6 and 3:6.

Two years later, Jaeger turns his back on the WTA Tour. She began to despise this world. Since then she has dedicated her life to people in need.

The young star Andreeva narrowly failed

Jaeger was a young star in the 80s. There are always such. The latest refreshing discovery is 16-year-old Russian Mirra Andreyeva (WTA 102). On Monday, she narrowly missed writing the next successful chapter in her tennis fairy tale. In the round of 16 she lost to Madison Keys (USA, WTA 18) in three sets 6:3, 6:7 and 2:6. Andreyeva would have been the youngest player in the quarterfinals of Wimbledon since American Coco Gauff, who, like the Russian, played as a qualifier in the main draw in 2019. (dti)

Source : Blick