Rebecca Marino Decides To Leave Tennis

Written by: Resendiz on 21st February 2013

Rebecca Marino Decides To Leave Tennis

epa03063185 Rebecca Marino of Canada returns the ball during her women's singles first round match against Greta Arn of Hungary on the second day of the Australian Open Grand Slam tennis tournament in Melbourne, Australia, 17 January 2012. EPA/MAST IRHAM |

Cyber-bullying, from disgruntled gamblers among others, has driven Canadian Rebecca Marino from tennis. The 22-year-old who took more than half a year off in 2012 when the online attacks began on her Twitter account has announced she is stepping away from the game,

She said she has been suffering with depression and that continuing with her career was just not worth it. “After thinking long and hard, I do not have the passion or enjoyment to drive myself to the level I would like to be at in professional tennis,” said the Canadian who once stood 38th on the WTA,

“At this point I do not think it is worth sacrificing my happiness. I feel there is more to life than just tennis.”

In 2011, Marino played her first WTA-level final in Memphis and got to the Roland Garros third round. She took time off last January and returned in September. But after playing in the Australian Open in January and losing early, she began pondering stepping out of the game. “My depression came way before the so called cyber-bullying; this has been going on for I would dare say six years,” she revealed.

“I was getting some comments that were really hurtful, as well as some great comments, but the hurtful ones stick with you a bit more. I was getting messages that I should die, that I should go burn in hell, that I’m a dumb ass, an idiot, that I lost them money, a wide variety of things and that is just scratching the surface.

“I like to feel I have a thick skin and I can deal with these sort of things so it wasn’t the main factor. Social media has taken its toll on me but it is not the main reason. . . the reason I am stepping back is that I don’t think I’m willing to sacrifice my happiness and other parts of my life to tennis.”

©Daily Tennis News Wire

Topics: Canadian tennis news, Rebecca Marino, Tennis Canada, Tennis News