She once contested a Roland Garros quarter-final and Marie Pinterova is renowned for displaying the same intensity well into her 70s as she did on that memorable day in Paris almost half a century ago.
No doubt she will continue to do so, just not competitively.
Due to ongoing health concerns heightened by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 75-year-old Hungarian – a hugely popular figure within Seniors Tennis – has confirmed that she is to step aside from tournament action.
It was a decision she did not want to make, but one she felt she had to, although that fails to lessen the disappointment of having to consign something which partly defines her to the pages of history.
“Tennis is like a drug,” Pinterova told itftennis.com.
“I have played for 62 years and it’s not easy to stop but, from the other side, it is difficult to continue. It was a hard decision to discontinue tournament tennis, but I need an extremely strict regime in these terrible COVID-19 times.
“Tennis is a gift of life. When I play, even only for fun, I forget my problems and my age and simply enjoy the game. I know my shots have changed and I move slower, but every minute of play takes me back to my younger years and makes me relaxed.”
Pinterova’s professional career began in 1969, with her finest Grand Slam performance arriving five years later when she navigated her way to the last eight in the French capital before losing to eventual finalist Olga Morozova.
She would peak at No. 13 in the unofficial world rankings and win Tour-level titles, defeating some of the game’s best, the likes of Billie Jean King and Martina Navratilova, along the way.
Pinterova’s playing days continued until she neared 40, from where the door to a brave new world opened. By this stage her husband, Andras, was not only Hungary’s Davis Cup captain but also President of the Hungarian Senior Tennis Association.
It was he who persuaded her to continue her tennis odyssey on the ITF Seniors Tour, which not only provided a new lease of life but also fresh trophy-winning potential.
Her first World Championships were in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany in 1987 where Pinterova was crowned singles and doubles champion, and it has been a similar narrative ever since.
Over the years and through the differing age groups, Pinterova has won 11 World singles titles, five in doubles and one team gong. In addition, she has scooped 24 European titles across singles, doubles and mixed doubles, some alongside Andras.
“Seniors tennis is wonderful from the moment you start and it gives former professionals like myself the chance to enjoy the special feelings of tournaments again and again,” said Pinterova, who was named a European Lifetime Senior Champion by Tennis Europe in 2008.
“The age categories change every five years, so you will meet players from the same age group. But if you think it will be easier when you start playing in your new age group, you are mistaken. We get older together.
“But the balls still have magic and can give everybody satisfaction; one well-executed shot can change you for a moment into Roger Federer. It is right that tennis is a part of life; it helps everybody to live healthier and longer.”
Her competitive quest may be at its end, but Pinterova has trodden a hugely rewarding path and one which has provided memories to cherish and life-fulfilling opportunities which may otherwise have lain undiscovered.
Happy retirement, Marie.
This article first appeared on International Tennis Federation news.
