The best female tennis players are gracing the sunny shores of Singapore for the WTA Finals 2016 starting October 23rd. Tennis world’s illustrious luminaries include World No. 1 Angelique Kerber and last year’s Champion Agnieszka Radwanska who are among an elite group of tennis stars.
This year, it will take place in Singapore from 23-30 October 2016 at the Singapore Sports Hub. The Finals sees the most exciting women’s in the tennis circuit – the Top 8 Singles players and Top 8 Doubles teams in Singapore to contest in the season ending tournament for a record US$7 million in prize money.
The 2016 BNP WTA Finals Singapore presented by SC Global will kickoff this Sunday, together with the start of the inaugural Family Day At The Tennis. Catch Nickelodeon characters like SpongeBob Squarepants and Patrick Star, get hands-on at the interactive public LEGO art display and brick building workshops, enjoy percussion performance by SMU’s Samba Masala, and many other interactive family-friendly activities this Sunday at the Fan Village at OCBC Square for free! Enjoy fantastic savings (50% off) on your family outing when you buy a Family Day Package (2 Adults + 2 Children below the age of 16) to Sunday Session 1, and enjoy fantastic Centre Court entertainment by Sophie Beem, all-girls acapella group Forte, and many more. More details and tickets can be purchased at www.wtafinals.com!
With their popularity at an all time high, the women of WTA Finals have always been role models for many around the globe. Former professional tennis player Yayuk Basuki belongs in this distinguished company. She’s one of the most prolific tennis players to have emerged from the Southeast Asian region.
She is notable for being the highest-ever ranked tennis player from Indonesia. Yayuk has won four Asian Games gold medals, reached the quarter finals of Wimbledon in 1997, and achieved a career high of No.19 in the Women’s Tennis Association that same year. Having retired in 2003, this mother-of-one remains active in the tennis circuit. She’s now mentoring some of Indonesia’s rising tennis stars and setting up the Yayuk Basuki Tennis Academy.
Here’s the interview with the WTA legend and super mum Yayuk Basuki:
When did your love for tennis begin and did you always know you’d be so involved in this sport (both as a player and a coach)?
I started tennis when I was 7 years old, and at that time, I had no idea I was going to be so involved and in love with the sport.
How do you cope with the dual role of being a mother and a sportsperson?
It is truly a juggling act being both a mother and a sportsperson. I try to balance in both roles and manage my time. While being a mother is everything to me, I can’t seem to bring myself to give up on the sporting world.
Do you believe in the saying “spare the rod and spoil the child”?
Not at all! I still have in memories of moments in my childhood and recall that children learn from example. It is up to us, parents, to set the bar for our children.
What is the greatest quality you seek to nurture in your son Yary?
I want to nurture Yary to become a respectful person to his parents and the people around him.
What is the greatest challenge of raising a son as an athlete? Do you wish for him to follow in your footsteps?
My greatest struggle was being away from him and leaving him at home while I was touring. I wish for him to pursue his own passion and dreams.
You were a WTA Tour mentor to rising Indonesian star Angelique Widjaja and is currently involved with coaching. How is coaching similar/different from parenting?
Coaching and parenting are pretty similar. Both tasks involve nurturing others and imparting your knowledge to them, so that they can do better.
How did you cope with being on tour and maintaining close relations with your family?
While I’m on tour, I try to make lots of phone calls with my family. When time permits, I try as much as possible to spend as much quality time as I can. Cherishing the precious moments I have with them is what I do.
Share a lesson you learnt from the sporting world that is also applicable to motherhood.
The sporting world has allowed me to forge valuable friendships, which have in turn taught me the importance of being a respectful person to others and to treasure the time we have with our loved ones. These friendships have given me many lessons I apply in my motherhood.
How has sports benefitted your family life?
Sports has benefited my family in so many ways possible. It has inculcated in my family a strong sense of discipline and have taught us the importance of always putting our best foot forward in accomplishing tasks and overcoming life’s challenges.