The Dutch No 1, who has since spent her time recuperating in the Netherlands, will make a return in Qatar Total Open, and was feeling good on the practice court.
“We had a good hitting session yesterday. I am feeling good. I am pain free, I am ready and hungry to play some matches in Doha,” said Bertens in a virtual press conference Sunday, hoping to build the rhythm and get back at her best for the season.
After extensive rehabilitation, Bertens is growing in confidence, even as she keeps her approach realistic.
“I certainly think I still have the level, otherwise I wouldn’t be here at the moment, but I have to put the things in perspective. For me, it’s tough to have any predictions because it’s my first tournament in a long time,” said Bertens, whose career-high ranking was World No 4 in May 2019.
For the first time in ten years, Bertens was in her own country all winter. She played her last match at the beginning of October. In the fourth round of Roland Garros, she lost to Italian Martina Trevisan. Earlier in the tournament, Bertens was big news, when she left the track in a wheelchair after her victory against Sara Errani.
“It was quite tough to see everyone play. It was also only the second Grand Slam that I missed. And I’m not a huge training animal either, I don’t really like just training for months. I am a competition player. I need practice to improve,” she said.
“So it’s about to be able to compete again, see where my level is, get the match rhythm again and try to enjoy my time on the match court again. That’s my first goal.”
Bertens, who was the first to land in Doha for the WTA 500 Premier competition this year, will face Jelena Ostapenko in the first round Monday, with both having won two matches against each other so far. They last met in Strasbourg last year where Ostapenko reached the quarter-final after Bertens withdrew in the final set of their round-of-16 game.
“I love Doha to be honest. We got here early because I have to play outdoors again, which is a huge difference as I practiced only indoors with my coach Elise the last few weeks,” she said.
The 29-year-old is definitely one of the most prolific players on the tour. She has 10 singles titles to her name, including the Madrid Open and Cincinnati Open. With that, she has also got a pretty healthy record against many top 10 players.
This year’s tournament is Bertens’ fourth appearance in Doha. She made her Qatar Total Open debut in a rain-soaked 2017 opening round, where she fell to eventual finalist Caroline Wozniacki. After skipping 2018, she returned in 2019 to earn her first two Doha victories over Camila Giorgi and 2016 champion Carla Suarez Navarro. In the quarterfinals, she fell to eventual champion Elise Mertens. Last year, she was stopped in the round of 16 by China's Zheng Saisai.
Bertens ended the 2020 season as World No. 9, her third time finishing in the top-10, having won a title in St. Petersburg and reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open and the French Open.
“We had a good hitting session yesterday. I am feeling good. I am pain free, I am ready and hungry to play some matches in Doha,” said Bertens in a virtual press conference Sunday, hoping to build the rhythm and get back at her best for the season.
After extensive rehabilitation, Bertens is growing in confidence, even as she keeps her approach realistic.
“I certainly think I still have the level, otherwise I wouldn’t be here at the moment, but I have to put the things in perspective. For me, it’s tough to have any predictions because it’s my first tournament in a long time,” said Bertens, whose career-high ranking was World No 4 in May 2019.
For the first time in ten years, Bertens was in her own country all winter. She played her last match at the beginning of October. In the fourth round of Roland Garros, she lost to Italian Martina Trevisan. Earlier in the tournament, Bertens was big news, when she left the track in a wheelchair after her victory against Sara Errani.
“It was quite tough to see everyone play. It was also only the second Grand Slam that I missed. And I’m not a huge training animal either, I don’t really like just training for months. I am a competition player. I need practice to improve,” she said.
“So it’s about to be able to compete again, see where my level is, get the match rhythm again and try to enjoy my time on the match court again. That’s my first goal.”
Bertens, who was the first to land in Doha for the WTA 500 Premier competition this year, will face Jelena Ostapenko in the first round Monday, with both having won two matches against each other so far. They last met in Strasbourg last year where Ostapenko reached the quarter-final after Bertens withdrew in the final set of their round-of-16 game.
“I love Doha to be honest. We got here early because I have to play outdoors again, which is a huge difference as I practiced only indoors with my coach Elise the last few weeks,” she said.
The 29-year-old is definitely one of the most prolific players on the tour. She has 10 singles titles to her name, including the Madrid Open and Cincinnati Open. With that, she has also got a pretty healthy record against many top 10 players.
This year’s tournament is Bertens’ fourth appearance in Doha. She made her Qatar Total Open debut in a rain-soaked 2017 opening round, where she fell to eventual finalist Caroline Wozniacki. After skipping 2018, she returned in 2019 to earn her first two Doha victories over Camila Giorgi and 2016 champion Carla Suarez Navarro. In the quarterfinals, she fell to eventual champion Elise Mertens. Last year, she was stopped in the round of 16 by China's Zheng Saisai.
Bertens ended the 2020 season as World No. 9, her third time finishing in the top-10, having won a title in St. Petersburg and reaching the fourth round of the Australian Open and the French Open.