Turkish tennis player eyes entering ‘World Top-200’ list

Uygar Taylan – ISTANBUL

İpek Öz, a 22-year-old Turkish tennis player who became champion at Bastad W25, an International Tennis Federation tournament held in Sweden, has expressed her expectations to enter the global list of the best 200 female players.

“With this success, I have become eligible to qualify for Wimbledon Tournament [to be held between June 27 and July 10]. Besides, I hope to enter the ‘Top-200 female tennis players’ list,” Öz said.

The new list will be announced on May 16.

The Bastad W25 championship is “just the bottom of the ladder.”

When asked the secret behind her success in the Sweden tournament, she pointed out “mental endurance.”

“Besides the physical training, I think I have trained myself well mentally too,” she said. “Mental endurance is as important as physical durableness in tennis.”

Thanking her crew for supporting her all along the season, she said, “Without them, I would not exist.”

It is obvious that she has set her mind on gaining more success. Her daily routine is to spend three hours at the pitch and one hour at the gym.

“To be the global number one is every tennis player’s dream,” Öz said, adding she also aspires to be number one.

Highlighting that she is moving step by step toward fulfilling her dreams, she noted, “I am living the moment and enjoying the road I walk.”

She has one more challenge. She will qualify at the French Open, also known as Roland-Garros, which will take place between May 22 and June 5 in Paris.

“This is my first grand slam qualifying round,” Öz announced on her Twitter account, posting a photo in front of the Roland Garros logo on May 13.