But nine years later, the 25-year-old is back on court – this time as a padel player.
Said the tennis coach: “When I was younger I wanted to be a pro tennis player, so that dream was gone. After that I didn't think I would become a professional player again, but now with padel, it's like a second opportunity...
“It was really unexpected.”
Even his foray into padel - a mix between tennis and squash which is often played on an enclosed doubles court - was serendipitous.
Towards the end of 2023, Chua tried playing padel for fun and immediately got hooked. While it had some similarities to tennis, the ability to play the ball off the walls of the court added an exhilarating dimension.
He said: “You have a lot of net play, smashing, volleying, but then you have the new challenge, for tennis players especially, to understand how to use the wall.”
He recalled how his “lungs were on fire” after two sets of a drill in one of the first few sessions, as he was not used to the intensity and short bursts of the game.
この記事は The Straits Times の October 03, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です ? サインイン
この記事は The Straits Times の October 03, 2024 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
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