There was nothing Sacha Jones couldn’t do on a tennis court. Her incredible talent, poise and determination led to a number one ranking in New Zealand tennis in 2009. She was living the professional athlete’s dream.
But on the inside, Sacha (26) was struggling. Depression, loneliness, incredible pressure and a horror run of injuries were beginning to consume her.
“At the time, I didn’t really know how to handle what I was feeling,” she tells the Weekly.
“I felt like a failure, not good enough, quite insecure and I didn’t have a lot of inner confidence. Much of my self-esteem came from my results and how well I was doing, so when I didn’t have that after I retired, I didn’t have any internal resources to pull on.
“And I was fortunate to have quite a lot of help. I thought to myself, ‘Gosh, there must be lots of other girls going through these feelings of loneliness who don’t have the same help.’”
Now retired from tennis and living in Auckland as a coach, Sacha has taken the lessons she learnt as a pro to help other women to deal with some of the same issues.
She’s started up website realyou.co.nz with friend and qualified counsellor Stephanie Hughes (29) to provide guidance to young Kiwi women struggling in their lives.
Sacha’s story begins at the tender age of two, when she first picked up a tennis racquet – after all, when your brother is GD Jones, one of New Zealand’s top tennis players and coaches, it’s going to be in your blood.
After months of travelling to the US for tennis tournaments and special training, Sacha resolved, at the age of 13, that this was the life for her.
“I’d just left school and started home-schooling,” she says. “I won the 18 and Under New Zealand Tennis Nationals at the age of 13 – I think I was the youngest to do that – and decided then I really wanted to pursue tennis as a career.”
What followed was years of blood, sweat and tears as she worked her way to the top of local tennis and played professionally around the world, even competing with some of the world’s biggest tennis talents, including Caroline Wozniacki.
The media loved her and Sacha soon developed a profile. But along with this, she also began to suffer from setbacks.
“The most difficult part of my career was that I had a lot of injuries,” admits Sacha. “I had 12 stress fractures in total, so it meant I could only play for a few months at a time and then would have to take time off for rehab. It was just such a frustrating cycle.”
Sacha would get to the top of her game – reaching a world ranking of 160 at the age of 19 – and then injury would strike. After clawing her way back to a ranking of 150 in the world aged 21 (and earning a wildcard for the Australian Open), Sacha ruptured a ligament in her wrist.
At the same time, she decided to switch her allegiance to Australia, her father’s native country, and faced a backlash.
“That was just really hard to take,” she nods.
“I’d decided to play for Australia to take advantage of opportunities to further my career that I couldn’t get here. I had so much anguish over that decision and faced a lot of criticism. It was so tough.”
During the difficult times, Sacha relied on guidance from mentors close to her and says the advice she received was invaluable.
“I would have so much loved to have someone I could really talk to when I was younger, who wasn’t a close person in my life, who wouldn’t judge me and could help me, so that’s where the website was born!”
So much of her journey, she says, has shaped who she is today.
She now mentors young players as well as coaching them. She interviewed some of the biggest tennis stars on court at the ASB Classic and Heineken Open for Sky Sport, but her baby is realyou.co.nz.
The website deals with all issues facing young women, including body image, mental health, relationships and career questions. Anyone can ask anonymous questions, and get support from both Sacha and Stephanie. The pair plan to take their message to schools and even start up workshops.
“I can share my experiences and relate to how they’re feeling. There is so much to tell all New Zealand girls. One of the big things is that you are so much more than your body – you have so much to offer. We want to help these women with insecurities and encourage them to get inspired in their lives… and know they aren’t alone.”
Words: Ciara Pratt
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