One Heart | Friends to Lovers

Chapter 2

"I did not sign up for this shit." I pant as I push my legs further.

"Um, I hate to break it to you but you kinda did."

"No when I said 'professional tennis player' I meant tennis, pretty dresses, tournaments you know... not whatever this is." I can't breathe as I tap the ground again setting off on my run back up the court. I push myself regardless of my silly antics with my coach. I am a very dramatic person at the most unnecessary times, driving Felix up the wall on the daily.

"You cannot beat people without the basic principles."

"Well, your basic principles can go- ... go away, i'm fit enough. I can out run Aaron and that's saying something."

"Congrats but outrunning your other half but it's not going to get you a grand slam title."

"Boo."

"So stop chatting and run you're getting slower and slower you potato."

"Hey! I'm only a potato outside of training hours."

"You're a potato all the time. The quicker you accept that fact, the easier life will be for you. I have been coaching you since you were 2 and a half years old and I still can't get you onto your toes properly. Even after you were on crutches... twice because of it you still haven't learnt."

"I apologise for not being the stellar student Felix, but if you've been training me for that long I think it's not just my fault." I knew I was pushing my limits but... limits were meant to be pushed, right?

"Right. Do that again." The middle aged man remarks sharply. "Twice."

"Twice?! Oh my god." I roll my eyes as I start to get dizzy from reaching down to the court level repeatedly, my calves and thighs burning, lungs unable to work at full capacity.

"You asked for it"

"I didn't ask to die."

"You're not going to die stop being so dramatic. If you're dying you're not at the level you should be. You're going to Roland Garros next week and you're dying over a few suicides."

"A few?! This is my 11th run"

"Make it 15."

"You've got to be absolutely kidding me."

"If you're still talking it obviously means you aren't doing it hard enough. MOVE YOUR ASS."

I grunt but push on. Baseline to service line and back, baseline to the net and back, baseline to the service line on the other-side of the net and back, baseline to baseline and then do it again the other way. Over and over again until I could no longer feel my body, but the results and the outcomes of pushing myself over the edge on the daily is so worth it.

My Mom was always adamant on her children doing a sport, hence why I started as soon as I could walk. Aaron also did tennis but gave it up when I started getting bigger claiming he had to make a bigger name for himself elsewhere.

I have been technically a professional tennis player since I was fourteen, also I had been playing in larger tournaments since I was six. When I had risen up to the USTA tournaments I had been labelled a 'child prodigy.' Earning my blue chip in that draw (highest points possible) way before I was supposed to. I became a rare exception and went pro when I was sixteen instead of waiting to go to college on the many scholarships I had been offered like most of my competitors.

I had also joined the junior ITF pro circuit at fourteen gaining both a national and International ranking and since then I had travelled the world playing and winning tournament after tournament building my ranking and my reputation. I was signed with Adidas the moment I turned sixteen and since then they'd made me their poster girl in the US. I still don't understand why I wasn't much of a model.