Player functions
Mind versus body: Etcheverry's inner struggle
Argentinian talks about his success despite feeling sick during the game
29 August 2024
Luke Hales/Getty Images
Tomas Martin Etcheverry faces Alexander Zverev in the third round of the US Open.
By ATPTour.com/es Staff
Tomas Martin Etcheverry knows the feeling of nausea all too well; he's experienced more than his fair share of it. But when he started to feel sick during his last US Open match, he was scared. “What's going on?” he thought as he felt dizzy.
The sudden attack did not look good. The Argentine vomited near the towel area on Court No. 12. But it did not stop him from securing a place in the third round of the US Open, where he will face fourth seed Alexander Zverev on Friday.
Not feeling well and still winning is nothing new for the 25-year-old. Only four months ago, Etcheverry played against Colombian Daniel Elahi Galan in Houston, where “Tomy” had to vomit before finishing the game. “That's normal now,” he said with a smile after Wednesday's incident against fellow countryman Francisco Cerundolo. “It's happened to me many times.”
There are various reasons for this conflict between body and mind. On Wednesday, dehydration was the main cause. He was very worried that the temperatures of almost 40 degrees Celsius would bother him. “I should have consumed more salt and liquids, but I didn't. That's why I had to vomit. My body couldn't handle it,” explained the number 33 in the PIF ATP rankings.
Nerves also played a role in Etcheverry's internal struggles. Before the age of 17, he was plagued by competition on the tennis court, often vomiting before or during a match. The La Plata native first alleviated the problem by eating better, then by taking longer rest periods, and finally by starting to work with a psychologist. But the problem is not yet completely resolved.
One thing has never changed: Etcheverry's attitude. His fighting spirit is one of his greatest strengths. Sometimes his body tells him to stop, but his spirit always wants to keep playing. In the end, the spirit wins the fight, as in the duel with Cerundolo, against whom he also sprained his ankle. He had to receive medical attention, but unlike the bout of nausea, it was only a minor blow.
“The ankle thing was nothing. The real scare came when I started getting dizzy. I said, 'What's going on, man?' I was scared. But you have to adapt. I know I have to deal with things like that. At that point, the match was for whoever wanted it more. Whoever gave up first was going to lose, so I had to keep dealing with it,” Etcheverry added.
Even after the nearly five-hour game, he was still struggling with nausea. There was one more hurdle to overcome: an ice bath, cooling down on the exercise bike, massages from his physiotherapist, almost an hour of interviews with the media, a meal to recover and the first thoughts of the next game. Most surprising was that he did not seem as tired as one would have imagined.
“I've played many matches with more adversity,” Etcheverry said. “For example, last year in the first round of this tournament I won 7-6 in the fifth set and was in a much worse position than I am today.”
If his calculations are correct, Etcheverry will be fit in time for Friday's match against 2020 finalist Zverev, who leads the Lexus ATP Head2Head series 1-0 after a four-set battle at Roland Garros last year. It will be Etcheverry's first foray into the third round of the New York tournament.
“I already have experience playing against him and I know how to play against him. The good news is that I'm playing well again and I feel confident,” said Etcheverry, who has won two games in a row for the first time since Roland Garros. “I'm going to focus on my recovery. Sleep, rest and good food will be enough. But I really want to play this match. I'm going to win no matter what.”
Another piece of good news for Etcheverry is the weather forecast: “Fortunately, temperatures will drop.”
Editor's note: This story was translated from ATPTour.com/es.
