The Tribune

By JONATHAN BURROWS

Tribune Sports Reporter

jburrows@tribunemedia.net

BAHAMIAN professional tennis player Sydney Clarke says the ongoing uncertainty surrounding tennis in The Bahamas has become an added challenge as she continues her pursuit of a WTA ranking and a place at the 2028 Olympic Games.

Clarke, who recently competed in the W15 Huamantla ITF World Tennis Tour events in Huamantla, Mexico, said the issues affecting the local tennis community have weighed on athletes, even as they continue competing internationally.

“Yes, I do feel like it does play a pivotal role because we don’t know the answers or what’s going to come,” Clarke said. “Sometimes it does weigh on my mind, even during matches, but I can’t let that hinder me. Players are suffering and we don’t know what’s going to happen.”

Despite the uncertainty, Clarke said she appreciates those trying to resolve the situation and hopes a solution comes soon.

“I know there are persons working towards trying to solve the problem and I greatly appreciate it, but I just hope it gets solved because it’s sad to see players having to suffer because of unforeseen circumstances.”

While dealing with those distractions, Clarke continued her season on the ITF circuit in Mexico, where she said adapting to unfamiliar playing conditions was one of the biggest obstacles.

She was eliminated in the opening round of singles but believes the experience helped improve her game over the two-week tournament. “I felt that I made great progress with the singles,” Clarke said. “I didn’t make it past the first round, but each week I was able to adapt to the altitude and the conditions. I had a hard time getting the momentum going and being consistent, but I was able to make corrections each week.”

Those adjustments paid off in doubles.

Playing alongside India’s Saumrita Verma for the first time, the pair advanced to the quarterfinals during the first week before reaching the semifinals in the second tournament.

“It was our first time playing together,” Clarke said. “The first week we lost in the quarterfinals and the second week we lost in the semifinals. We even had a chance to make the final. To see the progress we made together, I couldn’t ask for a better result.”

Their semifinal appearance also earned both players valuable WTA doubles ranking points.

“We got points towards obtaining our WTA doubles ranking,” Clarke said. “We both just need one more point to get on the board.”

Clarke explained that players must accumulate at least 10 ranking points before officially appearing in the WTA rankings.

“You need a minimum of 10 points in singles and doubles,” she said. “Once I reach that, it opens more doors and allows me to focus even more on my singles.”

The Bahamian said earning rankings in both disciplines remains a major step toward qualifying for the 2028 Olympic Games.

“It’s still a long way to go,” she said. “I just need one more point in doubles, while in singles I’m still working to accumulate points.”

Her next scheduled stop is expected to be Peru later this year.

“My next tournament looks like it’ll be Peru at the end of November going into December,” Clarke said. “Hopefully I can play some tournaments before then, but that’s where my focus is right now.”

Clarke said the road to the professional ranks and the Olympics continues to demand patience and perseverance.

“Some days mentally it can be exhausting,” she said. “But I always keep my head up, stay positive and trust that the results will come if I keep doing the right things.”

She believes the experience she has gained throughout this season has her moving closer to that breakthrough.

“I’ve played a lot more tournaments this year than last year,” Clarke said. “I’ve gotten a lot more match play and I feel like it’s just a matter of time until I get the results I’m looking for.”