VANCOUVER — Stepping on to the tennis court in Vancouver's Pacific Coliseum last year, Rebecca Marino was "awestruck a little bit."
She was about to play a Billie Jean King Cup qualifier for Canada in the same building where she grew up watching the Vancouver Giants play junior hockey and taking in the spectacle of The SuperDogs at the annual PNE Fair. Dozens of her friends and family were in the crowd, some waving giant cardboard cutouts of her face.
“It was nerve-racking," Marino said. "I feel like there's always a little pressure playing in front of friends and family and wanting to perform well for them and for your country."
On Friday, she'll return to Pacific Coliseum, hoping to once again help Canada advance to the finals at the World Cup of women's tennis.
Last year, she was part of the squad that swept Latvia in Vancouver and advanced to the finals in Glasgow, where the Canadians topped Italy before falling to Switzerland in group play. Switzerland went on to win the world title.
This year, Canada is taking on Belgium in a two-day qualifier on home soil. And this time, Marino's ready for the added pressure a hometown crowd will bring.
"I feel like having that experience last year is going to benefit me this year, that I’ll be a lot more confident and prepared coming in," she said.
The qualifier is the latest step in the 32-year-old's comeback journey.
After achieving a career-high No. 38 in the WTA rankings, the six-foot-tall right-hander stepped away from the sport she loved in 2013 after struggling with burnout, cyber bullying and her mental health.
She returned to competitive tennis in 2018 and has been climbing the standings ever since. After dropping a second-round match to No. 6-seed Coco Gauff at the Miami Open last month, Marino sits at No. 81.
In March, Sport BC recognized the progress Marino has made since getting back on the court by giving her the Harry Jerome Comeback Award.
The honour touched her, especially considering its namesake — a record-breaking sprinter who competed in three Olympics for Canada, winning bronze at the 1964 Tokyo Games.
“(Jerome's) story is an incredible comeback, too. He faced adversity through his whole career through injuries, sort of an underdog story," Marino said. "So I kind of hold that close to my heart. It was really meaningful and I hope to continue this comeback, this upward momentum.”
Climbing back up the WTA rankings has resulted in tougher draws in big competitions, but Marino likes the ways she's been playing this year.
“I have to sort of keep pushing and pushing higher," she said. "But I feel like top 50 is a really achievable goal. I feel like my level of player is there. It's just a matter of having the results match up with that.”
She'll look to improve on her record Friday when she faces Belgium's top player, the No. 86 Ysaline Bonaventure, at the Billie Jean King Cup qualifier.
The match will mark the fourth career meeting between the pair. Marino holds a 2-1 edge in the series after beating Bonaventure in the second round of qualifying at the Abu Dhabi Open in February.
“The advantage of playing her already this year is that we know what her game is like and we know what to expect," Marino said.
The qualifier will open Friday with world No. 50 Leylah Fernandez of Laval, Que., taking on Yanina Wickmayer, who's currently ranked 190th.
Fernandez is also working her way back into top form after suffering a stress fracture in her foot at the French Open in May.
The 20-year-old has pulled together a string of solid results this season, including earlier this month when she reached her first doubles final with American partner Taylor Townsend at the Miami Open.
“I’m never really happy with my progression. I always want to do better, I always want to be perfect. And I think that’s what helps me drive for more," Fernandez said.
"I think if I take a step back and breath, I am happy with the way I conducted myself and not putting added pressure on myself but more accepting the situation that was happening.”
Saturday will feature two more singles showdowns, including Marino playing Wickmayer and Fernandez battling Bonaventure.
The competition will conclude with a doubles match that pits Fernandez and Ottawa's Gabriela Dabrowski against Belgium's Kirsten Flipkens and Greet Minnen.
The Vancouver event is one of nine qualifiers taking place around the globe this week. Winners will advance to November's finals.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 13, 2023.
Gemma Karstens-Smith, The Canadian Press
