Tennis player has struggled with melancholy since her previous Australian Open and just lost her father.
Joe Marino died from Cancer.
Joe Marino cause of death: What happened to Rebecca Marino father?
Rebecca Marino, a Canadian, says she “feels like a new person” after eight years since her last Grand Slam match.
After cruising through qualification without dropping a set, Marino, a 30-year-old from Vancouver, will compete in the Australian Open main event.
In 2011, she climbed as high as 38th in the WTA rankings, but by 2012, she had given up tennis due to despair from dealing with online bullying.
Marino’s recovery hasn’t been completely trouble-free. Her return was delayed from late 2018 to early 2019 because she was late to re-enter the WTA’s anti-doping program.
With a victory at a $15K tournament in which she didn’t lose a set, that return was resounding. At her subsequent competition, she replicated the feat and went on to win three straight.
Marino tore her plantar fascia later in the year, making even walking difficult for the tennis player.
