LuksikaKumkhum
Falling in love with the game
My father is a tennis coach, so I started playing with him. From the age of three, I started following him to the court pretty much every day. I gradually improved and was regularly ranked first or second in the national juniors then, when I was 13, I broke into Thailand’s national team.
I love the challenge of dealing with an opponent’s game, their strengths, their styles.
But my main reason for playing now is to use tennis as a way of taking care of my parents. That’s the best thing I can do in my life.
My parents are what drives me – in sport and in life. They’re my greatest source of encouragement and my driving force. I love them. Without them, I would not be where I am today.
I love the challenge of dealing with an opponent’s game, their strengths, their styles.
My best so far
There have been a few special moments in my career already. My pinnacle so far was probably qualifying in third place for the 2018 Australian Open, beating the world number six.
My ultimate goal is to break into the top 10 in the world rankings. To do that, I just have to give my best every day. Like my favourite quote says: ‘Make today the best. We do not know what will happen after this.’
Player Stats
Day in. Day out.
You have to put in the hours every single day. I usually go to the practice court every morning. Then I go to the gym after practice, at least three times a week.
My pro tip
I meditate every morning so I feel less stressed during the day. I highly recommend it as a way of keeping yourself level when there’s so much else going on. That sense of calm helps after a bad match or training session. That idea that it was just one day. That this too shall pass. It was a lesson to be solved for the next time and I believe the future can be better than the past.
My role models help me to keep trying too. Roger Federer is the king of tennis, but even he fails sometimes. Yet he can always find a way to win. Tamarine Tanasugarn is also a big inspiration for me, she’s my idol.
Staying grounded
I’ve been used to travelling since I was young. I do feel lonely sometimes, without a coach
or anyone else with me, but it’ something we have to do in our sport. No one can get everything they desire in life.
But we do get to visit some amazing places. I love playing the Australian Open It’s a great tournament and the weather is very similar to home.
When I’m not playing tennis, I like to relax. I play the ukulele and listen to music. I watch movies or go to a café to take pictures. I enjoy playing basketball, but to be honest, I’ll happily watch every sport.
Join our community
Thanks for signing up
Now you're a part of the Dunlop community, we'll keep you in the know with our latest news and offers.