Emmanuelle Morch

Started: She began the sport in 2011 at age 21 in Antony, France. (Athlete, 24 Aug 2024) Reason: Originally involved in horse riding and gymnastics, she became interested in wheelchair tennis after her accident when Jean-Pierre Limborg invited her to play a match. After initially taking up the sport she had doubts about her ability. "I had a lot of doubt during this journey. I was not sure about succeeding. I had a lot of tough moments with injuries, exhaustion, and many questions like, 'Why am I doing this?', 'Do I really love playing tennis?' and 'Why is it so painful to lose a match?' I wanted to keep moving on and the more things I was busy with the better I felt. That's why I continued my studies and played a new sport during this time." (beboldpeople.com, 13 Dec 2016) Ambition: To compete at all four Grand Slam events. (Athlete, 24 Aug 2024) Additional Info: TURNING PRO In 2019 she decided to focus fully on wheelchair tennis and turned professional. She had previously worked for a personal care company as a marketing project manager. She felt she needed to focus on the sport full-time to help her game improve. "I still do conferences for my sponsors, which allows me to make a living from tennis. Among women, in the top 50, very few work alongside because the level rises so much that it is necessary to train a lot every day, to follow the circuit around the world, which is not very compatible with another job." (LinkedIn profile, 21 Apr 2024; fft.fr, 04 Jun 2021)

Sporting Relatives: Her husband Valentin Desanges has served as her personal coach. (Athlete, 24 Aug 2024)