Pauline Deroulede

Started: She began playing wheelchair tennis in 2018 with the TC Voisins-le-Bretonneux club in France. (Franceinfo Facebook page, 18 Jul 2024; Instagram profile, 14 Apr 2024) Reason: She played tennis before her accident so it was natural to her to get involved in wheelchair tennis. "I switched from recreational player to a high performance athlete thanks to training." (lemonde.fr, 26 Dec 2022) Ambition: To win a medal at the 2024 Paralympic Games in Paris. (itftennis.com, 02 Nov 2023) Additional Info: PARENTHOOD Her wife Typhaine gave birth to the couple's daughter Ava in July 2022. "It's true that the birth of my daughter changed my life; it deeply affected me. Now, I have to manage the absence when I go to tournaments, and it's a real challenge, but it's part of the sacrifices at the elite level, and I've learned to accept it. And on the court, now I want to win so that my daughter can be proud of me in the future and say that her mum is a tennis champion. That's worth all the victories. Now I play to win for my daughter. I want her to be proud, and it gives me a supernatural strength when I'm in a match. It feels like I have an extra weapon in my racket! Whenever possible, my wife and I arrange for them to accompany me to competitions. The year 2024 is crucial, and I'll need my entire team around me, so hopefully, they'll be with me more often." (itftennis.com, 02 Nov 2023) FURTHER EDUCATION She has studied communications at Sorbonne Nouvelle University in Paris, France. (LinkedIn profile, 20 Jul 2024)