I love watching tennis. When I lived in Canada, I often went to the National Bank Open in Toronto. Twice I was in the crowd at the US Open in New York City.

Last June, having set down roots in Ghent, I took the train to Eastbourne, UK for a week of watching the women and men play at the Rothesay International tournament.

The sport is in my blood. I love the mano-a-mano or womano-a-womano moments, the ball zooming back and forth across the net. Each player draws the best from her opponent.

And now it’s the Australian Open. I follow the scores on my phone and catch a few matches on TV.

Now the question:

Who do I cheer for?

In my more sublime moments, it doesn’t matter who wins. I simply want to see great tennis – the power, the artistry, the deft touch.

In all those other moments, I pick the player that I want to win. As Canada loosens in me, so does my loyalty to Canadian players such as Leylah Fernandez. Something else is drawing me … the person who’s not expected to win, or the person who stands tall in her courage, or the one who makes me smile.

I lean towards someone young, not as strong or experienced as adult players. Someone like 16-year-old Brenda Fruhvirtova from the Czech Republic. (In Melbourne, she was overwhelmed 6-3 6-2 by Aryna Sabalenka, ranked second in the world.)

I lean towards someone who is open about her mental health struggles, and perhaps has left the game for awhile to regain her emotional balance. Someone like Amanda Anisimova from the United States. (Earlier today she beat Paula Badosa from Spain 7-5 6-4 in the third round. Paula was formerly number two in the world.)

I lean towards someone returning from a serious injury, a player who has watched her world ranking plummet during the period of rehabilitation. Someone like Emma Raducanu from the UK, who won the US Open in 2021 and then succumbed to a series of ankle and wrist surgeries. (Emma won her first match in Australia over Shelby Rogers 6-3, 6-2, and then was bounced from the tournament 6-4 4-6 6-4 by China’s Yafan Wang.)

I lean towards someone who stands up for her country in times of crisis, no matter the criticism she receives for being so outspoken. Someone like Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, who, while treating her Russian opponents with respect during the match, refuses to shake their hand at the end. (Elina defeated Viktoriya Tomova from Bulgaria 6-1 6-3 in the second round.)

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I lean towards those who hold their head high

And keep playing