Former world No. 4 Kimiko Date said Wednesday she has yet to give life after sport a serious thought, as she is still going back and forth between strange emptiness and ecstatic relief now that she has retired from competitive tennis.
"There's a sentiment of sadness but at the same time, I'm relieved that I don't have to worry about my condition every morning when I wake up. I do feel reassured and liberated," said Date, who ended her career with a straight-sets loss at the recent Japan Women's Open.
When life resumes its normal course, the 46-year-old knows she would like to act as a sports ambassador and help tennis occupy a predominant place in the country, but she is not sure whether she will ever choose a career in coaching.