In the immediate aftermath of Hurricane Maria’s devastation of Puerto Rico, Monica Puig—the island’s first-ever Olympic gold medalist—is hoping to inspire from half a world away. Now into the Round of 16 at the Wuhan Open in China, Puig talks about believing, rebuilding and coming together.
In tennis, sometimes you’re up and sometimes you’re down, but you always have to find a way to win. Tennis is known for being an individual, almost selfish sport. At one point, I was so focused on my results this year and how I was struggling. I won the Olympics in 2016 and now I’m at rock bottom, but then all of a sudden something like Hurricane Maria happens and it gives you a reality check.