For the former tennis player, there is a difference. And it’s not genetic
According to former top German player Andrea Petkovic, girls in tennis don’t live out their competitiveness as openly as boys. “Not because there is a genetic difference, but because girls and boys are socialized differently,” the now 36-year-old told Playboy magazine in an interview.
Young girls are often taught that it is not okay to be openly competitive in sport. “They should be liked by everyone, not be cheeky and so on. You can see what that sometimes leads to later on in training, for example,” said Pektovic.
“The boys say to each other: if you lose the set, do ten push-ups and laugh about it. They are competitors, but still friends.” Petkovic, who ended her own career in 2022, said that girls tend to bottle things up, which can lead to problems. She herself was different from an early age, she emphasized: “Also because I was lucky enough to grow up with eight cousins, you quickly put that aside. “
