グレイソン・ゴールディンは今年2月、2度の脳卒中で一時は言葉を失った。それから半年後の8月、中国・深センで開かれたSkechers Shenzhen Open（PPAツアー・アジア）男子シングルス決勝で、第3ゲーム5-10の劣勢からベトナム最上位のヒエン・チュオンを12-10で振り切り、キャリア初のPPAタイトルを掴んだ。試合のスコアだけを見れば逆転劇だが、その裏側には競技復帰そのものを疑われた選手の半年がある。日本でも怪我や病気からコート復帰を目指すプレーヤーにとって、初戦から積み重ねる彼の復帰の道筋は、具体的な手がかりになる。
He lost his speech in February and was dropped by the Palm Beach Royals right after being drafted
Goldin came out of tennis. He reached No. 1 in the US juniors and played Division I tennis at the University of Alabama and Florida State before switching to pickleball at the end of 2023. Armed with a 69 mph (about 111 km/h) serve, among the fastest in the pro game, he was drafted at 31 by the Palm Beach Royals of Major League Pickleball (MLP).
That February, the day after a practice session heading into the Carvana Mesa Cup, he collapsed. By his own account he could not speak, and a later diagnosis told him he had suffered two strokes. The Royals used him once, then moved him to injured reserve and released him from his contract. I could have died in February, he said after the final, looking back. It was a restart from a point where the very premise of a pro returning to the top level within six months of a life-threatening illness had collapsed.
First-round exits in Tokyo and Ho Chi Minh City, then the former tennis player's speed returned in Shenzhen
The road back was not smooth. Goldin traveled the PPA Tour Asia through the summer but lost his opening match in both Tokyo and Ho Chi Minh City and never reached the later rounds. Shenzhen was where the tide turned. He beat Cameron Ruhling 11-4, 11-0 in his opener, his first singles win since February. From there he took out Mitchell Hargreaves, Zane Ford and 15-year-oldTama Shimabukuro, fresh off two titles in Tokyo,to reach the final. Over those matches the foot speed and the bite on his serve that he built in tennis came back.
Seven straight points from 5-10 down at match point to beat Hien Truong 12-10
His opponent in the final was Hien Truong, the highest-ranked Vietnamese player in the world rankings. Vietnamese players are strong at home in Asia, and in Ho Chi Minh City theytook a long-awaited gold on home soil. Goldin dropped the first game 4-11 and fell behind 9-4 in the second. From there he ran seven straight points to take it 11-9 and level the match at one game each. In the deciding third he trailed 2-8 early and gave Truong match point at 5-10. Normally the match ends there, but Goldin did not concede another point, taking seven in a row to close it out 12-10 and claim the gold.
Lay the scores out and you can see he stops the bleeding at the moments that decide a match. It is also evidence that the instinct a tennis player has for seizing back control of a rally survived his illness.
| Phase | Score | Opponent |
|---|---|---|
| Opening match | 11-4, 11-0 | Cameron Ruhling |
| Final, game 1 | 4-11 | Hien Truong |
| Final, game 2 | 11-9 (seven straight points from 4-9) | Hien Truong |
| Final, game 3 | 12-10 (saved match point at 5-10) | Hien Truong |
Scores based on reporting by pickleball.com. MP = match point.
復帰への道筋：段階的アプローチが勝敗より先にある
Goldin's six months map directly onto anyone in Japan coming back to the court from injury or illness. He had no results early on in Tokyo and Ho Chi Minh City, but he did not panic and pull back; he built from one opening-round win to gold in Shenzhen. The order mattered: getting back to a state where he could play came before winning. At the same tournament,44-year-old Rika Fujiwara also came back from 5-10 with seven straight points. Age and physical limits aside, the concentration to win close endings can be trained.
- Make the comeback event about stages, such as winning the opening match or taking one game, rather than about rankings or titles
- Do not leave point runs from behind to luck; drill taking back control through the depth of your serve and return
- If your condition is uncertain, choose a setting that stacks up matches, such as a tour, over a single event, to give yourself time to get your feel back
Goldin's gold was no miracle but six months rebuilt from one opening-round win
Six months after two strokes, Goldin saved match point at 5-10 in Shenzhen, beat Hien Truong 12-10 and took his first PPA title. What he showed was not a single miracle but a comeback rebuilt in order from that first win. If you are heading back to the court after illness or injury, find one opponent you can beat and one game you can take, then stack matches from there. The Shenzhen gold sat at the end of that line.
