Alison Van Uytvanck on life after tennis and Grand Slam anxiety: ‘Now I can breathe a bit more’

“I had a lot of anxiety attacks. I couldn’t sleep for days before. “When you’re playing in a big arena it’s from the moment you wake up — you just wish to fast-forward time and be done.” Playing big matches on the biggest stages in tennis is what players dream of, but for Alison Van Uytvanck, the experience often felt like a nightmare. A skilful player with an all-court game who was most successful on the natural surfaces, Van Uytvanck retired from tennis in August, aged 30. She won five WTA-lev