Roos van Reek got better as the week went on at the English Open, picking up a bronze in singles, a silver in doubles (with Kaitlynn Hart), and finally a gold in mixed doubles (with Richard Livornese). She says it’s been a long journey in the last 12 months.
“This is my second year playing the English Open, and for me, it feels like a milestone,” she tells Pickleball 52. “A year ago, I played my first matches against Americans. I didn’t win, but I could compete with them and learned a lot. From there, my pickleball career really started to roll.”
It’s no wonder she admits: “I’m also a little proud of myself for what I’ve accomplished in exactly a year.”
Although she says she did not have big expectations of success in singles (“I’m getting better, but there’s still a lot to improve”), when it came to the doubles, she was more confident.
“I knew my women’s doubles partner, Kaity, and I could do very well in this tournament. Last year, we fell just short in the semi-final and bronze medal match, but this year we came in more confident. She’s one of my regular partners, an absolute gun on and off the court. She is the best. She picks me up when I need it, and because we play together so often, we know what to expect from each other.”
Her mixed doubles partner was less familiar to her – but they clicked immediately.
“In mixed doubles with Richard, I had no expectations at all. We first met at the English Open last year, and this was our first time playing together. I was more excited to team up with him than focused on results. He’s an amazing human being, and his character has reminded me to enjoy the moments on court more.
“He’s so present in the moment, something I need to work on too. You know that meme about who’s the black cat and who’s the golden retriever? I can definitely see myself as the black cat, which is not usually the case!” she laughs. “He is 100% the golden retriever. He’s super positive, and I hope we get to play more tournaments together.”
Roos spends most of the year travelling for pickleball, away from her home in the Netherlands. It means she gets to see lots of new places, and she’s quick to thank Ramsport, a Chinese clothing and paddle brand, who are supporting her to play more tournaments in Asia. In fact, after the English Open, she flew out to Vietnam for a training week with the Ramsport team, ahead of her next competition, at the Hong Kong PPA Asia.
The 24-year-old has become a mainstay of the scene in Australia, which she describes as “an amazing place for pickleball”, adding: “Without Australia and its leagues, I couldn’t be doing what I’m doing now.”
Still, there’s a downside to living the dream.
“I miss my family and friends every day, and I take every moment I get to spend with them when I’m home. They’ve been incredibly supportive of my journey, even though I get very homesick sometimes. My parents visit whenever they can, and take a good holiday at the same time! The last time was for the MLP in New Zealand this April, which was really special. When they can’t be there I know my mom watches all my matches on livestream, setting an alarm in the middle of the night if she needs to!”
Congratulations on your awesome results Roos. We hope you will come back and defend your mixed doubles title next year!