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Sporting Life
As seasons stretch and bodies tire, athletes have to hold on to joy
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Sport is often well paid and glamorous, but there’s an unseen strain to this full-time, all-year life under the pressure of the public microscope.
ST PHOTO: NG SOR LUAN
Learner Tien plays four hours and 49 minutes against Daniil Medvedev at the 2025 Australian Open. He finishes at 2.54am. He speaks to media, stretches, eats and gets to sleep around 7am. Two matches later he loses and is asked how he feels.
“A bit broken.”
