Chapter 27 Chapter 23 Brokerage Company

On December 22, 2008, I had my second knee surgery in Munich, Germany. The whole operation was arranged by me and Jiang Shan.It will be Christmas soon, and the doctor specially chose the operation time on Christmas Eve, so as to ensure that I can stay in the hospital during the Christmas period and eat sick meals on time.He told me: All shops are closed during the Christmas period. If I am discharged from the hospital at that time, I am afraid that I will not even be able to eat well. By the time I could be discharged from the hospital, it was already December 26th. Jiang Shan and I did not disturb anyone, thanked the doctors and nurses and left the hospital.Jiang Shan took the doctor's prescription and went to the pharmacy to buy the anti-inflammatory injection I was going to take. I waited for him to come back at the subway station with a cane.Germans like to stay at home during the holidays. At this time, Christmas has passed for two days, the shops are still closed, the whole city is empty, and the streets and alleys are eerily quiet.

After Jiang Shan came back, he also said that Munich has completely changed. There is no one on the street, only the pharmacy has opened a small door. Compared with the usual prosperity, there is a huge gap.Fortunately, we Chinese basically don't feel much about Christmas, and it won't arouse nostalgia for it.He helped me back to the station—we were living in a guest room at a local sports school, and we began the recovery process of self-reliance. The small apartment is well equipped, with a stove and a stove, so you can cook for yourself.Jiang Shan followed the doctor's advice and hoarded a lot of food before Christmas, and now he has used all of it.When I was recuperating from my injuries, Jiang Shan was busy washing rice, cooking rice, frying vegetables and so on in the kitchen every day.His cooking skills are passable, at least filling his stomach is not a problem.I eat love lunch and love dinner made by Jiang Shan every day, watch TV and surf the Internet to pass the time.The leg that had undergone surgery was still high on the head of the bed, not daring to move easily.

When I get tired of watching TV, I turn on the computer and surf the Internet, chat with friends in China, watch the Korean dramas I brought, and live happily.As a tennis player, I usually either play desperately or train hard. It is rare that I don’t touch the racket for a few days. If I don’t consider the pain from my right leg hanging high above the bed, to be honest, these days are really painful. Quite comfortable. The biggest annoyance is the injection.During the Christmas period, the doctor couldn't give me injections, so he taught me simple operation techniques and asked me to do it myself.I went to the hospital to see a doctor give me an injection, and it was done after three or two strokes, without any pain at all, but when I was holding the thin syringe, I suddenly realized that it takes courage to get an injection.

Jiang Shan volunteered and said, "I'll fight for you!" I declined.Men are always heavy-handed. I don't trust him very much, and it's best to fight by myself. But where to fight?ass?I can't reach it.There is a lot of meat in the thighs and stomach, and it looks good... I pinched the thighs, and pinched the stomach, and I felt that there was still a little more meat on the stomach, so let's go to the stomach! Without the doctor's swift action, I hesitantly inserted the needle into the skin, but it didn't hurt very much. I wiped the sweat from my palm, slowly pushed the medicine in, and pulled out the needle!Jiang Shan helped me wipe the eye of the needle with an alcohol cotton ball—actually, this is not difficult.

I gave myself an injection every day. After 5 consecutive days, the Christmas holiday was over, and the doctor gave me the next few injections. The rehabilitation training started on the fourth day after I was discharged from the hospital. Like last time, I couldn't move my legs temporarily, so I followed the coach to do upper body exercises first. After surgery, it usually takes one to two weeks to walk freely with crutches.After the first surgery, I wasn't sure if I could recover as scheduled. I was worried about the upcoming Olympics and my spirit was very bad. This time it was much calmer.

The doctor told me: It takes about 4 to 6 weeks to fully recover after the operation, depending on the individual's physical condition. He thinks that with my physical condition, it will take about 5 weeks to recover.Sure enough, I will be able to start training in 5 weeks, which is really predictable. After the two operations, the relationship between me and the doctor gradually became familiar, and we became very good friends.During that time, I went to his office almost every 5 days for an injection, and Coach Hanas, who helped me with my rehabilitation training, would sometimes ask for his opinion.In order to facilitate my training, sometimes I should go for an injection, and the doctor would not let me go to him. He personally took a small medicine box and drove over for 20 minutes. After the injection, he would go back.

In 2010, the doctor simply moved his office upstairs to Hanas's, so he didn't even have to wait for the 20 minutes. Some people say that Germans are old-fashioned and arrogant. I don’t feel that way. I even think that “arrogance” may be the impression that some Chinese leaders have on Germans. The leaders respond to everyone in the country, and the people below obey the leader’s face and act. , but the Germans don't think about these things very much. Since everyone is in a cooperative relationship, they will treat you like a partner.At least the Germans I have encountered in my life are very tolerant and generous, and they also respect foreign friends and cultures.When I went to see the strength and conditioning coach Hanas, my doctor Eric Brownback joked while taking pictures of us: "Today is our China Day!" I have never been a credulous person, but to this group German friends, I have always been at ease.They are all very kind people.

Some people say that Germans are strict and punctual, and I have a deep understanding of this.My doctor is very time conscious and very service oriented.He can change his vacation plans for the patient's condition.When the Icelandic volcano erupted, my doctor was on vacation in Spain at the time. He had planned to get an injection on Monday, but the plane couldn’t fly back, so he rented a car and drove back to Munich from Spain to give me the injection.I was very moved, but on his side, he felt that this was normal and it was his job. The injection Eric prescribed to me was really helpful.The problem with my knees is equivalent to cartilage wear and tear, and fluid accumulates when the wear is severe.People's cartilage tissue is generally flat, but my knee joints are always rubbing, and there will be more cartilage.When it was the worst, I couldn't even go to the toilet. I had to put a pillow under it when I slept, and I couldn't straighten my legs at all.The purpose of the operation is to flatten the cartilage, but the cartilage can grow repeatedly, and it will continue to grow after the operation.The doctor told me that as long as I continued to exercise, my knee would never be fully healed.

Before the third operation, I asked the doctor if there was a radical cure. He said that there are only two ways to cure it: either to polish off all the cartilage on the bone, and then spend 8 months to let it grow out; Change to another kind of artificial cartilage, but artificial cartilage is only suitable for ordinary people. If an athlete undergoes replacement surgery, his sports career will end thereupon. At present, no athlete can return to the court after undergoing replacement surgery. I didn't dare to try these two methods-I definitely couldn't do the replacement operation, and I couldn't wait for 8 months, so I finally did the third operation according to the first two methods, but this is the latter. That's it.

Most tennis matches are held in Europe, so I live in Munich for half a year. Shortening the distance with doctors and coaches can facilitate my training and adjustment, and save me the trouble of visas from China to Europe.My doctor Eric and my fitness coach Hanas are here. Since I have my own team, Munich is a city I often come to. I can check my physical condition at any time and maintain physical training.Since the first surgery, the knee needs to be injected basically every 5 days, which is equivalent to adding oil to the car. After so many years, from the beginning of being afraid of needles to being able to chat while having injections is really a leap forward. Sometimes I think , am I a person who relies on needles to maintain his sports life? (Of course it is clean, and I will never touch illegal drugs, let alone do things that I am sorry for myself.) Physical training is very important to me. If you want to maintain the ability to fight, you must have strong physical fitness as a guarantee.Physical training is generally very boring, especially when you just repeat the same plan every day after surgery and recovery, sometimes you will doubt what your persistence is for. But when you see that the atrophied muscles are getting stronger and your competitive state is getting better and better, you must thank those cold equipment and rigid plans for the results that you have brought to you. At that time, you will feel that your original Persistence is so important.They are my regular team, more like friends, we will get together and enjoy the festive atmosphere of the Christmas Market (Christmas Market).

No matter where in the world I compete, I know that they will support me silently. No matter my results are good or bad, when I return to Munich, they will greet me with the warmest hugs. This is enough, and I am even more grateful to them Spend it with me on my 30th birthday! My team is actually not big, just three or four people.The entire team is basically fixed in Munich, and only Jiang Shan and the therapist followed me during the game.We don't have a press spokesman on the team, and there are game doctors to take care of the players during the game, and I don't have to bring the doctor to the game. Although there are not many people in the team, after a year, all kinds of expenses will add up to 7 million to 10 million.This includes the salary paid to the coach, air tickets and hotel expenses accompanying the coach. When the grades are good, the coach can also get a commission from the bonus. The salary of the physical coach in Munich is also included in this. The physical coach helps me with winter training. Fees are settled according to class hours, which is also an expense. All these expenses are paid for by the bonuses I play and the sponsorship of the brand.During the French Open, my team spent more than 10,000 RMB per day. Sometimes when I chat with the children of the national team, I can't help but say "you are so comfortable". In fact, for young players, it is very good to be in the national team.Although you can only get 35% of the bonus, you don't need to invest money.The investment in tennis is still very high, and it is difficult for young players to afford it.In foreign countries, if young players want to make their mark, either their family has strong financial strength, or they have made their mark in the youth competition at a young age and won the support of some companies (just like Nike sponsored me to study tennis in the United States). Ordinary people It is not so easy to stand out on your own ability.This is also the cruelty of professional tennis: this is a world that speaks by performance.If you have no prize money, no sponsors, you have no way to pay for the coaching team, you can't get good training conditions, and you will eventually be eliminated.To be a professional player, one must be mentally prepared to bet and admit defeat. The situation of our crop of players is very special. We are players who grew up under the nationwide mechanism and have a deep affection for the country.When I was young, the country helped me a lot. The provincial team paid us to hire coaches and take care of our travel expenses when we went abroad to play games.Therefore, after the "solo flight", in addition to being responsible for our own profits and losses, we also have to pay a certain percentage of income. Income is also reasonable.I am willing to repay my motherland in various ways. I hope that my reward can be used to build our country's sports cause, so that more children can receive good physical education and enjoy the fun of sports. I am lucky to have the opportunity to change the way I train in the past. As a "veteran", I often feel lonely: the inherent loneliness of tennis itself - when the game starts, you can't talk to your team, you can't touch your opponent, and you have to fight alone most of the time. In addition, there is the loneliness of race. In China, tennis is not considered a mainstream sport. There are few yellow faces in the world tennis world where there are many strong players. I have to work very hard to keep up with the rhythm of European and American players and adapt to their culture. Finally, it is the loneliness of age. The four of us who piloted "solo flight" together at the beginning, Yan Zi has retired.Peng Shuai and Zheng Jie are still fighting.It seems that Li Ting retired in 2008 without playing in the Olympics. She is more than two years older than me. We played together from the provincial team.European and American players of the same age as me have also retired one after another. At the age of 30, I am an out-and-out "veteran".Although the doctor told me that due to the experience of retiring for more than two years in the middle of the game, in terms of physical wear and tear, my body has obvious advantages compared with athletes of the same age, but when you look at the people around you one by one When you leave, you will still miss the past time and your teammates who have fought side by side with you when you are full of childish enthusiasm on the faces of the newly replaced teenagers. This sense of loneliness makes me value my small team more. My small team includes not only coaches, doctors and family members, but also staff sent by sponsors.We got to know each other completely through the years of being together, and they have been a great support to me on many occasions. When it comes to sponsored brands, I have to talk about the cooperation with Nike over the years.I accepted the sponsorship of this brand when I was a teenager, and they also paid for the tuition to go to the online school in the United States. After more than ten years, I have a deep relationship and become good friends with the Nike staff. According to the contract, I have to shoot two commercials for Nike every year.My agency also recognized my cooperation with Nike. They positioned me as a "healthy and sunny athlete image". I also like this positioning very much, and it fits me very well. I really like the two commercials "Strong is Beautiful" and Nike's "Change everything with sports" that WTA filmed for me. These two commercials were determined for me by the agency. Signing a contract with a brokerage company is also something that has a relatively large impact on me. I was in the national team before 2008, so I definitely couldn't have my own agency.After the reform at the end of the year, I left the national team. I had to deal with many tedious matters personally. Although Thomas helped me, I still felt annoyed. At this time, several brokerage companies began to contact us, and I received many invitations one after another. . Among these companies, IMG has the oldest qualifications and the best conditions. Under IMG, there are a group of top players in the world such as Federer and Sharapova.I thought about it for a while and finally decided to sign with IMG. Let professionals do professional things. Signing IMG has greatly lightened my burden and put our entire team on the right track. The first was to free Thomas from the chore of booking hotels and plane tickets.When I go out to play games now, the agency will come to me to determine which games I want to participate in and how many rooms I need.Then help me make a reservation, pick up and drop off the airport, and you can also talk to the brokerage company.Which competitions to participate in each year is basically decided by myself. Of course, there are some competitions that must be participated in.If I need a new coach, therapist or assistant, I can also consult with the agency, and they will give me some reasonable suggestions. Endorsements and brand sponsorship are also handled by the brokerage company. After the broker receives the sponsorship contract from the partner, he will tell me that there is such a contract and ask me if I think it is suitable. If it is suitable, they will discuss it again. If there is an event, the agent will first send me an email to introduce the content of the event, and then decide whether to attend according to my intention.They only provide a service and do not compel me to attend an event.Sponsors generally arrange no more than two activities per year, and the time will avoid the season and be arranged according to the players' schedules.These terms will be clearly marked in the contract, and the brokerage company will check for me. This way, I basically have control over my time.The game schedule can be booked about a year in advance, and the specific time and place have been planned. I can adjust my status at any time according to my game time.After a game, I was able to unwind by myself and cleanse up at home for a few days.As long as conditions permit, I will try my best to go back to Wuhan.There are friends I have played with since I was a child, some are classmates from sports schools, and some are teammates from sports teams. We watch movies, go clubbing, eat and chat together.My friends' opinion of me will not change because of my success in my career. In their hearts, I have never changed. Except for competitions, I choose clothes for myself, I don't have a stylist.I am an athlete, not a fashion icon, and I still rely on my performance at critical moments.I don't want to spend too much energy on image issues.I am not very obsessed with luxury goods. When I buy clothes, I often match big brands with the treasures I found in small shops, and I am proud of my creativity.I don't like makeup too much, it has to be removed after applying it, what a hassle.I don't think I'm a very careful person. If I accidentally touch my face and mess up my makeup, I have to touch it up, which is too troublesome. Sometimes when attending a party or attending some important occasions, everyone dresses up carefully. You can’t wear a pair of sneakers to the scene. I had to ask Jiang Shan to drive me to the door. I changed my shoes in the car, and then confidently, Walk in beautifully.Go to the attendance book and sign your name, then stroll out by yourself, pretending to be leisurely, touch the parking lot, jump in the car and change your shoes quickly. Once I wore high heels to a party, and I drove there, but I had to walk back.That distance usually takes about 10 minutes to walk, and wearing high heels will take at least twice as long, and it is still uphill.The only thought at that time was to quickly take off the shoes and throw them away.But I had to endure it, because along the way I kept meeting other athletes who went late, and I thought it would be embarrassing if they wore such beautiful clothes and walked badly, so I endured the pain and walked very hard.As soon as I walked in the door that day, I quickly threw off my shoes, it hurt so much! Now I try to buy shoes with a particularly low heel to cope with some activities on the scene.Occasionally, I would buy high-heeled shoes, but I only admired the designer's ingenuity, and most of them would not wear them out. Once I wore the same casual clothes on camera twice, and the agency immediately asked me to pay attention to my image—"Netizens have already discovered that you have worn this dress twice!" Heck, you can't die if you wear the same thing twice. I told the people in the brokerage company: I am not a film and television star, and their demands on me are too high.A piece of casual clothes, not sportswear on the field, shouldn't be too much of a problem. I can't accept that clothes that cost a lot of money are only worn once.I'm just an athlete, people don't like me because I change clothes every day.Still, I accepted their request.A designer takes care of that for me - clothes that are worn can be sold and the money donated so more people can be helped and the fans happy.I think this method is not bad. As a professional tennis player, you have to declare your location online every day, because you may be asked to take a flight drug test at any time. In 2010 alone, I took 25-30 urine tests.Frequent checks can be annoying at times, but it keeps the cleanliness of the sport untainted.According to the regulations of the International Tennis Association, if I am in Munich today and suddenly have something to go back to China, but I don’t change my location to China on the Internet the next day, and it happens that the relevant department came to Munich the next day and did not find me, this will be looked down upon. into a deliberate escape.After three such mistakes, the player must be suspended for one year unconditionally.Therefore, players must declare where they are online every day and log in at least once a day. Some players protested that we have no freedom at all now, no privacy.Because after the online declaration, the ITF international organization responsible for the urine test will know where you are.They also need to fill in the form when they are on vacation, so that they can conduct flight inspections at any time every day for their convenience.To date, we have complied with this system.When playing the four major open tournaments, not only frequent urine tests, but also blood tests are required.The program design is very strict. When I entered the final at the Australian Open in 2011, I discovered that blood tests would be conducted as long as the top eight in the four major open tournaments were reached. I am now sending my address to the brokerage company, and the brokerage company will do this for me. If I change my address, I must notify the brokerage company in advance.When we were in the national team before, the staff of the national team represented these things for us. Sometimes when I participate in open matches or major competitions, Nike China sends Shi Ling to accompany me, which is considered part of their work.The sports circle is different from the literature and art circle. The influence of the agent is smaller, and they mainly serve the athletes, and the energy of the athletes is mainly focused on the competition. After the general game, there will be a press conference as usual, and an official from the WTA will come to accompany the athletes to attend the press conference.After that, I won't give any more interviews because what has to be said has already been said at the meeting.Journalists who often play tennis know my personality and would not visit me rashly.Sometimes someone texts me on my phone, and I usually tell them the agent's contact information, let them get in touch with the agent, and then the agent arranges.This may make it inconvenient for friends in the media to work, but I am also forced by the situation. As an athlete, it is impossible to have too much time or mind to think about other things. I just want to concentrate on training and competition.