Every player has a story, and Daniela Seguel’s might be the most inspirational tale of all competitors at the 2024 United Cup. The 31-year-old has been through unfathomable tragedy in her life, and persevered to motivate those around her and represent her country proudly.
In November 2016 Seguel, then the World No. 233, was playing a $10,000 tournament in Santiago, Chile. She lost just 11 games en route to the final and was leading the championship match 6-4, 4-4.
Her father, Jorge Seguel, was in the stands. He suffered a medical incident and passed away soon thereafter. Sequel understandably did not complete the match.
It was a devastating moment that could have brought Seguel’s career to a halt. But more than seven years later, she is still competing at the highest level and honoring her father’s legacy.
“My dad has always been a fundamental part of my life, inside and outside of tennis,” Seguel said. “I think that when he passed away seven years ago, I decided to take it as a motivation instead of quitting tennis because he made a lot of effort so I could play tennis and I wanted to value all those efforts and keep going and achieve dreams that we both had.”
In 2018, Seguel reached a career-high World No. 162 and she has played in qualifying at all four majors as well as represented her country in Billie Jean King Cup and events like the Pan American Games. Just last year, the Pan American Games were held in Santiago, and she advanced to the third round.
Debuting at the United Cup on Sunday against 2021 US Open finalist Leylah Fernandez is just her latest accomplishment.
“I’ve spoken to my family and I know they are proud of me and happy I can be here and that I did a good job yesterday,” Seguel said. “I think that my dad, in some way, is proud of me too and that makes me happy.
“I’m especially happy that I’m still here playing tennis because I’ve had tough years when I thought about quitting, and I think he’s happy I’m still fighting to continue with my career and still enjoying playing tennis.”
If you watch Seguel carefully, you might notice a tattoo on her left arm. It is the image of a heart’s rhythm with a heart in the middle and her father’s name. She keeps Jorge with her every time she steps on court.
“I hope this can actually be a motivation for others,” Seguel said. “I think the support I’ve received from my family since I was little and how close I am to them and to my dad are the reason why I saw this as a motivation, because I appreciate all the efforts they made when I was younger so I could be happy in a tennis court - that’s what they wanted the most.
“Beyond all the other accomplishments one could achieve in tennis, they wanted me to enjoy being a tennis player. I think what could inspire others that are going through tough times is having that strength and courage of wanting to keep going and achieving dreams, and in that sense the family is fundamental.
“It’s all about keeping going, believing in yourself and enjoying what you’re doing.”
Melissa Fernandez assisted with interview translation.
