That 19-year-old girl, with a white and contagious smile, who walks the courts of the world leaving signs of her greatness in tennis, likes dogs. It has two. One is called ‘Neymar’, “because he keeps rolling around on the ground.” And the other, ‘Messi’, “because he does everything.”
He also loves spaghetti pesto, the dish he usually asks for when he is in competitions abroad, and no one idolizes more than Roger Federer, that icon of the ‘white sport’ that everyone falls in love with. He jealously guards a photograph with the Swiss tennis player.
We know everything about María Camila Osorio Serrano, the tennis player, the first in the Colombian ranking, the best Latin American and number 53 in the world rankings: that she has won three professional tournaments, that she already had her Olympic debut in Tokyo and that, before that, won the Junior Grand Slam of the US Open. Walk with giant steps.
But we know little about ‘Cami’, as she likes to be called.
From the young girl with loud laughter with which she closes each sentence, who is ‘hooked’ with ‘Ugly Betty’ and who walks around with a video game in her suitcase to entertain herself when the racket allows it.
From her home, in her native Cúcuta, the number one in Latin American tennis attended El País. This is a dialogue to a set, in which ‘Cami’ answered each ‘ball’.
Your grandfather, your father and your brother were professional soccer players, and your mother was a basketball player. Why did you go for tennis?
It was a pleasure by mistake. My whole family is an athlete, but nobody plays tennis. I was a very tired little girl and wanted to do a sport. I gave my parents about three options, and the least likely was tennis. But since I picked up the racket I liked it and here we go.
You get the santandereano in each sentence. Is Camila as temperamental as they say the women of your land are?
Yes of course. We Santander women are as bored as all Colombian women, but I am not brave.
What angers you?
The lie, even if it is a lie. Honesty comes first.
Your idol is Roger Federer. Do you know him?
Uffff! Roger has been my example since I was a child and I would like to train with him once. Three years ago I met him, we took a photo and recently we shared in a tournament. Once, at Wimbledon, I went up to him to say hello, he asked who I had played with, and other very normal things. Well I was happy.
What is the first Grande you want to win?
Wimbledon. It is the most beautiful tournament I have ever been to. It is too elegant, magical, perfect.
What is that great lesson that your coach, the Spanish Ricardo Sánchez, has left you?
‘Richi’ has always told me that what matters is the yellow one, it doesn’t matter if the rival is number one, the first thing is the yellow one, the ball.
One of your mentors is another cucutena and great figure, Fabiola Zuluaga.
What advice do you keep from him?
‘Fabi’ always tells me to enjoy when I’m on the pitch, not to miss the opportunities I have, that that’s what it’s worth. Enjoy.
And it shows, because every time you win you show a white and contagious smile …
I am glad that it is so, because I enjoy and love what I do. Everything that the human being does, at home, at work, must be done with love and joy, and that is how I feel it when I play. In the end that is contagious and how beautiful to live in such a world.
Speaking of contagions, what lesson has this pandemic taught you?
So many things, but the essential thing is to value what is really important, to worry about what is worth, health, family. We must value what we have, we do not know how long it will be with us.
Did you lose a family member in this pandemic?
The husband of a cousin died, sadly. It hit us very hard in the family. He left a 5-year-old boy who will grow up without his father.
If tennis hadn’t been crossed, what would you have studied?
The truth, I don’t know. I have thought about it and it is not clear to me, perhaps I would have liked to dance or act, something on that side.
But always on stage …
Trapped forever (laughs).
Speaking of dancing, are you a rumbera?
No not at all. I don’t drink alcohol, I don’t stay up late. Once I went out to celebrate my birthday and at one in the morning I was bored (laughs). My plan one weekend is to go eat with my cousins or go to the movies.
What else do you do when you want to be ‘Cami’ and not the tennis player?
It is that I always combine both things, even if I am in competition. But when I’m here at home, I read, I watch series, annoyed with my dogs, I bought a Pac Man toy, it’s miniature, you can put batteries in it or connect to USB, and I’m fascinated by that, it’s great.
What series do you watch?
Of everything. I finished watching ‘The Squid Game’, very good. I entertained myself quite a bit. That doesn’t happen in real life, so it made me laugh a lot. I see everything. ‘Ugly Betty’, for example, is the best.
A little while ago you talked about dogs …
Yes, I have two, a pincher and a Yorkshire: ‘Neymar’ and ‘Messi’.
So are they called?
Yes, it is that ‘Neymar’ is thrown like ‘Neymar’, he lives on the ground (laughs). And ‘Messi’ runs and runs, he does everything.
Regarding football, I imagine you are a fan of Cúcuta …
Clearly. Too bad what happened to the team in the championship, hopefully I can come back. Although it’s not that I know much about football (laughs).
James Rodríguez is from Cucuteño, he is marginalized from the National Team, would you like to see him again with the yellow?
Obviously. Like I told you, I don’t know much about football, but James has been the best. Hopefully what I’m saying is correct (laughs).
Who would you like to defeat?
To number one, Ashleigh Barty. We haven’t crossed paths yet, hopefully it can be next year.
Any ritual before games?
I always talk to my parents, I ask for their blessing. And I ask God to give me the physical strength to play, not so much to win, because that depends on me.
The most curious thing that has happened to you in tennis?
There was something that made me laugh a lot now in Tenerife (Spain, where she comes from being runner-up). When we were in the draw, I wanted to face the number one seed, Elina Svitolina, who had the number 17 chip, and I took it right to her. So, I started jumping with excitement as if I had won the lottery, and it caused a lot of laughter to the others, but I kind of reacted and felt sorry and sat down (laughs).
But it was a good omen, because you defeated no one less than the number 6 in the world …
Yes, after such a bear I had to win (laughs).
What is your greatest illusion?
In tennis, be number one in the world. In my personal life, getting married, having children, making a family.
And does that prince charming already exist?
I do not have a boyfriend.
Can you have a boyfriend with so many trips that tennis demands?
I think so.
And so?
(Laughter)… well, nothing, surely you can, but I don’t have a boyfriend.
But there must be some suitor out there …
Well, there is a boy that I like, but who knows when I will stop balls (laughs).
Are you a tennis player too?
‘Top secret’. My parents can’t know this, okay?
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