Carrie Soto Is Back

The courts at Roland-Garros in Paris smell like tobacco. Carrie reflects on her history here: She lost four times before finally winning in 1983. She thinks that, to some extent, she does know that there is no perfect level of “greatness.”

She enters the locker room.

In the first round, Carrie plays Petra Zetov, whom she quickly defeats. Then, she moves quickly through the second and third rounds. Nicki likewise moves on to the final 16. That night, Carrie rests, reading a book about a band called Daisy Jones and the Six. Javier calls and asks if she saw Bowe’s match. Bowe moved to the quarterfinals for the first time since 1991. Carrie considers calling him, but she decides not to.

The next day, Javier mixes up Nicki’s and Carrie’s opponents. Carrie corrects him and then wipes her shoes clean, just as she always has.

In round 16, Carrie plays Odette Moretti. It is close, but then Carrie finds “the hum in [her] bones” (214). She defeats Moretti and moves on to the quarterfinals. She feels herself tearing up and tries to keep herself from crying. Then, she thinks that she doesn’t have to do what she’s always done. She lets herself cry.