Behind every successful athlete is a supportive family who never stops cheering. Shelby Rogers comes from such an eccentric family, where she received unimaginable support with an important lesson to success. Battling injury concerns multiple times, Rogers has impressed the tennis world with her indomitable spirit. Now, ahead of her US Open run, her zeal sheds light on her athletic stepfather, who has been her main guiding force.

Born and raised in South Carolina’s small suburban town, Rogers started playing tennis when she was four. However, her inspiration wasn’t her parents although her stepfather is a Hall of Famer footballer. Jim Gabrish, played football at the Citadel, and spent three years with Miami Dolphins and Cleveland Browns.

He may not have experience with tennis, but his athletic skills have helped the American WTA star incredibly in an important aspect of the game, taking care of injuries. Rogers’ stepfather has been a motivational pillar for his daughter’s sports dreams. “I helped Shelby at a young age to take care of injuries, ‘you’ve got to stick your foot in that ice to play tomorrow, or you can’t play tomorrow.’ Shelby learned to take care of herself,” Garish said.

Rogers encountered an injury in 2015 and underwent knee surgery that forced her out of the court for over half a year. On returning next season, she faced another wrong slip on Birmingham’s grass court and tore her MCL. While it luckily didn’t require surgery, Rogers had to leave the court in a wheelchair. In 2018 Rogers suffered another injury while playing against Caroline Dolehide in the Indian Wells.

Rogers discovered that her knee cartilage was ruptured and she needed both rehab and operation. While the WTA star recovered, her 2018 season ended at the Indian Wells. Last year, she had another knee surgery and played only 15 singles matches. This is when she realized her form was going down.

“There was a couple months where I wasn’t sure it was going to happen, Just being back on the court and having the opportunity to compete is a win for me,” she said. Despite multiple injury challenges Rogers’ indomitable on-court spirit showcases the fruitfulness of her stepfather’s lessons. While Rogers’ stepfather helped her with an important athletic lesson, her elder sister became the WTA star’s true inspiration to play tennis.

Shelby Rogers thanked her sister Sabra for inspiring her in tennis

Behind every successful person, there is always a role model. In Rogers’ case, her inspiration came from her sister Sabra, a collegiate tennis player. Watching her elder sister play the sport at Snee Farm Neighborhood courts, Rogers realized she wanted to be like Sabra. “I wanted to be just like her,” she said. Rogers’ elder sister played tennis at Bishop England High School and led their team.

She was also South Carolina’s High School Player of the Year. Aside from being inspired by her sister, Rogers also revealed that she always liked the sport. “I would have regretted not giving myself a chance, I knew I could always go back [to college] and study. I wanted to go and play on tour when I was young and had the opportunity,” she said.

Shelby Rogers’ narrative is inspirational for all the players, who wish to fight against the odds. The way this American player returned from her injuries, talks much about her indomitable spirit. As she prepares to play against Jessica Pegula at the US Open, people only wish her luck and success.