Keiza Henman in top form ahead of PJC Play Offs – Swedish Tennis Association

Caijsa Hennemann has landed in Stockholm after a six-week stint on the ITF tour. Soon a Swedish ITF match awaits at Nasbypark before it’s time to don the yellow Sweden jersey again. “We believe in ourselves more than ever,” he says ahead of the BJKC match against Great Britain.

Caijsa Hennemann spent four weeks in Santa Margherita Di Pula, Sardinia. He was there directly from two other tournaments in Italy and the Czech Republic.
– It’s very rare that I stay in one place for four weeks, but now there were so many matches here, I needed it. Even if you leave a week early, you’ll get good training with other players, and then a bit of sun won’t hurt. Obviously it’s going to be tough in the long run when you’re in the fourth week, but if you don’t like it, you shouldn’t continue. You could end up in worse places than Sardinia, Caijsa notes.

The final week is almost over with the blue-and-yellow flag at the top. Kaijsa fell in a well-played final against 209th-ranked Czech Sara Bejlek.
– The final was clearly the toughest match of the week. I faced a player who wanted to play a fast game and control, but defended well.

The final ended 4-6, 6-7(7), where Keiza won three set points.
– In the second set I had chances, too bad I couldn’t use the set balls. It was a fun match, a real fight between the two of us. I’m happy with the performance, but of course it stings.

Caijsa Hennemann. Photo: Daniel Kobach / IDF

Keiza advanced to the finals in a tough competition, where she beat two top-200 players – top 199-ranked Veronica Erjavec of Slovenia and second-ranked 194-ranked Irina Maria Bara of Romania in the semifinals.
There is no doubt that the form curve points straight to age 22.
– Clearly! As I have played in many games in this tournament, when I play at my best, I am there, if not at my best. This is a good statement of strength and a receipt if you want to beat higher ranking players. I feel that I have been at that level for a long time and I play my best when I face the best players.

What is needed then?
– Continue to train and compete. If I get it, I’m sure I’ll be there. It’s important to face the best players so I know what position I need to maintain.

A few years ago, Caijsa Hennemann left Ullevi TK to play for Helsingborgs TK. A year ago he moved to Stockholm and KLTK.
She feels the situation is right to take the next step.
– I have absolutely perfect conditions. Now I am injury free and I can fully train and play against different types of players. I go to tournaments 25 weeks a year and most of the training takes place where you play against your opponents in practice. I often have trainers like Magnus Ennerberg, Zach Olin or someone else from KLTK. Like the last few weeks I rode mostly with Christian Samuelsson this year.

Kaijsa won the ITF tournament in Amiens, France in March and competed in the finals in Alkmaar, Netherlands in June. How does she see 2023 in general?
– It was the most instructive year of my life. Sport-wise, there have been injuries and mental setbacks, but I feel like I’ve learned an incredible amount from it. It was a really important year for me to become the best version of myself, so I’m grateful for that. In terms of results, it’s not top notch, but that’s okay. I am very happy now that I am injury free and feel stronger than ever. I am definitely in great shape and very motivated to get a little better all the time.

Friend Lisa Jarr (Ensgate LTK) will also be part of the group going to Great Britain. Together with him, Keiza has started a podcast called “In My Head and Your Head” that deals with topics such as eating disorders and mental illness in the everyday life of an elite athlete.
– Already at the beginning of January, I texted Lisa that I thought about starting a podcast. The funny thing is, she thought the same thing and it came naturally. There is no need to discuss much about what to talk about because both of them know. We have talked a lot about these topics and are passionate about them. We want to make a difference and help other elite athletes in a similar situation to us. If only a few listen, it’s still important, and it’s also a self-healing. We talk about it and help each other.

Keiza Henneman is one of five recently announced players on Johanna Larsen’s Billie Jean King Cup team. Important match against Great Britain in London. He was in the group stage in Turkey and as I said, it was a group win after a fantastic week.
– It’s been a really fun but crazy hard week. You have to show your best, not mentally. I had to believe in myself and the team like never before. In the end, we needed to work as a team on the bench and on the court when we felt we had a chance to win and reach a playoff spot. We were tired and weary, but we trained for this. Everyone did their best and we succeeded in our goal. It was clear from day one that it was not just about participating, but also about winning,” says Keiza, praising PJKC captain Johanna Larsen.
– She handled it very well, I told her. I never felt so safe with her on the bench. Even though I didn’t play well in the first few games, she brought out the best in me. Every time I left the side bench I had a lot of energy.

Keiza Henneman testifies to a good team spirit where the chemistry between the players was just right.
– It is clear that when everything is at a high level, everything is easy when everything is going well. But regardless of whether you sat on the bench or on the court, we did everything together. It’s really important to feel like you have the whole team behind you in that environment. I know everyone felt that, and it was a success that the whole team contributed to.

This time, it’s Sweden’s second-ranked Mirjam Björklund, and on paper, Sweden has a sharper team. In the famous “paper” – despite the fact that Great Britain’s opponents have higher-ranked players, Keiza believes that this time.
– Having Mirzam and two of our best players playing is very positive. Of course, I would have liked everyone in Turkey to have had a chance, because it’s a shame it didn’t have “Jackie” (Jacqueline Kabaj Awad). He really contributed to the team. I know Johanna picks the best team for the conditions. Regardless of which players are involved, we have a good team and I think we have a good situation to win.

How ticklish is the thought that the time is nigh?
– I may have seen in front of me some pictures of how I should look and feel when the time comes. It can be a very powerful and fun task. We believe in ourselves more than ever and are ready for this challenge. We want to be in the top division and we had that goal from day one in Antalya (Turkey).

Do you have a good grasp of their players?
– Mirzam and Rebecca know their best players, I know what kind of players they have. But we have to focus on ourselves and bring out the best in us. No matter who they apply to, we know our ability.