Ana Obarrio had to leave her passionate sport in 1949 because of her husband’s pressure, but recently she returned to the field and still craves victory like when she was young.

“At 83, Ana Obarrio de Pereyra Iraola may no longer fit the image of a rising tennis star, but she is also worthy of being considered a ‘rare grandmother’ – one who refuses to let her age hindering her path to realizing her dream of competing in tennis, after decades of having to leave this sport,” AFP news agency commented.

Ms. Obarrio recently won the Argentina Senior Masters championship for the age group 80 and over.

She started competing in tennis again when she turned 60, after her husband passed away. It was that husband who extinguished her love for tennis in her youth, and prevented her from competing since 1949 because he did not like to see her play doubles with male players.

“I like competing in tennis. I’m hungry to win,” Obarrio told AFP after the recent Senior Masters tournament.

Obarrio was once a youth tennis champion, but she soon had to leave the sport soon after getting married, and later raising 10 children.

But she said: “I also have no regrets when I get old and compete again. I would do the same thing again if I could turn back time. My greatest joy is still my children. Tennis is a passion, but it still comes second to children.”

Before returning to tournaments, she started playing tennis again with friends when she was in her 40s. But it wasn’t until she turned 60 that she returned to tennis in a more serious way and participated in it. Attend official tournaments.

Now she has three workouts a week. According to coach Roberto Alvarez, Ms. Obarrio’s goal is to minimize the time spent running on the field and hit the ball more accurately.

Norma Baylon, an Argentine tennis star in the 1960s, commented that Obarrio had “the best playing style of her age group in the recent tournament.”

One of her 37 grandchildren, Lupe (19), said Obarrio was a “very free spirit” and “an unusual grandmother.”

Currently, Obarrio is considered the third best female tennis player in the over 80 age group in Argentina. This year, the 83-year-old tennis player plans to participate in the Seniors World Individual Championships – a world championship for seniors organized by the International Tennis Federation (ITF) in Florida, USA.

“I am now obsessed with the dream of winning that tournament,” Obarrio said.