Pierce shares a passionate story forehand and father

Even during these perilous times for public health, a concept such as Noah Rubin's Behind the Racquet series can carry on. And it does so with narrative grace. Rubin and BTR, with a coterie of guest writers, continue to churn out compelling content via Instagram and a companion website.

Its latest star to shine brightly and thoughtfully: Mary Pierce, winner of four Grand Slam titles.

"Looking back, I believe that my dad did the best he could," Pierce writes, sounding not so much like that victim of verbal and physical abuse in her teenage years, but rather a wise, clear-eyed woman she is now, three decades on. "He loved me and wanted the best for me so he trained me to be tough. I would not have made it on tour without being mentally and physically resilient. My childhood made me the person I am today. "

Elsewhere in the piece, Pierce writes, "From 18 to 25, I saw my dad once, when I won the Australian Open at age 20 [in 1995]. Other than that, I didn't see him. I hated him, was afraid of him, and never wanted to see him again. "

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That changed when, in 2000, she became "a born-again Christian" and reconciled with her father, Jim Pierce, after finding a way to forgiveness and peace of head and heart, both.

That relationship: restored. And it would carry on lovingly for more than a decade before Pierce the elder succumbed to gallbladder cancer a few years after his daughter's professional playing career ended. The Pierce family's resilient return to communing with each other makes for a testament to endurance and working through pain to find redemption.