When you think of life in your nineties, you might imagine scenes on a secluded beach, bouncing a great-grandchild on your knee, or reading a good book by a roaring fire. For Norman Wong, his retirement is a little more action packed, as the 95-year-old United Cup legend volunteers at the tennis in Sydney for the 22nd summer.
Joined by his wife, Sophia Rechichi, 72, the pair’s involvement at the tournament, which replaced the ATP Cup in 2022, has been kept alive by a passion for the game, the occasional free ticket, and the possibility of stealing a forbidden conversation with one of the greats.
Norman Wong, 95, with his accreditation lanyards for 22 years of volunteering. Credit: Edwina Pickles
“I think the main interest, I suppose, is seeing top dogs playing live rather than on TV,” Wong says. “Maybe mingle with them or get an opportunity to talk. We’re not supposed to, unless they initiate the discussion. We’re not supposed to try and get too close to them.”
Rechichi, however, got the chance to chat with one of the best a few years ago while working as a transport volunteer – driving players between matches, events and hotels – when she was assigned to ferry a very talkative Daniil Medvedev around town. “He never stopped talking.”
The pair no longer drive players, saying their age may give event organisers pause. Instead, they have pivoted to patron services, manning doors and helping ticket holders find their way around the stadium. For their efforts, they are provided with free tickets to matches, though Wong, with a heavy dose of humour, thinks the offerings could be improved.
“They give you complimentary tickets, but the complimentary tickets, I’ve worked out, depend on the sales. On the slack days there are complimentary tickets to boost the crowd numbers, to make it look better on TV. Let’s face it, that’s business!”
The couple’s love for the sport isn’t limited to volunteering. Wong has been playing tennis for the past 78 years, though he says his game has gotten worse. “I still play. I still try, but I’m playing a ‘yours game’ now. If I can’t get [the ball], it’s yours!”
Rechichi, who grew up in Shanghai, was a tennis champion at the age of 10, though she jokes that the accomplishment might appear more significant than it was, as the sport wasn’t very popular in China at the time.
They met as members of the Chinese Tennis Association and became volunteers for various tennis tournaments through their involvement. Wong now plans to make it to 25 tournaments before retiring, and hopes to watch first-hand the next generation of players, or as he calls them, the “up-and-coming young’uns” develop.
“I’d like to see how far Alcaraz, and Zverev, and these top four at the moment, how far they can go. I doubt if anyone can ever replicate Djokovic’s era. It’s amazing that he’s played so long, and such a high-quality game.”
The secrets that will power Wong to hit his goal? Activities such as mahjong, cards, sudoku and playing three sizes of his favourite sport: tennis, pickleball and ping-pong.
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