Bengaluru: Keegan Smith was bathed in the afterglow of victory on Saturday evening, having lifted the Karnataka Open ATP Challenger Trophy at the SM Krishna Tennis Stadium. The applause, post-match photo ops and adulation marked a moment of fulfilment for the 27-year-old American. But beneath the victory lies a story of pain, resilience and survival.During his college days in the US, Smith’s promising journey had been interrupted by a horrific skateboarding accident that pushed him close to death. In no time, his world had an air of uncertainty. Rushed to the hospital, the 6′ 7” player, who spent eight days in an intensive care unit, found himself in a serious battle, not for points and titles, but for life.The crash left him with a temporal bone fracture and haematoma, severely affecting blood flow to his brain. The situation was quite scary and he was given blood thinners, but then there was some bleeding from the other side of his head. “That’s when it got really serious and I almost had to get surgery. I was in a lot of pain,” Smith recalled. “There was a moment in the hospital where I seriously felt like I was going to die.”As a result he had horrible headaches and struggled to even get out of bed. Yet, somehow, Smith emerged from the darkness with doctors describing his recovery to be miraculous. “I had more life to live and my story wasn’t done yet. I was lucky to make a really healthy recovery,” said the 289-ranked Smith. “I had some really bad depression. But tennis has always been my anchor and it’s a healthy vehicle to express myself and it’s so good for the brain. I couldn’t think of my life without tennis.”In fact, just a few months post-accident, he captured an ITF M15 title, a testament to both his grit and unyielding spirit, which was on display in the recently concluded Challenger event as well.However, the battle has not entirely faded. The pain lingers quietly even in his everyday life while travelling around the world. “I still have daily headaches (even during competitions), but I’ve just learned to live through it,” said Smith, who has a history of injuries, including a broken arm and nose in separate accidents. “This is some of the best tennis I’ve ever played in my life. I’m just very happy for myself,” said Smith.Smith will now aim for a double as the American, having moved up by 46 places to 243 in the new rankings, will be top seeded in the SM Krishna Memorial Open starting here on Monday.
