Rebecca Marino loses father Joe

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Amidst the almost daily sadness of losing friends and loved ones to the coronavirus, there’s the reality that others have been fighting ongoing battles with other devastating diseases.

On Wednesday, Joe Marino lost a tough, valiant singles match with incurable cancer.

The 59-year-old father of Canadian tennis player Rebecca Marino was a multi-sport athlete all his life. He came to tennis later and enjoyed his own battles on the court as much as he did those his only daughter waged, as she rose into the top 40 in the world at age 20.

“Joe never shied away from a battle, whether running a successful business, serving for match point under pressure on the tennis court, chipping out of the bunker on the golf course, or offering perspective to family and friends in need of guidance. Strength, courage, resilience, kindness, intelligence, wit, loyalty, and dog whisperer are just a few words that come to mind when we remember Joe. His gift of humour and love made him a treasured husband, father, son, and friend,” was the tribute in his newspaper obituary.

Marino was a regular presence at the big events, as his daughter rose through the ranks.

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She was gone for 4 1/2 years from 2013 through 2017 as she found the courage to walk away, and deal with mental-health challenges that were only exacerbated by the public, unforgiving nature of her chosen profession.

But in the fall of 2017, Marino decided to return. And in an interview with Open Court at the Saguenay Challenger after announcing her return, she spoke of her father’s incurable cancer as one of the catalysts.

*Joe Marino reacts in dismay during his daughter Rebecca’s coming-out match against Venus Williams on Arthur Ashe Stadium in 2010. Can it really be nearly a decade? (Stephanie Myles/OpenCourt)*

“My dad’s been having some health issues. So part of that sort of puts life in perspective. Life is short, and I have to be happy and do what I feel in my heart is right. This is the thing I felt was a missing piece, that I should go back to and give it one more try, do it on my terms,” Marino said.

“He has incurable cancer, but he is in a management phase, where he will be able to accept his life as much as possible. We just don’t know how long it is, and we’re just trying to stay positive and enjoy every single moment we have.

“My dad loves tennis. And so it makes him really happy to see that I’m happy, and that I’m enjoying tennis. This Is all brought us together as a family, so much. It’s one of many (factors), but it’s a bonus for me, that I can also do this for my family.”

Marino’s return to action at the entry level was initially very successful as she got back into the top 200.

Marino made it back to the Slam level in Melbourne in January, 2019. A persistent back issue had curtailed her pre-season prep. But she didn’t want to miss the opportunity to compete in a major. (Stephanie Myles/OpenCourt)

She traveled to Australia and played in the qualifying there in Jan. 2019. But she was dealing with a back issue and wasn’t truly ready to return to top-flight action.

But Marino was able to squeeze into the qualifying at the French Open last spring – at the very last minute, after flying straight from Japan from a series of tournaments on a different surface, not even knowing if she would make it.

Marino ran on adrenaline in a 6-7(5), 6-4, 7-5 victory over local favorite Tessah Andrianjafitirimo before a big crowd on Court 18, pulling out the victory.

She ran out of puff the next day, falling to Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan 5-7, 7-6(4), 6-4 in the second round.

Rybakina was ranked No. 141 then, the No. 22 seed in qualifying. By the end of 2019, she was in the top 40. And she currently stands at a career-high No. 17. So the effort is even more impressive in retrospect.

*Marino, 29, lost father Joe last week to cancer. (Stephanie Myles/OpenCourt)*

But then injury bug hit, with plantar fascitis in the summer of 2019. Marino retired early in the second set of her first-round match at the Granby Challenger two months later. And she hasn’t played since.

Given what her beloved father has been going through, as his long fight came to an end, it’s completely understandable that we didn’t see her in 2020, before tennis shut down.

Condolences to Rebecca, her brother Steven and her mother Catherine – a close-knit family who can lean on each other during this unimaginable time.

Given the current situation because of the pandemic, it’s not even possible to hold a memorial service worthy of the life Joe Marino led. The obituary indicates a celebration of life will be arranged and communicated at a future date.”