Tennis player Ernests Gulbis: Women 'need to think about kids'
Ernests Gulbis is 188-154 in singles play since turning pro in 2004. (Kenzo Tribouillard/Getty Images)
Ernests Gulbis advanced to the fourth round of the French Open on Friday by beating Radek Stepanek in straight sets, but it was his postmatch comments that drew the most interest.
When asked if he hopes his two younger half-sisters become professional tennis players, the 25-year-old Latvian said women "need to think about kids."
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"Hopefully they will not pursue professional tennis career. Hopefully. Because for a woman, it's tough. I wouldn't like my sisters to become professional tennis players. It's tough choice of life," Gulbis said, according to Stephanie Myles of Yahoo Sports. "A woman needs to enjoy life a little bit more. Needs to think about family, needs to think about kids. What kids you can think about until age of 27 if you're playing professional tennis, you know.
"That's tough for a woman, I think."
Gulbis, known among tennis circuits for speaking his mind, reached the quarterfinals at a Grand Slam for the first time since the 2008 French Open. He will play Roger Federer on Sunday.
His half-sisters, Laura Gulbe and Monika Kavace, are lower-ranked players in their respective circuits. Gulbe is 19 and Kavace just turned 16.
