PETALING JAYA: The Taiwan Open may not have ended with a title for Pearly Tan and M. Thinaah, but it was still meaningful for the former.
It marked the beginning of Pearly's comeback after months of battling injury and self-doubt.
Pearly shared an emotional message after she and Thinaah reached their first final since she returned to action after recovering from a back injury in May.
The world No. 5 and top seeds in Taiwan fell short of the title after losing to Japan’s Sumire Nakade-Miyu Takahashi 16-21, 18-21, but making it all the way was a win in itself for Pearly.
"Too many things have happened over the past few months. I’ve been through one of the darkest periods of my life, physically and mentally.
"There were days when I felt completely lost, questioning why I was even here," said Pearly.
Despite the internal battles she faced, Pearly still found the strength to show up for training and gave it all she had.
"Looking back, I remember how hard that period was, but I never allowed myself to give up."
But setbacks kept bothering Pearly, as she was injured again before returning to competition.
"My old injuries were finally starting to heal, but just three weeks before the tournament, I suffered new injuries all over again. I’ve always been prone to injuries.
"It’s not something I chose or wanted. But all I can do is keep working hard, trust the process, and keep finding my way back, no matter how many times I get knocked down," she said.
Through all her challenges, Pearly thanked those around her who gave her the strength to keep going, from her family and pet dog to the doctors at the National Sports Institute.
"And of course, thank you to the one who’s always stood by my side (Thinaah) and fought every battle with me.
"Let’s fight our way back together for everyone who has always believed in us, even during the moments when we couldn’t believe in ourselves.
"We’ve been knocked down before, but we’ve always found a way back, and the comeback starts now," she said.
