"I got very angry. But after the game, Bruna came to talk to me." Bruna Takahashi, 22, is sitting right next to Giulia and seems oblivious to the conversation. She just looks like it. She instantly stops texting on WhatsApp, looks at her sister, and makes a face. "Giulia was too hot-headed."
Giulia, 17, remembered the only time she faced the greatest table tennis player in the country's history, currently 19th in the world ranking.
The younger sister lost the match that day. However, little by little, she made her way towards fulfilling dreams that involved being close to Bruna, traveling with her, and going to the Olympics.
Both of them are heading to China for the adult World Cup later this month.
Bruna is a reference to the feminine modality in Brazil. She was cadet world champion in 2015, the first athlete in the country to break the rank's top 30 barrier and, later, the top 20.
Giulia went to the Tokyo Games as a reserve for the Brazilian team last year. She sat in the stands, cheering for the other athletes. Among them, Bruna.
Translated by Cassy Dias