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Tapper won a silver medal alongside Qian Yang and Lina Lei in the Team C9-10 event but, following the conclusion of the rescheduled Games in 2021, would surprisingly step away from the sport altogether.
A bout with burnout left the Australian in a difficult place in the months that followed, where even the thought of stepping inside a table tennis hall proved too overwhelming.
“It was a really tough period that I went through after Tokyo,” Tapper told SBS Sport. “Even though it was a massive high, coming home with a medal at the same time, I think I’d had my first real experience with burnout.
“We had an extra year to prepare for Tokyo but, here in Australia, we were doing it through lockdown. Even though I was incredibly motivated through that period, preparing for Tokyo, every single day was purely focused on my table tennis.
“As much as I loved that, it just went to another extreme that, once the games were over and I could finally take a breath, I realised I just needed to step away for a bit.
“That was also a bit scary too because at that point I didn’t even want to walk inside a table tennis hall, and it took a few months before I did step back in.”
The 33-year-old’s eventual return was rather organic, in truth, and aided by the advice of her coaches at the LOOPS table tennis club in Melbourne. There, Tapper was able to train some of the junior players, lead by example, and naturally rediscover the drive that helped her win gold at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
“It’s that athlete in you that comes back and you realise why you love the sport and the challenge that it brings,” she explained.
“It’s tough but that’s the fun part, trying to overcome it. I’m really excited by the place I’m in now; I’ve set myself a goal to try and qualify for Paris next year.
“I love turning up to the hall, the culture, and the vibe we have in there is exactly what I need. I think I’m very motivated for it now.”
Motivation for Paris has doubled as one for Durban ahead of the World Championships, where she will compete in the women’s singles competition and mixed doubles alongside Xavier Dixon.
Dixon, too, is a regular at LOOPS and, together with Tapper, are “hunting to win as many matches as we can” across the eight days – beginning with the Round of 64 on May 20.
Tapper would not be drawn on any lofty expectations surrounding her singles endeavours, however, but vowed to compete for every single point all the same.
It’s that same approach, complete with a style specialising in speed and aggression, that’s gotten the Victorian this far in her career – one that reached history-making heights in 2016 when Tapper became the first Australian to qualify for the Olympics and Paralympics.
The enormity of such an achievement won’t really sink in until retirement, according to the swift left-hander. However, the pride that comes with representing Australia hits home every single time.
“It’s an absolute privilege, getting to put on the green and gold and compete on the world stage,” she added.
“It’s what we train for, it’s why we wake up and prioritise getting the best out of ourselves to have the opportunity to compete at something like the World Championships.
“I’m really looking forward to heading over there and seeing the best in the world compete, and hopefully I can put up a good performance myself.”
