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Speaker 1: It will all be okay.

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Speaker 2: Hey everyone, Emily Abadi here. You are listening to episode

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Speaker 2: two hundred and fifty seven of Hurdle, a wellness focused

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Speaker 2: podcast where I connect with everyone from your favorite athletes

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Speaker 2: to top experts and industry CEOs about their highest highs,

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Speaker 2: toughest moments, and everything in between. We all go through

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Speaker 2: hurdles in life, and my goal through these discussions is

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Speaker 2: to empower you to better navigate yours and move with

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Speaker 2: intention so that you can stride towards your own big

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Speaker 2: potential and of course have some fun along the way.

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Speaker 3: For episode two hundred and fifty seven, I am chatting

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Speaker 3: with Aila tom Yanovic.

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Speaker 2: She's a professional tennis player originally born in Croatia and

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Speaker 2: moved to the United States when she was fourteen. She

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Speaker 2: is known by many for playing Serena Williams in her

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Speaker 2: final match at the US Open in twenty twenty two

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Speaker 2: and winning. In today's episode, Aila talks to me about

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Speaker 2: coming up in the sport of tennis, supported by her family,

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Speaker 2: who also was extremely active. Her father was actually a

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Speaker 2: professional handball player in Croatia.

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Speaker 3: A huge theme in.

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Speaker 2: Our conversation today navigating injury and the unexpected hurdles that

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Speaker 2: come hand in hand with succeeding in sport. Aila is

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Speaker 2: currently coming back from a knee injury, most recently super

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Speaker 2: bummed after having to withdraw from the French Open because

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Speaker 2: it just isn't healing as she'd hoped. We talk about

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Speaker 2: how that kind of progress, which is still progress, feels

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Speaker 2: for her and how she manages to keep a positive

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Speaker 2: mindset amidst this super difficult hurdle. Aila and I also

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Speaker 2: talk about navigating the spotlight. Plus, she talks to me

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Speaker 2: about one of her sponsors, a Morpho. They actually hooked

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Speaker 2: us up for this conversation. For those who haven't heard

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Speaker 2: of a Morpho, they make weighted training gear. If you

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Speaker 2: watched the Breakpoint documentary on Netflix, I cannot recommend it enough.

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Speaker 2: You'll see that all of ALA's friends and family are

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Speaker 2: actually wearing a Morpho hats in the stands at the

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Speaker 2: US Open for that famous Serena when, which gave me

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Speaker 2: a little bit of a laugh. I myself have tried

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Speaker 2: their training gear, and it's essentially designed to help people

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Speaker 2: build strength and boost your cardio and even burn more

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Speaker 2: calories while working out. I will link to their website

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Speaker 2: and their socials in the show notes to this podcast.

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Speaker 2: So happy that we were able to make this happen.

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Speaker 2: Make sure you are following along with Hurdle on social

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Speaker 2: It is at Hurdle podcast. I myself am over at

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Speaker 2: Emily a body. Now, last little bit of housekeeping. If

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Speaker 2: you're not subscribed to the Weekly Hurdle, what are you

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Speaker 2: waiting for?

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Speaker 3: The link to do that is in the show notes.

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Speaker 2: By subscribing, not only will you get the same motivation,

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Speaker 2: inspiration things you love from the show directly in your

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Speaker 2: inbox every single Friday, but you'll also get my gear picks,

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Speaker 2: what I'm watching, what I'm listening to. I often get

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Speaker 2: questions asking for recommendations for everything from sneakers to tiktoks

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Speaker 2: and sports brasen more, and you will find a lot

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Speaker 2: of my go tos recommended in the Weekly Hurdle. Again,

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Speaker 2: it's free and the link to subscribe is in the

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Speaker 2: show notes. With that, well, let's get to it. Let's

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Speaker 2: get to hurdling.

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Speaker 1: Today.

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Speaker 2: I'm sitting down with Aila tam Yanovich is a pro

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Speaker 2: tennis player.

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Speaker 3: How are you doing today, Ilave?

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Speaker 1: I'm good. I got a good training day in I

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Speaker 1: made it through it, so I'm happy I mean.

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Speaker 3: Are there are there days we don't make it through

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Speaker 3: the training day.

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Speaker 1: There are well, there are days where we have to

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Speaker 1: modify training, And I don't like that because it's like

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Speaker 1: a My team doesn't even call it a setback, but

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Speaker 1: to me, it feels like a setback. As soon as

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Speaker 1: we have to pull back a little bit, I'm not happy.

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Speaker 1: So I had a big day yesterday, second big day

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Speaker 1: today in a row, and we're golden so far.

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Speaker 2: So I'm happy we're golden and we're happy. Those are

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Speaker 2: both good things. I think a lot of people listening

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Speaker 2: to this right off the bat can probably relate to

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Speaker 2: that feeling, right that feeling of oh, I don't want

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Speaker 2: to feel like I failed if I have to modify something.

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Speaker 3: How do you work with that mindset and overcome that?

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Speaker 1: Oh? My Peta made a really good point when I

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Speaker 1: was like, I we had to like pull back a

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Speaker 1: little bit, and I he could see the disappointment in

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Speaker 1: my face and almost like everything is not going the

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Speaker 1: right way, and he was like, listen, with the injury, Well,

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Speaker 1: I'll talk from my perspective having an injury. He's like,

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Speaker 1: with this type of thing, you can't compare yourself to yesterday,

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Speaker 1: Like you have to compare yourself a week ago. And

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Speaker 1: then he's like, how was it last Friday? And I

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Speaker 1: was like, well it was this Friday was much better.

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Speaker 1: He's like, well, you know, that's the kind of mind

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Speaker 1: so you have to keep up with and that's very

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Speaker 1: hard when you're just a professional athlete trying to get

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Speaker 1: back out there. So like easier said.

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Speaker 3: Than done, easier said than done.

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Speaker 2: Professional or non professional injuries are just no fun for anyone.

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Speaker 2: For those that may be a little bit out of

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Speaker 2: the loop, tell the hurdlers, which is what I call

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Speaker 2: my listeners, what you're navigating right now.

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Speaker 1: Yeah. I had a minor procedure done on January twentieth

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Speaker 1: on my left knee. My cartilage needed some TLC, so

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Speaker 1: my surgeon cleaned everything up, but there was there's definitely

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Speaker 1: a road ahead since then of just strengthening and letting

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Speaker 1: it heal and just amos learning all the new movements

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Speaker 1: again because it's a I think now it's catching up

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Speaker 1: to me. That's trickier than I thought it would be.

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Speaker 1: Just the rehab process, not not you know, like I

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Speaker 1: will I will get back out there, you know, in

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Speaker 1: no time, and it'll be fine again, But it's just

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Speaker 1: more the mental side where I thought, oh, just to

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Speaker 1: clean up, we'll be fine in a few months, you know.

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Speaker 1: But it's mentally a little bit taxing just because I

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Speaker 1: feel my need daily. But it's part of the rehab process,

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Speaker 1: you know.

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Speaker 2: Do I know I'm dealing with planter fasci itis right now,

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Speaker 2: which is just like the injury that never quits. So

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Speaker 2: I really sympathize and relate to your story, especially this

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Speaker 2: concept that progress from an injury is like rarely ever

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Speaker 2: actually linear, right.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I my plenty of fasci itis is almost like

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Speaker 1: the norm having that. You're weird if you're an athlete

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Speaker 1: and you don't have that. So I actually had it,

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Speaker 1: and now with this it's gotten better. So that's the

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Speaker 1: upside to having surgery and being out a little bit.

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Speaker 1: Least my heel got better.

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Speaker 3: We love it.

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Speaker 1: Well.

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Speaker 2: I know you celebrated our birthday recently. You've been playing

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Speaker 2: professionally since two thousand and nine. For a minute now,

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Speaker 2: so talk to me a little bit about how it

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Speaker 2: feels almost having to go through this being a little

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Speaker 2: bit of a beginner again in essence, just like back

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Speaker 2: when you started on the circuit.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I in the moment, I hate it, but you

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Speaker 1: know what, I when I look back, it almost feels

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Speaker 1: like every time there's like a setback like this, it

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Speaker 1: feels like you're starting over again, also in a new way,

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Speaker 1: because there are so many things that I'm better at since,

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Speaker 1: like my shoulder surgery that happened, you know, six seven

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Speaker 1: years ago, or when I had moon and I was

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Speaker 1: at for a while and I whenever, you know, when

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Speaker 1: this happened, my first thought was maybe not my first

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Speaker 1: and I first thought was like crying, but like right

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Speaker 1: after it was like, I am so curious to see

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Speaker 1: how this is going to impact me in a positive

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Speaker 1: way because there's always going to come that part as

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Speaker 1: well with all the bad stuff, there will come something

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Speaker 1: out of it that I'll be like, Wow, if this

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Speaker 1: didn't happen, I wouldn't be this and this, and I

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Speaker 1: love that. It still showed me that my love for

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Speaker 1: this sport is even stronger than ever, which I'm happy.

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Speaker 1: You know, at thirty years old doing this for such

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Speaker 1: a long time. You have girls that burn out and

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Speaker 1: they're happy to you know, retire soon, and to me

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Speaker 1: it's like, oh my gosh, I need to maximize whatever

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Speaker 1: I can, because I can't imagine not doing this.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, of course. I mean, like you said, you've

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Speaker 2: been doing it. You're now thirty back since two thousand

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Speaker 2: and nine. Did you feel this exact same way, this

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Speaker 2: level of excitement and just pure love for your sport

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Speaker 2: when you went pro back in two thousand and nine.

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Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I was so excited. Like when even

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Speaker 1: though okay, two thousand and nine, I was seventeen, no, sixteen,

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Speaker 1: and I remember my I you know, everyone was like, oh,

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Speaker 1: you turned pro. And my dad was like, listen when

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Speaker 1: he heard me like call myself that, he was like, look,

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Speaker 1: until you pay for all your expenses and managed to

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Speaker 1: make money on the side and like have some savings.

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Speaker 1: Like I don't think you can call yourself that. Like

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Speaker 1: I wasn't making in prize money, you know what I

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Speaker 1: to like support myself at sixteen. That came, you know,

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Speaker 1: in a like a few years later. So my dad

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Speaker 1: if he heard someone say, oh, she turned pro two

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Speaker 1: thousand and nine, and he's like, no, a few years

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Speaker 1: later is when we count it, which I agree with

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Speaker 1: as well. But you know, starting at in two thousand

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Speaker 1: and nine, with all the pro tournaments that I started playing,

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Speaker 1: and just being in the environment where I was like,

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Speaker 1: I want to become I want this to become my

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Speaker 1: norm was so energizing. Like I remember coming to every

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Speaker 1: like Grand Slam qualities. I just like lived for that.

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Speaker 1: And it took me a year to realize that actually

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Speaker 1: the tournament starts when when I believed because I wouldn't

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Speaker 1: make past the qualities the first year at the Slams,

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Speaker 1: So I was like, Okay, I need to like actually

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Speaker 1: make it to these tournaments, you know established. So it

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Speaker 1: was just such a fun climb because you're like every

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Speaker 1: small improvement, every small win. It was huge for me.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, I love hearing about your dad trying to keep

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Speaker 2: you grounded. Oh still to this day, can you tell

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Speaker 2: us a little bit about how that relationship has aided

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Speaker 2: you in this journey.

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Speaker 1: I feel very lucky now at thirty two, still have

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Speaker 1: an even better relationship with my dad than you know before,

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Speaker 1: because you know, we grew together and he was a

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Speaker 1: professional athlete himself, which really helped with a perspective of

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Speaker 1: a parent. Sometimes that can get tricky when professional athletes

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Speaker 1: go into something and parents aren't really aware of the

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Speaker 1: world you're being thrown into. And having a dad that

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Speaker 1: was just so about the process and just happy that

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Speaker 1: his daughter's pursuing something similar like he was. I think

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Speaker 1: for my dad it was like his own little second

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Speaker 1: career of just following me around and seeing me improve

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Speaker 1: and reach my goals. So to have someone onto all

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Speaker 1: these years, I mean, the loneliness was never really there

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Speaker 1: when the losses what happen and even the wins, like

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Speaker 1: you want to have someone next to you celebrating that

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Speaker 1: that's really that you know, it is your ride or die,

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Speaker 1: And you don't really find that in coaches as well,

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Speaker 1: because that can change, you know, you can't always be

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Speaker 1: so connect, like not connected, but like anchorage to them

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Speaker 1: like you can to your family. So I just feel

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Speaker 1: like it's been I'm very lucky that I got to

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Speaker 1: do that with him for so long.

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Speaker 2: And still Yeah, going pro at seventeen, so much has

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Speaker 2: changed for you since then. Talk to me about some

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Speaker 2: of those earlier years, the lessons that you were learning

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Speaker 2: as you were trying to find your footing amongst all

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Speaker 2: of the other pro athletes.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, starting out, I remember I would always compare myself

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Speaker 1: to all the girls my age, because that was a

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Speaker 1: big thing growing up like when you're into twelves or

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Speaker 1: the fourteens, you're always like, oh, who's the best in

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Speaker 1: this age group? And now it seems so silly because

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Speaker 1: nobody cares about age. It's just about how you perform.

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Speaker 1: But I remember like I was always comparing myself to them,

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Speaker 1: and it would sometimes hinder my process because you know,

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Speaker 1: one tournament someone else would do well, it wasn't always

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Speaker 1: my time to have the tournament that I would really

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Speaker 1: want to do well at, and it put extra pressure

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Speaker 1: on me that I didn't really need because I'm already

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Speaker 1: the type of person that just puts a lot of

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Speaker 1: expectation on myself, and it's a blessing and a curse.

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Speaker 1: I don't think I would have gotten this far if

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Speaker 1: I wasn't driven like that. But at the same time,

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Speaker 1: there were times when I could have been kinder to

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Speaker 1: myself and I would have helped. But just seeing that

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Speaker 1: whole journey as a long thing, rather than, oh, my gosh,

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Speaker 1: tomorrow I have to win. I wish it as a kid, like,

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Speaker 1: I wish it could have been easier on me, But

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Speaker 1: then you know, I wonder could it have been. Maybe

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Speaker 1: this was just how it was meant to.

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Speaker 2: Be super interesting to hear that you had that level

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Speaker 2: of awareness to keep it within a certain group. Per se,

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Speaker 2: you're talking about other players that are your own age.

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Speaker 2: You knew well enough not to maybe get into the

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Speaker 2: sport and compare yourself against number one, number two, et cetera. Now,

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Speaker 2: did you have a certain experience that you felt like

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Speaker 2: instilled that level of awareness in you.

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Speaker 1: I've always been a thinker, so like I would overanalyze

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Speaker 1: every situation I'm in, and I am a little bit

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Speaker 1: of a late bloomer, and that was really not I

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Speaker 1: didn't like that. I you know, there were girls playing

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Speaker 1: at the same time as me that you know, had

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Speaker 1: that amazing result when they were like seventeen eighteen, and

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Speaker 1: that wasn't me. Like I was the one people talked about,

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Speaker 1: like she has potential, she's good. But I didn't have

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Speaker 1: that boom moment. And I was aware of it. And

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Speaker 1: it took me like maybe even in like my mid twenties,

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Speaker 1: when I had some setbacks and when I realized that

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Speaker 1: it doesn't all nothing, none of it matters. You know,

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Speaker 1: your career is your own, and I can play for

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Speaker 1: so many more years. Nobody's going to care about things

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Speaker 1: that I think people care about and now looking back,

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Speaker 1: I'm like, I wish it could have taken me less

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Speaker 1: years to realize some things. But I also can't change

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Speaker 1: who I am. You know, there's a reason I am

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Speaker 1: the way I am, the way I'm wired and the

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Speaker 1: way I think. And I've grown to also like that

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Speaker 1: about myself. I'm not perfect at all, but I love

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Speaker 1: that I have, like the drive and the passion that

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Speaker 1: I think when I look around on tour, sometimes I

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Speaker 1: don't see it as you know, as strongly in some

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Speaker 1: other ones that I actually, in a way would admire,

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Speaker 1: which is kind of trippy. You know.

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Speaker 2: I appreciate what you said about understanding that the setbacks

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Speaker 2: that you were experiencing in your mid twenties they.

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Speaker 3: Were really happening for you.

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Speaker 2: I would argue that, you know, come twenty thirteen, twenty fourteen,

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Speaker 2: that's when your career really took off. So if you

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Speaker 2: wouldn't mind put us in your shoes back in that

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Speaker 2: time period, what was it like to be Aila in

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Speaker 2: twenty fourteen.

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Speaker 1: Twenty fourteen. I was like, that were my rebellious years.

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Speaker 1: Like if you talk to my mom, she'd be like,

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Speaker 1: oh my gosh, Isla was the perfect child until twenty two,

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Speaker 1: and I would like agree in a way that I

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Speaker 1: really like I was so all about doing the right

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Speaker 1: thing all the time, but there came a point where,

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Speaker 1: you know, I just wanted to break free a little

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Speaker 1: bit in different areas of my life. And I really

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Speaker 1: like when I look back, like they're fun years because

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Speaker 1: I think I had some really nice results. But at

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Speaker 1: the same time, I didn't. I didn't completely fulfill my potential.

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Speaker 1: There were a lot of things that were a problem.

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Speaker 1: For example, I would play a bad match and I

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Speaker 1: wouldn't I didn't have the capability of being one hundred

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Speaker 1: percent honest with myself of what was wrong, what didn't

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Speaker 1: I do well, because for some reason, I just I

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Speaker 1: couldn't face some of these fears and problems that I

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Speaker 1: was dealing with until maybe three four years later, and

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Speaker 1: then you know, I was able to actually change something

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Speaker 1: in these matches. So it was like my early twenties

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Speaker 1: in my career, it was a ton of like highs

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Speaker 1: and lows. Yeah, I couldn't figure out that middle where

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Speaker 1: it's like, Okay, I figured out how to have my

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Speaker 1: consistency and now I just need to like slowly go

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Speaker 1: up it was always like boom down up, and it

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Speaker 1: was really messing with my confidence because I would just

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Speaker 1: hear people say like, oh, yeah, she can compete with

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Speaker 1: the best, but just their consistency is not there, and

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Speaker 1: it would like really mess with my head a little

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Speaker 1: bit where I was like doubting, well, can I really

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Speaker 1: do it at a level where I feel like I belong?

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Speaker 3: Yeah, that's understandable.

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Speaker 2: I mean to ride those high highs and then also

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Speaker 2: navigate those low lows that would be difficult for anyone.

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Speaker 3: Now, you said that you.

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Speaker 2: Were able to get to a point where you've became

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Speaker 2: more capable of reflecting and being honest with yourself.

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Speaker 3: Did something specific happen that enabled that within you?

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Speaker 1: I think naturally, I was getting really sick of not addressed.

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Speaker 1: I could feel I'm not addressing the issue. And you know,

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Speaker 1: early on in my career, my parents would always encourage

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Speaker 1: me to work with a psychologist, and when I was younger,

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Speaker 1: I saw that such a weakness, like talking to someone

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Speaker 1: about your mental side of the game. I thought like, why, well,

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Speaker 1: why would I do that? I'm fine, Like, there's nothing

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Speaker 1: wrong with me. And that's when I started initiating That

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Speaker 1: is when I could see that something's going to change

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Speaker 1: soon because I was willing to be very vulnerable and

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Speaker 1: just admit something that's been very hard for a couple

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Speaker 1: of years. And you know, it still wasn't not like

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Speaker 1: it solved everything, but I could definitely see that after

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Speaker 1: every setback, I was actually learning from my experiences and

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Speaker 1: that was huge. So I think just being more consistent

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Speaker 1: with being honest with myself, my team, and my psychologist,

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Speaker 1: and just working through stuff before. I would just like

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Speaker 1: before I match, my dad be like how are you feeling?

340
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Speaker 1: And I'm like I'm great, And then I come on

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Speaker 1: the court and I'm like, I'm having an anxiety attack.

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Speaker 1: And now, I mean, if my dad asked me like,

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Speaker 1: how do you feel, I'm like, wow, like I'm nervous

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Speaker 1: for this one. And it doesn't feel like I'm less

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Speaker 1: than just because I'm nervous, because honestly everyone is. Back

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Speaker 1: then that felt like a crime to like to say

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Speaker 1: that I'm nervous.

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Speaker 2: You know, yeah, I can totally relate with this, and

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Speaker 2: I'm sure many people listening can as well. This concept

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Speaker 2: of being on autopilot someone asking me how you are

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Speaker 2: and You're like, I'm good, I'm great, it's like you

352
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Speaker 2: want to show up, you want to be great, but

353
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Speaker 2: there's so much freedom that comes with being honest about

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Speaker 2: how you're really doing, and that freedom then in turn,

355
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Speaker 2: when you vocalize what's actually going on, enables you to

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Speaker 2: better show up for yourself and then get after whatever

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Speaker 2: it is that you're getting after.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, one hundred percent. And like one of my early

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Speaker 1: on life I changed a few psychologists throughout my career,

360
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Speaker 1: but one woman really helped me, and she was like,

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Speaker 1: take the power away from whatever is holding it like

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Speaker 1: over you, because you know, like, okay, let's say your

363
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Speaker 1: nervousness or your anxiety, like are you saying you acknowledge it?

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Speaker 1: And then it kind of like you could feel your

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Speaker 1: whole self kind of relaxing and being like, oh, okay, yeah,

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Speaker 1: that's what I'm feeling, but it's fine. Doesn't mean that

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Speaker 1: anything's bad's gonna happen now. Doesn't mean because that's that's

368
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Speaker 1: how you're feeling, I'm going to have a bad match

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Speaker 1: in two hours After that, like so many things would

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Speaker 1: just naturally fall into place, like I'd have a match

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Speaker 1: where I'm like how did I just do that? It's like, well,

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Speaker 1: because I've done the work.

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Speaker 3: Before, right, totally, totally.

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Speaker 2: Do you remember those first few times chatting with your

375
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Speaker 2: psychologists how that solved for you?

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Speaker 1: Honestly, it felt liberating at first. Yeah, Like the first

377
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Speaker 1: few times I spoke to my psychologists back then, I

378
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Speaker 1: felt like like a big like the weight of the

379
00:19:52,560 --> 00:19:55,159
Speaker 1: world was off my chest. And then I thought I

380
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Speaker 1: was cure too. I was like, oh, this is great,

381
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Speaker 1: this worked.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, ever have any issues ever again?

383
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Speaker 2: Because I spoke about my feelings at least three times, Yeah,

384
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Speaker 2: I was.

385
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Speaker 1: Like, this is so amazing. Everyone should do this. But yeah,

386
00:20:09,320 --> 00:20:13,080
Speaker 1: it felt great just to let all my darkest thoughts

387
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Speaker 1: out and not be not be judged, and actually feel

388
00:20:17,280 --> 00:20:22,560
Speaker 1: like it's normal and it's common. Yeah, yeah it was.

389
00:20:22,680 --> 00:20:25,320
Speaker 1: Then then the next challenge is like, okay, when that

390
00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:28,480
Speaker 1: creeps in, when you're on a stadium full of people,

391
00:20:28,560 --> 00:20:33,320
Speaker 1: how do you still keep it together? Right? But yeah,

392
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Speaker 1: like you want to get to a point where it's

393
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Speaker 1: a little bit of autopilot on court, and but some

394
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Speaker 1: days it isn't. And that's okay too. It's just I never,

395
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Speaker 1: like I remember one match maybe during COVID I it

396
00:20:46,840 --> 00:20:49,879
Speaker 1: was that's where like I remember I was like, Okay,

397
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Speaker 1: this is it. I never want to I can lose

398
00:20:52,440 --> 00:20:54,359
Speaker 1: every match from now on. I just never want to

399
00:20:54,359 --> 00:20:58,080
Speaker 1: feel like this again, like just so not in control

400
00:20:58,119 --> 00:21:01,840
Speaker 1: of my body. And I mean, knock on wood, I'm

401
00:21:01,840 --> 00:21:03,880
Speaker 1: not even nervous to say it. But it hasn't happened since,

402
00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:06,159
Speaker 1: and I don't think it will happen again, just because

403
00:21:06,680 --> 00:21:09,879
Speaker 1: I have like coping mechanisms as well of what to

404
00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:13,639
Speaker 1: do when some thoughts creep in and just yeah, you know,

405
00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:17,600
Speaker 1: unnecessary stuff in the head, like I mean, sometimes are

406
00:21:17,640 --> 00:21:19,840
Speaker 1: like worst enemy, our own thoughts.

407
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Speaker 3: It's so true. It's so true.

408
00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:25,240
Speaker 2: And what you're talking about a little bit here alludes

409
00:21:25,280 --> 00:21:28,280
Speaker 2: to also having a bit of a mindfulness practice. Would

410
00:21:28,320 --> 00:21:31,760
Speaker 2: you say that you regularly integrate either their breathwork meditation.

411
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Speaker 3: What does your mindfulness practice look like these days?

412
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Speaker 1: Oh? You know, I wish I had a better routine

413
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Speaker 1: with meditation, because I really believe that it helps. I

414
00:21:42,200 --> 00:21:46,120
Speaker 1: just never could get into a good routine like where

415
00:21:46,160 --> 00:21:49,040
Speaker 1: I'm like daily or even every other day, but I'm

416
00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,080
Speaker 1: feeling stressed. I'm like, Okay, I'm gonna do it. But

417
00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:53,560
Speaker 1: that's that's almost like faking it a little bit. But

418
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Speaker 1: I think what's been helping me the most is just

419
00:21:57,119 --> 00:22:00,399
Speaker 1: a lot of talking. Like, whatever I feel, I just

420
00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:03,479
Speaker 1: blurt it out. And it's gotten to a point where

421
00:22:04,320 --> 00:22:06,440
Speaker 1: if I, let's say, I'm having a day and I'm

422
00:22:06,480 --> 00:22:10,119
Speaker 1: trying not to also be overbearing to the people around me,

423
00:22:10,280 --> 00:22:12,639
Speaker 1: so I want to like keep be mindful of not

424
00:22:12,720 --> 00:22:16,000
Speaker 1: always sit telling them everything. But then if I keep

425
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Speaker 1: it in for too long, I go nuts. So it's

426
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Speaker 1: just like I just blurt it out, and that's been

427
00:22:21,560 --> 00:22:24,119
Speaker 1: I mean, I think that's actually great even with your

428
00:22:24,119 --> 00:22:27,439
Speaker 1: relationships with people around you, that they know what's going on,

429
00:22:27,480 --> 00:22:29,240
Speaker 1: because these are the people that are very close to me,

430
00:22:29,400 --> 00:22:33,000
Speaker 1: and it's good. But yeah, like that's been crucial for

431
00:22:33,119 --> 00:22:37,040
Speaker 1: me just talking about whatever I'm feeling. And sometimes even

432
00:22:37,080 --> 00:22:39,320
Speaker 1: the person you don't think will help you will just

433
00:22:39,400 --> 00:22:41,919
Speaker 1: say one thing and it will be good. You know.

434
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Speaker 3: Yeah, No, I totally, I totally get it.

435
00:22:45,280 --> 00:22:48,639
Speaker 2: And it shows that you're keeping people around you that

436
00:22:48,720 --> 00:22:51,480
Speaker 2: really care about you, right, They want what's best for you,

437
00:22:51,560 --> 00:22:53,639
Speaker 2: And so often we can feel like a burden to

438
00:22:53,720 --> 00:22:56,800
Speaker 2: those around us when we're just talking about ourselves, right,

439
00:22:56,840 --> 00:22:59,880
Speaker 2: But those people that care for your betterment, they want

440
00:22:59,880 --> 00:23:02,000
Speaker 2: you to talk about yourself because they want you to

441
00:23:02,040 --> 00:23:06,320
Speaker 2: be okay, and that's the most important part. Now, I

442
00:23:06,359 --> 00:23:09,960
Speaker 2: do want to dial back to twenty sixteen, when you

443
00:23:10,080 --> 00:23:13,360
Speaker 2: got your shoulder surgery. Talk to us a little bit

444
00:23:13,680 --> 00:23:17,240
Speaker 2: about where your mental space was heading into that month.

445
00:23:19,200 --> 00:23:21,879
Speaker 1: Well, I was dealing for like six seven months with

446
00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:24,359
Speaker 1: just a lot of shoulder pain, and I even took

447
00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:27,360
Speaker 1: three months off to try to rehabit without the surgery,

448
00:23:28,000 --> 00:23:31,720
Speaker 1: and nothing was helping. And then I ended up going

449
00:23:31,720 --> 00:23:34,480
Speaker 1: to see my surgeon again. But the tricky part about

450
00:23:34,520 --> 00:23:37,240
Speaker 1: it is that he never told me and we still

451
00:23:37,320 --> 00:23:39,959
Speaker 1: joke about it because he did my other surgery, so

452
00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:43,200
Speaker 1: we actually have a good relationship. And he never told

453
00:23:43,200 --> 00:23:46,520
Speaker 1: me in the beginning that surgery was really an option.

454
00:23:46,880 --> 00:23:49,399
Speaker 1: He was just you know, having me focus on my

455
00:23:49,480 --> 00:23:52,040
Speaker 1: rehab and see how it goes. So when I went

456
00:23:52,080 --> 00:23:53,840
Speaker 1: to see him the second time, he was like, okay,

457
00:23:54,200 --> 00:23:56,560
Speaker 1: like we got to fix it now. It didn't really work.

458
00:23:57,040 --> 00:24:00,440
Speaker 1: And I remember when he told me the time frame

459
00:24:00,480 --> 00:24:03,760
Speaker 1: of how long I would be out, it felt like

460
00:24:03,760 --> 00:24:06,280
Speaker 1: like a like like a stab to my chest. I mean,

461
00:24:06,880 --> 00:24:09,560
Speaker 1: I was an invincible twenty two year old soon to

462
00:24:09,560 --> 00:24:13,679
Speaker 1: be twenty three, and like injuries were just whatever you know,

463
00:24:14,119 --> 00:24:16,800
Speaker 1: so to all of a sudden be out for a

464
00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,680
Speaker 1: year felt like it just didn't feel like my life.

465
00:24:19,840 --> 00:24:22,719
Speaker 1: It felt like it took a long time to really

466
00:24:23,000 --> 00:24:26,920
Speaker 1: come to terms. And yeah, I would say that those

467
00:24:26,920 --> 00:24:29,680
Speaker 1: two years from that surgery were really very challenging. Even

468
00:24:29,720 --> 00:24:32,199
Speaker 1: the year coming back from it was not easy. But

469
00:24:33,560 --> 00:24:36,840
Speaker 1: it definitely helped me now for this one, even though Okay,

470
00:24:36,880 --> 00:24:40,760
Speaker 1: I'm six seven years you know, smarter and older and

471
00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,199
Speaker 1: more experienced, but still like this hit me in a

472
00:24:43,240 --> 00:24:45,800
Speaker 1: different way, but still it's still a hit, you know,

473
00:24:45,920 --> 00:24:48,920
Speaker 1: as an athlete, like it's the worst thing that can happen,

474
00:24:48,920 --> 00:24:50,840
Speaker 1: and we don't realize it until that happens.

475
00:24:51,240 --> 00:24:53,720
Speaker 2: Yeah, yeah, but it teaches you and prepares you to

476
00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:57,640
Speaker 2: handle whatever hurdles lay ahead. Now, you said that that

477
00:24:57,760 --> 00:25:01,760
Speaker 2: year felt like what was an eternity? Tell us about

478
00:25:01,920 --> 00:25:04,840
Speaker 2: what you were doing during that year? What did your

479
00:25:04,920 --> 00:25:07,280
Speaker 2: days look like when you couldn't show up as you'd

480
00:25:07,320 --> 00:25:07,800
Speaker 2: hoped to?

481
00:25:09,680 --> 00:25:16,040
Speaker 1: Absolutely nothing. I was doing nothing except rehab, which people

482
00:25:16,640 --> 00:25:18,600
Speaker 1: I don't know they sometimes I don't think they know

483
00:25:18,800 --> 00:25:21,520
Speaker 1: when you're rehabing how much time it takes out of

484
00:25:21,520 --> 00:25:25,479
Speaker 1: your day. So I was rehabing for like five four

485
00:25:25,560 --> 00:25:28,080
Speaker 1: or five hours a day and that like for sure

486
00:25:28,119 --> 00:25:32,240
Speaker 1: for like eight nine months. And I remember like my

487
00:25:32,400 --> 00:25:35,960
Speaker 1: mom was kind of encouraging me to keep my brain

488
00:25:36,040 --> 00:25:40,400
Speaker 1: going with like things that aren't tennis related. She was like, oh,

489
00:25:40,800 --> 00:25:43,040
Speaker 1: let's sign up for some classes or something, and I

490
00:25:43,119 --> 00:25:46,720
Speaker 1: just I couldn't do it, And looking back, I really

491
00:25:46,720 --> 00:25:49,640
Speaker 1: regret it, but I do remember mentally I wasn't capable,

492
00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:53,600
Speaker 1: Like I just I was very stubborn, and I was like, listen,

493
00:25:53,600 --> 00:25:58,600
Speaker 1: if I start doing other things, who knows what, Like,

494
00:25:58,720 --> 00:26:00,680
Speaker 1: I want this still to be the thing I want

495
00:26:00,720 --> 00:26:03,120
Speaker 1: to do. And I couldn't separate, you know, Okay, well

496
00:26:03,160 --> 00:26:07,119
Speaker 1: I'm rehabbing and doing this while tennis is waiting. So

497
00:26:07,400 --> 00:26:11,320
Speaker 1: I got that would be the period that I experienced

498
00:26:11,359 --> 00:26:13,639
Speaker 1: for the first time some just some dark times, you know,

499
00:26:13,760 --> 00:26:16,320
Speaker 1: the first time where you're like really feeling like you

500
00:26:16,320 --> 00:26:19,200
Speaker 1: don't want to get out of bed. And it sounds

501
00:26:19,560 --> 00:26:22,280
Speaker 1: rough now, but I really kind of do appreciate it

502
00:26:22,320 --> 00:26:26,400
Speaker 1: because I don't know, it taught me a lot about myself,

503
00:26:26,560 --> 00:26:30,000
Speaker 1: and at that time, I wasn't enough, like there was

504
00:26:30,080 --> 00:26:33,520
Speaker 1: not enough self awareness for me to do something about it.

505
00:26:33,560 --> 00:26:35,800
Speaker 1: Where now if I feel like one day I can't

506
00:26:36,119 --> 00:26:37,800
Speaker 1: I'm in a bad mood. It's like, well, I don't

507
00:26:37,840 --> 00:26:39,480
Speaker 1: let myself feel like that too long.

508
00:26:40,080 --> 00:26:40,560
Speaker 3: Yeah.

509
00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:43,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, that's really powerful the lessons that we can learn

510
00:26:44,400 --> 00:26:47,159
Speaker 2: that you learned while you were down and out. And

511
00:26:47,200 --> 00:26:50,240
Speaker 2: then I mean not to spoil anything here, but as

512
00:26:50,240 --> 00:26:52,719
Speaker 2: we go along this story arc, you come back and

513
00:26:52,760 --> 00:26:55,800
Speaker 2: start to have some really really great playing time.

514
00:26:55,880 --> 00:26:57,480
Speaker 3: How did that feel for you?

515
00:26:59,240 --> 00:27:03,280
Speaker 1: It felt very rewarding. It just there's always that one

516
00:27:03,480 --> 00:27:10,439
Speaker 1: moment that happens after a big injury where you just

517
00:27:10,520 --> 00:27:12,920
Speaker 1: feel like, Okay, all that what I did and went

518
00:27:12,920 --> 00:27:17,400
Speaker 1: through was worth it. And I don't exactly know which

519
00:27:17,440 --> 00:27:19,800
Speaker 1: moment that was, but I remember I had it, and

520
00:27:20,119 --> 00:27:24,760
Speaker 1: it just feels so nice because obviously, you don't train

521
00:27:24,920 --> 00:27:27,320
Speaker 1: just to be back playing. You want to go back winning,

522
00:27:27,640 --> 00:27:29,119
Speaker 1: and you want to go back to your ways and

523
00:27:29,160 --> 00:27:32,199
Speaker 1: be even better and show that you know, it was

524
00:27:32,400 --> 00:27:35,600
Speaker 1: just a setback and you can be better than you

525
00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:38,359
Speaker 1: were before that. So I think when I got my

526
00:27:38,440 --> 00:27:43,040
Speaker 1: career high after my surgery, that was like, whoa, I

527
00:27:43,040 --> 00:27:46,440
Speaker 1: I did that because I remember people were saying that,

528
00:27:46,640 --> 00:27:49,600
Speaker 1: you know, it's not easy to come back from shoulder surgery,

529
00:27:49,640 --> 00:27:51,920
Speaker 1: and I've, of course, I go like you know when

530
00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:54,080
Speaker 1: you're sick and you google something and then you see

531
00:27:54,119 --> 00:27:57,160
Speaker 1: all the like that you're basically dying. So what I

532
00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:59,560
Speaker 1: was doing, I was looking at all the people that

533
00:27:59,760 --> 00:28:03,240
Speaker 1: had to be tired because of shoulder surgery. I was

534
00:28:03,280 --> 00:28:06,159
Speaker 1: going like worst case scenario and that, like, as a

535
00:28:06,200 --> 00:28:08,600
Speaker 1: twenty three year old, that really scared me because I

536
00:28:08,640 --> 00:28:10,960
Speaker 1: was like, of course I'm still gonna play, but the

537
00:28:11,000 --> 00:28:14,199
Speaker 1: fact that there was a possibility really scared me. So

538
00:28:14,240 --> 00:28:19,200
Speaker 1: I was very, very very like just thankful after that,

539
00:28:19,280 --> 00:28:21,200
Speaker 1: you know, I could still play. And let me tell you,

540
00:28:22,040 --> 00:28:25,000
Speaker 1: I was never doing rehab before twenty two, but I've

541
00:28:25,040 --> 00:28:28,159
Speaker 1: been doing reheb ever since, so it taught me that

542
00:28:28,280 --> 00:28:28,720
Speaker 1: as well.

543
00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:32,439
Speaker 2: I know, I feel like it's in these moments that

544
00:28:32,480 --> 00:28:34,479
Speaker 2: were injured that we actually do all the things we're

545
00:28:34,520 --> 00:28:37,000
Speaker 2: quote unquote supposed to do all of the time, like

546
00:28:37,560 --> 00:28:41,760
Speaker 2: warming up and cooling down and foam rolling and dedicating

547
00:28:41,760 --> 00:28:44,320
Speaker 2: time to recovery. And it's in these moments that we

548
00:28:44,360 --> 00:28:48,680
Speaker 2: are reminded how it doesn't need to be an everest

549
00:28:48,800 --> 00:28:52,680
Speaker 2: level worthy of effort and everest amount of effort to

550
00:28:52,880 --> 00:28:55,200
Speaker 2: give your body what it needs to perform better.

551
00:28:55,520 --> 00:28:56,600
Speaker 3: What's in your toolbox?

552
00:28:56,640 --> 00:28:59,560
Speaker 2: These days when it comes to taking care of your

553
00:28:59,600 --> 00:29:05,600
Speaker 2: body and recovering to your best ability, well.

554
00:29:05,920 --> 00:29:08,840
Speaker 1: I would say, like the all the rehab programs I

555
00:29:08,880 --> 00:29:13,360
Speaker 1: have for my core, my shoulder, now, my knee, even

556
00:29:13,400 --> 00:29:17,680
Speaker 1: for my feet is something that I like in my mind,

557
00:29:17,880 --> 00:29:21,000
Speaker 1: I never slack on and I always keep it in

558
00:29:21,040 --> 00:29:23,400
Speaker 1: my head, Okay, I have to do this. Where like

559
00:29:23,480 --> 00:29:26,840
Speaker 1: the strength stuff, the agility, I just leave that to

560
00:29:26,920 --> 00:29:29,480
Speaker 1: my whoever's in charge of that in my team, which

561
00:29:29,520 --> 00:29:32,880
Speaker 1: my dad does my physical preparations, so that I just like,

562
00:29:32,960 --> 00:29:35,480
Speaker 1: I'm kind of okay, what are we doing today? This,

563
00:29:35,640 --> 00:29:38,520
Speaker 1: I'll do it. But all the things that are preventative

564
00:29:39,120 --> 00:29:42,560
Speaker 1: I really try to just be very mindful of on

565
00:29:42,640 --> 00:29:46,080
Speaker 1: the daily because I know thirty is the new twenty,

566
00:29:46,120 --> 00:29:48,960
Speaker 1: but hey, this body has been through a lot and

567
00:29:49,040 --> 00:29:50,600
Speaker 1: I just need to give it a little bit extra

568
00:29:50,720 --> 00:29:53,040
Speaker 1: till see these days. And that's okay. I would say

569
00:29:53,040 --> 00:29:56,719
Speaker 1: recovery though, is another big one and I didn't think

570
00:29:56,760 --> 00:30:00,120
Speaker 1: I'd ever say this, but sleep. Sleep has been something

571
00:30:00,160 --> 00:30:04,480
Speaker 1: I prioritize these days big time. Like if I don't

572
00:30:04,520 --> 00:30:06,560
Speaker 1: see on the clock, if I don't do the math

573
00:30:06,600 --> 00:30:09,280
Speaker 1: that if I don't see at least nine hours I

574
00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:13,200
Speaker 1: almost push my day back, like just to start more

575
00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:16,640
Speaker 1: like in the right frame of mind. And I mean,

576
00:30:17,200 --> 00:30:19,200
Speaker 1: do you remember the days when you like run on

577
00:30:19,320 --> 00:30:22,920
Speaker 1: six hours and still think you're okay until it catches

578
00:30:23,040 --> 00:30:23,360
Speaker 1: up to you.

579
00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:26,920
Speaker 2: Yeah, No, I remember those days. I used to in

580
00:30:26,960 --> 00:30:29,080
Speaker 2: my early days. I live in Brooklyn, New York, and

581
00:30:29,400 --> 00:30:31,800
Speaker 2: I used to be able to like go out dancing

582
00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:35,120
Speaker 2: until one thirty in the morning and somehow miraculously show

583
00:30:35,160 --> 00:30:36,600
Speaker 2: up to a workout class.

584
00:30:36,280 --> 00:30:40,560
Speaker 3: That started at seven to fifteen am. No more, I love.

585
00:30:41,760 --> 00:30:45,080
Speaker 1: I think I just sobered up from three drinks I

586
00:30:45,120 --> 00:30:47,200
Speaker 1: had for my birthday and it's been like three days.

587
00:30:48,960 --> 00:30:51,680
Speaker 3: Yes, I can totally relate to this. I can totally

588
00:30:51,720 --> 00:30:52,320
Speaker 3: relate to this.

589
00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:56,680
Speaker 2: And I also really appreciate this sentiment that you know

590
00:30:56,840 --> 00:31:01,120
Speaker 2: that although it may feel inconvenient, that's slight inconvenience of

591
00:31:01,160 --> 00:31:04,280
Speaker 2: making the time to do all of this prehab is

592
00:31:04,280 --> 00:31:07,240
Speaker 2: something that's going to help you stay what you're doing.

593
00:31:07,280 --> 00:31:10,880
Speaker 2: And again, that sentiment is super easy to lose sight

594
00:31:10,960 --> 00:31:14,480
Speaker 2: of when it feels like, oh, this thing takes so

595
00:31:14,560 --> 00:31:16,600
Speaker 2: much time, I'm just not in the mood, et cetera,

596
00:31:16,640 --> 00:31:17,080
Speaker 2: et cetera.

597
00:31:18,000 --> 00:31:21,680
Speaker 1: Also, when you feel good, like I found myself sometimes

598
00:31:22,040 --> 00:31:25,360
Speaker 1: being at a tournament and having playing well and be like,

599
00:31:25,400 --> 00:31:28,000
Speaker 1: oh my gosh, I feel amazing when really I'm like

600
00:31:28,080 --> 00:31:31,240
Speaker 1: running on adrenaline probably, and I'm like and then I

601
00:31:31,560 --> 00:31:34,440
Speaker 1: can feel myself slack off a little bit. But I

602
00:31:34,440 --> 00:31:36,920
Speaker 1: mean it's normal that, you know, on the road, it's

603
00:31:36,960 --> 00:31:39,200
Speaker 1: harder to do everything the way we would in a

604
00:31:39,240 --> 00:31:43,240
Speaker 1: control the environment. But yeah, I think my whole team

605
00:31:43,320 --> 00:31:46,320
Speaker 1: is just also very aware of doing this stuff that

606
00:31:46,400 --> 00:31:49,880
Speaker 1: it's important. But I was just now in La doing

607
00:31:49,880 --> 00:31:52,400
Speaker 1: my rehab and we tested a few things and I

608
00:31:52,440 --> 00:31:54,520
Speaker 1: was like so proud that like my hips and my

609
00:31:54,600 --> 00:31:57,120
Speaker 1: core were has still had good numbers even though I'm

610
00:31:57,160 --> 00:32:00,720
Speaker 1: still a few weeks away from my best fitness. But

611
00:32:00,800 --> 00:32:03,680
Speaker 1: I was like, Okay, maybe my reheb is paying off

612
00:32:03,720 --> 00:32:04,200
Speaker 1: a little bit.

613
00:32:09,400 --> 00:32:12,400
Speaker 2: Taking a break from today's episode to give some.

614
00:32:12,520 --> 00:32:15,840
Speaker 3: Love to my friends at Elements now.

615
00:32:16,120 --> 00:32:19,360
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616
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617
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618
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619
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620
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621
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622
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623
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624
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625
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626
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627
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628
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629
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632
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637
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Speaker 2: I'm sure it's paying off a little bit. You mentioned

638
00:33:47,320 --> 00:33:50,560
Speaker 2: on the road you have been on the road for

639
00:33:50,680 --> 00:33:53,720
Speaker 2: some time. Tell us a little bit about what that

640
00:33:53,960 --> 00:33:57,520
Speaker 2: has been like for you going through all of your

641
00:33:57,560 --> 00:34:00,640
Speaker 2: twenties traveling the world.

642
00:34:01,920 --> 00:34:06,760
Speaker 1: Well, it's gotten basically now, I don't know what to

643
00:34:06,800 --> 00:34:08,959
Speaker 1: do with myself when I'm in one spot for longer

644
00:34:09,040 --> 00:34:12,479
Speaker 1: than two weeks. So I absolutely love being on the road.

645
00:34:12,760 --> 00:34:15,960
Speaker 1: I mean, I miss it so much. I love just

646
00:34:16,040 --> 00:34:18,680
Speaker 1: having that fast based life of being in a different

647
00:34:18,719 --> 00:34:21,840
Speaker 1: city every other week. And even though you know, the

648
00:34:21,880 --> 00:34:24,640
Speaker 1: season is the same, so it's always the same city

649
00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:28,520
Speaker 1: every year, but like you know, the scheduling, but still

650
00:34:28,600 --> 00:34:33,960
Speaker 1: I just love, I guess, having a purpose but also

651
00:34:34,480 --> 00:34:38,320
Speaker 1: incorporated with traveling, like I love seeing new places, new people.

652
00:34:38,400 --> 00:34:41,960
Speaker 1: And yeah, I don't know how i'll do once. I

653
00:34:42,160 --> 00:34:44,800
Speaker 1: once I'll stop, because what people like are supposed to

654
00:34:44,800 --> 00:34:46,759
Speaker 1: be in one place when they're retired, right, That's what

655
00:34:46,880 --> 00:34:49,759
Speaker 1: normal people do. I don't know how I'll do that.

656
00:34:50,920 --> 00:34:53,480
Speaker 2: Do you feel as though that traveling can take a

657
00:34:53,520 --> 00:34:56,480
Speaker 2: toll on your relationships, whether it be with your family

658
00:34:56,560 --> 00:34:57,760
Speaker 2: or your friends or whatnot.

659
00:34:58,840 --> 00:35:04,080
Speaker 1: Yeah, that's one thing that is an ideal I miss. Like,

660
00:35:04,160 --> 00:35:08,200
Speaker 1: for example, I don't really have middle school friends because

661
00:35:08,239 --> 00:35:10,600
Speaker 1: I you know, I did part of my school in Croatia.

662
00:35:11,000 --> 00:35:13,480
Speaker 1: Then I did online and I don't have these core

663
00:35:13,600 --> 00:35:15,880
Speaker 1: friendships from like when we were seven years old. And

664
00:35:15,960 --> 00:35:18,839
Speaker 1: I and I know that that's due to my lifestyle

665
00:35:19,160 --> 00:35:21,239
Speaker 1: and I, I mean, you know, I take the good

666
00:35:21,239 --> 00:35:23,080
Speaker 1: with the bad. I would never change what I have

667
00:35:23,200 --> 00:35:26,440
Speaker 1: now because of that. But it's just a little bit harder.

668
00:35:26,920 --> 00:35:30,360
Speaker 1: Let's put it this way. You make different friendships, you

669
00:35:30,480 --> 00:35:32,799
Speaker 1: have to. You know, all my friends now they know

670
00:35:32,920 --> 00:35:35,920
Speaker 1: that we can't talk every day. Well, I don't know.

671
00:35:36,040 --> 00:35:37,479
Speaker 1: Do you talk with your friends every day?

672
00:35:37,640 --> 00:35:39,759
Speaker 3: Not every day? I know not, and I don't think

673
00:35:39,760 --> 00:35:40,600
Speaker 3: a lot of people do.

674
00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:43,440
Speaker 1: Yeah. Yeah, I can't do this thing where we're like

675
00:35:43,560 --> 00:35:48,400
Speaker 1: chatting all day. But I am lucky. I mean, I

676
00:35:48,440 --> 00:35:51,840
Speaker 1: have a few friends that are really close and I

677
00:35:52,200 --> 00:35:54,279
Speaker 1: feel like I can trust them, and you know, if

678
00:35:54,280 --> 00:35:56,560
Speaker 1: I'm really down or something, they'll be there for me.

679
00:35:56,640 --> 00:36:00,319
Speaker 1: And I think that's actually now, that's a lot I don't.

680
00:36:00,400 --> 00:36:02,719
Speaker 1: They're like everyone else is more of an acquaintance that

681
00:36:02,760 --> 00:36:07,000
Speaker 1: I can have fun with. But yeah, I'm lucky enough

682
00:36:07,000 --> 00:36:09,080
Speaker 1: that I have my family on the road a lot.

683
00:36:09,920 --> 00:36:13,520
Speaker 1: My sister works in finance, so she can't come as

684
00:36:13,600 --> 00:36:15,200
Speaker 1: much as I would like. Her to, So she's the

685
00:36:15,239 --> 00:36:18,000
Speaker 1: one that actually missed the most because I would I

686
00:36:18,000 --> 00:36:21,600
Speaker 1: would love to cover just more often at tournaments. Yeah.

687
00:36:21,719 --> 00:36:24,600
Speaker 2: Yeah, And I think that that is a lesson that

688
00:36:24,840 --> 00:36:27,440
Speaker 2: we learn as we get older, right, like the importance

689
00:36:27,560 --> 00:36:33,200
Speaker 2: of truly high quality relationships and maintaining those relationships and

690
00:36:33,280 --> 00:36:36,400
Speaker 2: giving your energy to those relationships, because as we get older,

691
00:36:36,520 --> 00:36:39,759
Speaker 2: like we just diversify our priorities. Right now, you're in,

692
00:36:40,160 --> 00:36:43,600
Speaker 2: you know, arguably the height of your career, and this

693
00:36:43,680 --> 00:36:45,680
Speaker 2: is something that's a priority for you right now. So

694
00:36:45,719 --> 00:36:47,839
Speaker 2: to have those people that you can go to and

695
00:36:47,880 --> 00:36:50,439
Speaker 2: talk to about it, even if they are few, that's

696
00:36:50,480 --> 00:36:51,480
Speaker 2: something really special.

697
00:36:52,480 --> 00:36:56,040
Speaker 1: Yeah, one hundred percent. And tennis has definitely sifted out

698
00:36:56,120 --> 00:36:59,640
Speaker 1: the ones that we're never going to really be amazing friendships.

699
00:36:59,800 --> 00:37:02,759
Speaker 1: I'm okay with that. I mean it's not a problem.

700
00:37:03,120 --> 00:37:06,160
Speaker 1: I think whoever meets me as a friend or whoever, like,

701
00:37:06,280 --> 00:37:09,360
Speaker 1: they don't know very quickly what my life is like.

702
00:37:09,480 --> 00:37:12,040
Speaker 1: And you just have to find someone people that are

703
00:37:12,239 --> 00:37:15,359
Speaker 1: aligned the same way, and you're worth it, even though

704
00:37:15,360 --> 00:37:16,200
Speaker 1: that's your lifestyle.

705
00:37:16,920 --> 00:37:19,160
Speaker 2: Even though that's your lifestyle, all right, Well, I would

706
00:37:19,160 --> 00:37:23,760
Speaker 2: be remissive I didn't now fast forward us to twenty

707
00:37:23,800 --> 00:37:27,279
Speaker 2: twenty two, because this is when if someone hadn't heard

708
00:37:27,280 --> 00:37:30,160
Speaker 2: the name I loved before they heard it in twenty two,

709
00:37:30,640 --> 00:37:34,960
Speaker 2: when you had the match against Serena and won, bring

710
00:37:35,040 --> 00:37:38,399
Speaker 2: us to your headspace even walking into this match.

711
00:37:38,360 --> 00:37:42,800
Speaker 1: Oh my god, what's about to happen? Because I knew

712
00:37:42,800 --> 00:37:45,680
Speaker 1: that there was no way to prepare for it. I

713
00:37:45,719 --> 00:37:47,520
Speaker 1: did as best as I could, but I knew that

714
00:37:47,840 --> 00:37:49,760
Speaker 1: it was going to be more than what I prepared

715
00:37:49,800 --> 00:37:53,839
Speaker 1: for because it's just an occasion that probably for me

716
00:37:53,840 --> 00:37:57,319
Speaker 1: at least, never happen again. I mean in a long time,

717
00:37:57,400 --> 00:38:01,399
Speaker 1: nobody's gonna as great a streams be retiring in her

718
00:38:01,560 --> 00:38:05,120
Speaker 1: home slam as just like, yeah, it was almost out

719
00:38:05,160 --> 00:38:08,040
Speaker 1: of a book, you know. When I really think about

720
00:38:08,080 --> 00:38:10,560
Speaker 1: also the things that happened, the way I had to

721
00:38:10,600 --> 00:38:14,239
Speaker 1: walk out, and then the video was played of her

722
00:38:14,320 --> 00:38:17,160
Speaker 1: winning all the titles, It's like, when does that happen? Never?

723
00:38:17,600 --> 00:38:20,120
Speaker 1: It's like I wasn't loving that.

724
00:38:22,120 --> 00:38:25,600
Speaker 2: It's like, let's stack every single odd absolutely against you.

725
00:38:26,120 --> 00:38:31,280
Speaker 1: Yeah, just bring it. But it's been the most amazing

726
00:38:31,360 --> 00:38:35,239
Speaker 1: memory now, and it showed me that I'm capable of

727
00:38:35,280 --> 00:38:37,640
Speaker 1: so much more than I even think because I truly

728
00:38:37,760 --> 00:38:41,600
Speaker 1: like thought that that would maybe be a little much,

729
00:38:41,719 --> 00:38:44,960
Speaker 1: that whole everything together. Not that I didn't believe in myself,

730
00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,759
Speaker 1: but it just felt like, I don't know if I

731
00:38:48,800 --> 00:38:49,520
Speaker 1: can handle this.

732
00:38:49,960 --> 00:38:50,960
Speaker 3: I can't even remember.

733
00:38:50,960 --> 00:38:53,279
Speaker 2: I mean, I remember watching that match on TV and

734
00:38:53,400 --> 00:38:58,000
Speaker 2: just having so much sympathy for you, thinking to myself,

735
00:38:58,120 --> 00:39:00,839
Speaker 2: like anyone who was in this math right now, I

736
00:39:00,840 --> 00:39:04,839
Speaker 2: don't even know the mental gymnastics that must have been

737
00:39:04,840 --> 00:39:05,960
Speaker 2: going through your head.

738
00:39:07,719 --> 00:39:10,600
Speaker 1: Yeah, I remember I came off the court and my

739
00:39:10,680 --> 00:39:13,440
Speaker 1: mom like looked at me and she's like, I love,

740
00:39:14,040 --> 00:39:17,040
Speaker 1: are you on something? Like where are the emotions? Like

741
00:39:17,080 --> 00:39:19,200
Speaker 1: she obviously she was joking, but she was like, what

742
00:39:19,280 --> 00:39:22,480
Speaker 1: did you eat today? Because I've never seen you just

743
00:39:22,560 --> 00:39:26,120
Speaker 1: be so in like a zenmo. And I was like, well, mother,

744
00:39:26,200 --> 00:39:28,919
Speaker 1: I didn't take anything. Doping control is a real thing.

745
00:39:30,920 --> 00:39:34,800
Speaker 1: But I also understood what she meant because I don't

746
00:39:34,840 --> 00:39:40,600
Speaker 1: know where. Yeah, the best answer is I don't exactly

747
00:39:40,680 --> 00:39:43,799
Speaker 1: know where all that came from, Like the calmness of

748
00:39:43,880 --> 00:39:46,160
Speaker 1: even when I won a big point, you know, where

749
00:39:46,520 --> 00:39:50,719
Speaker 1: usually i'd maybe get excited it wasn't happening. But I

750
00:39:50,760 --> 00:39:54,600
Speaker 1: do remember. People will look back on my year of

751
00:39:54,600 --> 00:39:56,799
Speaker 1: twenty twenty two and talk about it, but nobody really

752
00:39:56,840 --> 00:39:59,480
Speaker 1: talks about this one match that was really really for

753
00:39:59,600 --> 00:40:02,440
Speaker 1: me a turning point, and that was my fourth round

754
00:40:02,520 --> 00:40:07,000
Speaker 1: at Wimbledon. I beat Alisa Corney and I remember I

755
00:40:07,080 --> 00:40:12,200
Speaker 1: was I was struggling a little bit physically with my body,

756
00:40:12,239 --> 00:40:15,080
Speaker 1: like I had this not in the moment. I wasn't sick,

757
00:40:15,120 --> 00:40:16,920
Speaker 1: but I was sick before and it took me a

758
00:40:16,960 --> 00:40:19,040
Speaker 1: little bit to recover from it. So I was coughing

759
00:40:19,080 --> 00:40:23,920
Speaker 1: like crazy. Everyone thought I had COVID and which I didn't,

760
00:40:24,239 --> 00:40:27,880
Speaker 1: And I remember I was, I was down and I

761
00:40:27,920 --> 00:40:30,640
Speaker 1: was losing, but there was just this moment that I

762
00:40:30,640 --> 00:40:33,879
Speaker 1: went into my shell and I wasn't looking anymore at

763
00:40:33,880 --> 00:40:37,399
Speaker 1: my team. It was just like like a zone, and

764
00:40:37,760 --> 00:40:39,560
Speaker 1: not a zone in a way where like I'm playing

765
00:40:39,640 --> 00:40:43,480
Speaker 1: lights out, but just with my mind. And I came

766
00:40:43,560 --> 00:40:46,440
Speaker 1: and even during I didn't question it too much, but

767
00:40:46,520 --> 00:40:49,640
Speaker 1: I remember like just like I would play an amazing

768
00:40:49,640 --> 00:40:51,840
Speaker 1: point and just put my head down and just go

769
00:40:51,920 --> 00:40:54,720
Speaker 1: next one, and I was thinking should I pump myself

770
00:40:54,760 --> 00:40:56,080
Speaker 1: up more? But then I was like you know what, no,

771
00:40:56,200 --> 00:40:58,160
Speaker 1: Like this is what my body is just reacting to

772
00:40:58,719 --> 00:41:00,880
Speaker 1: and let's just go with it and end up winning it.

773
00:41:01,320 --> 00:41:05,040
Speaker 1: And since then there were so many times I'd channeled

774
00:41:05,040 --> 00:41:08,440
Speaker 1: that thought and that feeling into my matches and it

775
00:41:08,520 --> 00:41:11,319
Speaker 1: helped immensely. It doesn't come naturally because it's a little

776
00:41:11,320 --> 00:41:13,440
Speaker 1: bit also like a psychopath where it's just no emotion

777
00:41:13,560 --> 00:41:16,600
Speaker 1: because I am emotional, like I do have it inside,

778
00:41:17,040 --> 00:41:20,320
Speaker 1: but I think I bring my best when I'm very leveled.

779
00:41:20,880 --> 00:41:25,239
Speaker 1: And the Serrena match was just a perfect combo of

780
00:41:25,520 --> 00:41:28,920
Speaker 1: all the things you know, that I needed and they

781
00:41:28,960 --> 00:41:31,799
Speaker 1: came out. And I would be lying if I said, look,

782
00:41:31,840 --> 00:41:33,920
Speaker 1: that's there was a bit of luck as well, like

783
00:41:34,080 --> 00:41:36,960
Speaker 1: just of you know, everything on lining in that one night.

784
00:41:38,080 --> 00:41:40,480
Speaker 1: It could have gone sideways like easily, you know, but

785
00:41:41,200 --> 00:41:42,840
Speaker 1: it was just I think it was just a moment

786
00:41:42,920 --> 00:41:46,040
Speaker 1: that I kind of deserved in my career.

787
00:41:46,520 --> 00:41:48,879
Speaker 2: Yeah, I'm so happy to hear you talk about it

788
00:41:48,920 --> 00:41:51,000
Speaker 2: and to talk about it so fondly, and also to

789
00:41:51,040 --> 00:41:54,640
Speaker 2: be able to recognize and kind of commemorate these other

790
00:41:54,719 --> 00:41:59,760
Speaker 2: special moments that got you to that big, big win. Now,

791
00:42:00,080 --> 00:42:04,280
Speaker 2: aside from trying to find your calm in moments of stress,

792
00:42:04,320 --> 00:42:06,600
Speaker 2: so there are other mantras or things that you lean

793
00:42:06,640 --> 00:42:10,680
Speaker 2: into or repeat to yourself, affirmations even to help you

794
00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:12,280
Speaker 2: kind of keep it together on the court.

795
00:42:12,760 --> 00:42:15,560
Speaker 1: Yeah, I talk to myself a lot, like if a

796
00:42:15,600 --> 00:42:19,520
Speaker 1: camera is following me, like you always have my mouth

797
00:42:19,600 --> 00:42:22,319
Speaker 1: moving and I'm never talking to someone. It's always to me.

798
00:42:22,960 --> 00:42:27,120
Speaker 1: And for example, I mean, it goes from little things

799
00:42:27,200 --> 00:42:30,600
Speaker 1: like before my serve, I'll always just repeat three things

800
00:42:30,680 --> 00:42:33,719
Speaker 1: like go up, toss or lens And it's never in

801
00:42:33,760 --> 00:42:35,719
Speaker 1: the same order, Like it's not a routine, it's more

802
00:42:35,760 --> 00:42:39,360
Speaker 1: just when I feel it. But the things that really

803
00:42:39,400 --> 00:42:42,800
Speaker 1: help me mentally on the court is when I'm feeling stressed,

804
00:42:42,960 --> 00:42:45,759
Speaker 1: I just try to encourage myself that it's not a

805
00:42:45,800 --> 00:42:48,680
Speaker 1: big deal, like it's just tennis. But at the same time,

806
00:42:48,920 --> 00:42:51,400
Speaker 1: I try to get myself pumped up to believe in myself.

807
00:42:51,440 --> 00:42:53,600
Speaker 1: So it's like a good kind of middle of just

808
00:42:53,719 --> 00:42:55,640
Speaker 1: which is I think the best way to describe as

809
00:42:55,760 --> 00:42:58,680
Speaker 1: just being at peace but eager to win.

810
00:42:59,520 --> 00:43:02,400
Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it's it's funny hear you saying the

811
00:43:02,480 --> 00:43:06,040
Speaker 2: sentence it's just tennis, But then we talk about all

812
00:43:06,160 --> 00:43:10,480
Speaker 2: of these dramatic and massive sacrifices that have come along

813
00:43:10,480 --> 00:43:13,799
Speaker 2: with it, the opportunity cost if you will when you

814
00:43:13,880 --> 00:43:18,080
Speaker 2: think about how long you want to be making these sacrifices,

815
00:43:18,160 --> 00:43:20,080
Speaker 2: how long you want to be on the court.

816
00:43:20,200 --> 00:43:20,960
Speaker 3: What do you think of.

817
00:43:22,600 --> 00:43:25,480
Speaker 1: Well, you know, they're not sacrifices to me. I think

818
00:43:25,480 --> 00:43:27,560
Speaker 1: that would be the biggest thing. Like if I look

819
00:43:27,640 --> 00:43:30,880
Speaker 1: back on the things I missed out on, what like

820
00:43:31,000 --> 00:43:33,360
Speaker 1: not going to the movies when I was fifteen on

821
00:43:33,560 --> 00:43:36,680
Speaker 1: like a weekday, or I don't know, missing like a

822
00:43:36,760 --> 00:43:39,040
Speaker 1: field trip like well, no, I want it to be

823
00:43:39,120 --> 00:43:41,880
Speaker 1: at a tournament, you know. So there are not many

824
00:43:42,000 --> 00:43:44,360
Speaker 1: I can say maybe a few trips that I've missed,

825
00:43:44,400 --> 00:43:46,760
Speaker 1: like my best friend got married last year. I couldn't

826
00:43:46,800 --> 00:43:49,359
Speaker 1: make it. And there are little things like that where

827
00:43:49,360 --> 00:43:53,200
Speaker 1: I'm like, oh, I really hate what I do right now,

828
00:43:53,239 --> 00:43:56,800
Speaker 1: but I have to accept it. So there aren't many

829
00:43:57,080 --> 00:43:58,960
Speaker 1: things that I'm like, oh, I really missed out on

830
00:43:59,000 --> 00:44:02,480
Speaker 1: this and have to sacrifice. Like going out and practicing

831
00:44:02,520 --> 00:44:06,319
Speaker 1: all day is something that I don't love every day,

832
00:44:06,360 --> 00:44:08,799
Speaker 1: but it's I know that in order to get what

833
00:44:08,880 --> 00:44:11,080
Speaker 1: I want to get out of myself, I have to

834
00:44:11,120 --> 00:44:13,040
Speaker 1: do it. So it's just it never comes in like

835
00:44:13,680 --> 00:44:16,360
Speaker 1: I never question like do we really have to do

836
00:44:16,400 --> 00:44:18,920
Speaker 1: this today or yeah, So it's just I don't know.

837
00:44:18,960 --> 00:44:20,919
Speaker 1: Maybe it's already like a way of life because I've

838
00:44:20,960 --> 00:44:21,759
Speaker 1: done it so long.

839
00:44:21,920 --> 00:44:25,160
Speaker 2: What I'm hearing you really say is that your passions

840
00:44:25,200 --> 00:44:29,040
Speaker 2: and your purpose truly align. You're doing something that just

841
00:44:29,080 --> 00:44:31,040
Speaker 2: feels so right to you, and that there are days

842
00:44:31,040 --> 00:44:33,320
Speaker 2: that you go out there and you literally say to yourself,

843
00:44:33,600 --> 00:44:36,800
Speaker 2: holy crap, this is what I get to do every

844
00:44:36,840 --> 00:44:37,439
Speaker 2: single day.

845
00:44:38,280 --> 00:44:41,040
Speaker 1: Yeah. I probably don't say that every day to myself.

846
00:44:42,280 --> 00:44:45,319
Speaker 1: I wish I did, But I think in my if

847
00:44:45,360 --> 00:44:49,240
Speaker 1: I can say one thing that's never wavered in my career,

848
00:44:49,480 --> 00:44:52,480
Speaker 1: it's it's the love that I have for this sport.

849
00:44:52,520 --> 00:44:54,960
Speaker 1: Because my passion has gone in and out based on

850
00:44:55,000 --> 00:44:58,719
Speaker 1: my mental state, but my love for the game and

851
00:44:58,880 --> 00:45:03,640
Speaker 1: just winning and achieving my goals has never been a

852
00:45:03,719 --> 00:45:06,279
Speaker 1: question because I knew I've had moments when I just

853
00:45:06,320 --> 00:45:07,960
Speaker 1: didn't want to play, but I knew I still love

854
00:45:08,000 --> 00:45:09,640
Speaker 1: the sport, which sounds weird.

855
00:45:10,080 --> 00:45:10,920
Speaker 3: Yeah yeah.

856
00:45:10,960 --> 00:45:14,080
Speaker 2: And so after that, Serena, when would you say that

857
00:45:14,160 --> 00:45:18,400
Speaker 2: you got an influx of media attention, followers.

858
00:45:18,440 --> 00:45:19,560
Speaker 3: What happened after that for you?

859
00:45:20,040 --> 00:45:24,080
Speaker 1: Honestly, nothing feels different. No. I just think maybe if

860
00:45:24,160 --> 00:45:27,080
Speaker 1: few more people know my name, like I'm known for

861
00:45:27,160 --> 00:45:29,480
Speaker 1: the people that didn't know me before. I'm just the

862
00:45:29,520 --> 00:45:31,920
Speaker 1: girl that beats Serena in her last match. It's not

863
00:45:31,960 --> 00:45:34,040
Speaker 1: like they know my you know, like me as a

864
00:45:34,080 --> 00:45:37,440
Speaker 1: player as much. But yeah, I don't know. I don't.

865
00:45:37,600 --> 00:45:40,120
Speaker 1: I try not to stay on social media for too long.

866
00:45:40,640 --> 00:45:44,200
Speaker 1: I don't love it. I don't love the Instagram. It's

867
00:45:44,800 --> 00:45:47,840
Speaker 1: I try to keep away. What I've realized is like,

868
00:45:47,920 --> 00:45:50,160
Speaker 1: maybe if this happened when I was younger, maybe I'd

869
00:45:50,200 --> 00:45:52,480
Speaker 1: be like more, oh my god, this person knows who

870
00:45:52,520 --> 00:45:55,960
Speaker 1: I am. But I'm thirty now, Like all that matters

871
00:45:56,080 --> 00:45:59,600
Speaker 1: is just me reaching my goals and and if I

872
00:45:59,640 --> 00:46:03,080
Speaker 1: get any little benefits of like I don't know, going

873
00:46:03,120 --> 00:46:06,200
Speaker 1: to a basketball game or a concert, like I'll take

874
00:46:06,239 --> 00:46:09,640
Speaker 1: that any day. But yeah, nothing has really changed. It's

875
00:46:09,680 --> 00:46:12,799
Speaker 1: the same. My family still makes fun of me on

876
00:46:12,840 --> 00:46:15,880
Speaker 1: the daily, Like I live in a very humbling household.

877
00:46:16,000 --> 00:46:18,480
Speaker 3: So I love it coming full circle.

878
00:46:18,640 --> 00:46:22,040
Speaker 2: I also love that we can say here that anyone

879
00:46:22,040 --> 00:46:24,440
Speaker 2: who wants to invite Elight to a really fun event

880
00:46:24,600 --> 00:46:26,279
Speaker 2: concert game, like, she's.

881
00:46:26,040 --> 00:46:30,800
Speaker 3: All her game all. And I love also you mentioning Instagram.

882
00:46:30,880 --> 00:46:32,759
Speaker 2: You know, if someone goes to your Instagram page, they

883
00:46:32,840 --> 00:46:36,799
Speaker 2: see a pro tennis athlete with over two hundred and

884
00:46:36,800 --> 00:46:40,520
Speaker 2: sixty eight thousand followers. But when you look in the mirror,

885
00:46:40,640 --> 00:46:42,960
Speaker 2: what do you see looking back at you?

886
00:46:44,040 --> 00:46:46,439
Speaker 1: I see a kid, like I don't see a thirty

887
00:46:46,520 --> 00:46:49,520
Speaker 1: year old, that's for sure. I see I see it

888
00:46:50,560 --> 00:46:52,440
Speaker 1: just like I see my ten year old self so

889
00:46:52,560 --> 00:46:54,560
Speaker 1: much when I when I look in the mirror like

890
00:46:54,800 --> 00:46:57,160
Speaker 1: and I don't mean that in a bad way. I

891
00:46:57,239 --> 00:47:01,400
Speaker 1: just I have so much like I don't feel my

892
00:47:01,440 --> 00:47:03,840
Speaker 1: age and tennis. That's one thing that's going against me

893
00:47:03,880 --> 00:47:06,080
Speaker 1: a little bit because I feel like with my a

894
00:47:06,120 --> 00:47:09,040
Speaker 1: few setbacks that I've had, I don't I'm not even

895
00:47:09,200 --> 00:47:13,920
Speaker 1: close to being, you know, finished with my sport. But

896
00:47:14,080 --> 00:47:16,680
Speaker 1: there is the real thing of the age and you know,

897
00:47:16,880 --> 00:47:20,120
Speaker 1: being of agent in any sport, like there's there's going

898
00:47:20,160 --> 00:47:22,600
Speaker 1: to be an end at some point that maybe you know,

899
00:47:22,680 --> 00:47:24,759
Speaker 1: and I have a fear of being at the end

900
00:47:24,800 --> 00:47:28,680
Speaker 1: before I'm ready because maybe right now i'm you know,

901
00:47:28,719 --> 00:47:32,200
Speaker 1: I haven't played in I think it's been over six months,

902
00:47:32,200 --> 00:47:34,799
Speaker 1: and I miss it like crazy. It's literally all I

903
00:47:34,800 --> 00:47:37,120
Speaker 1: think about all days. When is it going to be

904
00:47:37,200 --> 00:47:41,319
Speaker 1: that I'll be healthy and playing again. But yeah, I

905
00:47:41,360 --> 00:47:45,440
Speaker 1: just see someone that's that's passionate. But also people won't

906
00:47:45,480 --> 00:47:48,640
Speaker 1: know this, like I'm either all in or I could

907
00:47:48,640 --> 00:47:51,279
Speaker 1: be the laziest person ever. There's no middle for me,

908
00:47:51,320 --> 00:47:52,400
Speaker 1: and that's a little scary.

909
00:47:52,640 --> 00:47:53,839
Speaker 3: I mean you alluded to it.

910
00:47:53,920 --> 00:47:56,719
Speaker 2: Is there any idea or inkling of maybe when you're

911
00:47:56,719 --> 00:47:58,160
Speaker 2: going to be able to be back on the court.

912
00:47:58,400 --> 00:48:01,560
Speaker 1: I'm not going back out there before or I'm ready

913
00:48:01,600 --> 00:48:04,719
Speaker 1: to go. I wouldn't say deep, but just where I'm

914
00:48:04,760 --> 00:48:08,239
Speaker 1: ready that my body knows what it's supposed to do

915
00:48:08,520 --> 00:48:10,000
Speaker 1: in a way that you know, I don't want to

916
00:48:10,000 --> 00:48:11,680
Speaker 1: come off the court and be like, oh my knees

917
00:48:11,760 --> 00:48:14,759
Speaker 1: not feeling well, like I just want to my health

918
00:48:14,840 --> 00:48:16,880
Speaker 1: is my priority. And also I don't want to just

919
00:48:16,920 --> 00:48:20,200
Speaker 1: go participate. I want to know that I can win,

920
00:48:20,440 --> 00:48:23,000
Speaker 1: and that's hard to do right off the bat after

921
00:48:23,120 --> 00:48:26,319
Speaker 1: enjy like this, but I still want to have a

922
00:48:26,320 --> 00:48:29,200
Speaker 1: shot at you know, expecting myself to win and being

923
00:48:29,200 --> 00:48:30,160
Speaker 1: physically ready.

924
00:48:30,160 --> 00:48:33,280
Speaker 2: Very exciting, very exciting, and I love hearing you say

925
00:48:33,719 --> 00:48:36,200
Speaker 2: my health is my priority. For someone who may be

926
00:48:36,360 --> 00:48:39,719
Speaker 2: going through their own hurdle, their own injury right now

927
00:48:39,760 --> 00:48:43,759
Speaker 2: and is having difficulty adopting that same mindset, what do

928
00:48:43,840 --> 00:48:44,400
Speaker 2: you tell.

929
00:48:44,239 --> 00:48:48,040
Speaker 1: Them that's probably the best biggest thing in any recovery

930
00:48:48,080 --> 00:48:51,719
Speaker 1: from any injury is the time that it needs to heal.

931
00:48:52,080 --> 00:48:54,759
Speaker 1: I wish I could like see into my knee and

932
00:48:54,800 --> 00:48:57,040
Speaker 1: see like where it's at with the healing process. But

933
00:48:57,719 --> 00:49:00,319
Speaker 1: I think what we always have to focus on is

934
00:49:00,360 --> 00:49:02,240
Speaker 1: you have to listen to your body on the daily

935
00:49:02,680 --> 00:49:05,479
Speaker 1: and not don't get too crazy with it, which I do.

936
00:49:05,840 --> 00:49:09,239
Speaker 1: Like I'm sometimes so just thinking about the knee that

937
00:49:09,600 --> 00:49:12,160
Speaker 1: it's actually fine, like for certain things that I can

938
00:49:12,280 --> 00:49:15,120
Speaker 1: do it more automatically, but I'm always trying to try

939
00:49:15,200 --> 00:49:19,480
Speaker 1: to do the perfect amount where it's I'm still strengthening it,

940
00:49:19,520 --> 00:49:23,359
Speaker 1: but I'm not doing anything against it. And that's that's

941
00:49:23,440 --> 00:49:25,680
Speaker 1: the mind game that my knee gives me. You know

942
00:49:25,760 --> 00:49:28,439
Speaker 1: that I don't know if I'm doing enough or too much,

943
00:49:28,600 --> 00:49:32,759
Speaker 1: but time and just do not slack off on your

944
00:49:32,760 --> 00:49:38,000
Speaker 1: strength on your recovery, also your nutrition, like have your

945
00:49:38,080 --> 00:49:40,880
Speaker 1: cheap days. But it all like all these one percent

946
00:49:40,960 --> 00:49:44,720
Speaker 1: things covering from a surgery or injury is really really

947
00:49:44,880 --> 00:49:48,839
Speaker 1: really important. And this is coming from someone that was

948
00:49:48,880 --> 00:49:51,080
Speaker 1: not doing the one percenters all the time.

949
00:49:51,280 --> 00:49:55,520
Speaker 2: So well, I'm happy to hear that it's all starting

950
00:49:55,560 --> 00:49:57,480
Speaker 2: to pay off. I know at the top of this

951
00:49:57,600 --> 00:50:01,279
Speaker 2: we kind of joked about your father you being like,

952
00:50:01,320 --> 00:50:03,760
Speaker 2: you're not a pro just yet, but I would say

953
00:50:04,120 --> 00:50:07,920
Speaker 2: that certainly now. Being our pro also comes hand in

954
00:50:07,960 --> 00:50:10,120
Speaker 2: hand with a lot of really fun brands that you

955
00:50:10,160 --> 00:50:12,520
Speaker 2: get to work with. I know that we were connected

956
00:50:12,560 --> 00:50:14,359
Speaker 2: through the work that you do with a morpho. Talk

957
00:50:14,400 --> 00:50:16,480
Speaker 2: to me a little bit about how that plays in

958
00:50:16,880 --> 00:50:19,839
Speaker 2: to not only your rehab, but your training regularly as well.

959
00:50:20,880 --> 00:50:23,600
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I'm morpho. It's literally my favorite thing

960
00:50:23,640 --> 00:50:25,799
Speaker 1: to wear when I'm training. Have you tried it?

961
00:50:25,960 --> 00:50:26,319
Speaker 3: I have?

962
00:50:27,080 --> 00:50:28,319
Speaker 1: What's your favorite go to?

963
00:50:28,680 --> 00:50:29,960
Speaker 3: It's got to be the vast.

964
00:50:30,840 --> 00:50:32,560
Speaker 1: Oh wow, you're like a hard worker.

965
00:50:34,920 --> 00:50:35,919
Speaker 3: What's yours?

966
00:50:36,719 --> 00:50:39,040
Speaker 1: My go to is the tights and a crop top,

967
00:50:39,160 --> 00:50:41,800
Speaker 1: and then on my lighter days is the biker shorts,

968
00:50:41,800 --> 00:50:46,360
Speaker 1: which I mean, if you're really if you were, you know,

969
00:50:46,440 --> 00:50:48,440
Speaker 1: it's not really like you should be able to get

970
00:50:48,440 --> 00:50:51,640
Speaker 1: through all your workouts with that and not really feel it.

971
00:50:51,680 --> 00:50:54,000
Speaker 1: But the tights really get me in the summer, like

972
00:50:54,040 --> 00:50:57,080
Speaker 1: the long ones, because once you add sweat to all

973
00:50:57,120 --> 00:51:01,440
Speaker 1: that microload, oh my goodness, good luck. But I love

974
00:51:01,520 --> 00:51:04,160
Speaker 1: hate the best just because it looks amazing on it.

975
00:51:04,200 --> 00:51:07,200
Speaker 1: That's what I love. I feel like God is wearing it.

976
00:51:07,239 --> 00:51:09,360
Speaker 1: But oh my gosh, it kills me. It gives me

977
00:51:09,480 --> 00:51:12,160
Speaker 1: like so many star muscles the next day.

978
00:51:13,360 --> 00:51:15,080
Speaker 3: And why do you like training with it?

979
00:51:16,160 --> 00:51:19,000
Speaker 1: I love training it because first of all, I don't

980
00:51:19,040 --> 00:51:23,120
Speaker 1: have to do anything, like you just wear it like

981
00:51:23,200 --> 00:51:26,560
Speaker 1: it sounds weird, but you just put it on. And

982
00:51:27,880 --> 00:51:30,040
Speaker 1: I love the feel of it, like I'm a little

983
00:51:30,080 --> 00:51:33,000
Speaker 1: bit maybe vain, is that the right word? Like I

984
00:51:33,080 --> 00:51:35,440
Speaker 1: need to feel so good with what I'm wearing, like

985
00:51:35,480 --> 00:51:37,920
Speaker 1: I need to feel myself in the morning to have

986
00:51:37,960 --> 00:51:38,480
Speaker 1: a good day.

987
00:51:38,560 --> 00:51:39,600
Speaker 3: There's research on that.

988
00:51:40,040 --> 00:51:43,799
Speaker 2: Yes, if you feel good when you go to work out,

989
00:51:43,920 --> 00:51:45,880
Speaker 2: then you're more likely to push harder.

990
00:51:45,920 --> 00:51:48,000
Speaker 3: There's a research study. I'll put it in the show notes.

991
00:51:48,239 --> 00:51:50,120
Speaker 1: Oh my gosh, I don't feel so vain. Then I

992
00:51:50,160 --> 00:51:52,400
Speaker 1: love that. So I just love when I wear it

993
00:51:52,440 --> 00:51:55,040
Speaker 1: and it snatches me in all the right places. It

994
00:51:55,040 --> 00:51:57,319
Speaker 1: gives a little bit of skin and the crop up

995
00:51:57,400 --> 00:52:02,000
Speaker 1: and you feel sexy. It's just it turns heads in

996
00:52:02,080 --> 00:52:02,680
Speaker 1: the right way.

997
00:52:04,880 --> 00:52:07,960
Speaker 2: And then aside from that, what else would you say?

998
00:52:08,680 --> 00:52:11,320
Speaker 2: What would you say excites you right now?

999
00:52:11,760 --> 00:52:15,560
Speaker 1: My future? And I'm not talking like the near one

1000
00:52:15,600 --> 00:52:19,040
Speaker 1: as much as the one like that's ahead in maybe

1001
00:52:19,040 --> 00:52:21,759
Speaker 1: a few years. I'm really excited to see what I

1002
00:52:21,800 --> 00:52:25,239
Speaker 1: get into like as time goes on. And it's weird

1003
00:52:25,280 --> 00:52:26,840
Speaker 1: to say, because I mean, we should. I should. I

1004
00:52:26,840 --> 00:52:29,040
Speaker 1: always my mom always tells me I shouldn't think about

1005
00:52:29,040 --> 00:52:30,840
Speaker 1: the future. But I'm just excited to see because I

1006
00:52:30,880 --> 00:52:34,680
Speaker 1: have so many interests outside of tennis that I'm curious

1007
00:52:34,680 --> 00:52:37,880
Speaker 1: to see IFELL ever kind of explore, which I believe

1008
00:52:37,920 --> 00:52:40,880
Speaker 1: I will, But there's always that feeling will I really

1009
00:52:40,920 --> 00:52:43,440
Speaker 1: do it though, you know, Like what like, for example,

1010
00:52:43,480 --> 00:52:47,239
Speaker 1: I'd love to work in TV, and at the same time,

1011
00:52:47,280 --> 00:52:49,359
Speaker 1: I've never really done it, So what if I try

1012
00:52:49,360 --> 00:52:51,279
Speaker 1: it and I hate it, you know? But I do

1013
00:52:51,680 --> 00:52:53,520
Speaker 1: like all these little things around it, so I don't

1014
00:52:53,560 --> 00:52:57,200
Speaker 1: think i'll hate it. But doing something completely different from

1015
00:52:57,280 --> 00:53:00,280
Speaker 1: tennis is really giving me like a little bit of spark.

1016
00:53:00,520 --> 00:53:04,160
Speaker 1: But short term, I'm just so excited to get back

1017
00:53:04,200 --> 00:53:06,840
Speaker 1: out there and just feel I don't feel like myself

1018
00:53:07,080 --> 00:53:10,760
Speaker 1: right now. I will tell you I don't feel good

1019
00:53:10,920 --> 00:53:13,120
Speaker 1: because I'm just not doing what I love. I'm doing

1020
00:53:13,440 --> 00:53:15,880
Speaker 1: everything for it in order to get back there, but

1021
00:53:16,320 --> 00:53:19,239
Speaker 1: I'm not fulfilled right now, and I can't wait to

1022
00:53:19,920 --> 00:53:22,200
Speaker 1: feel that way whenever I get back into it.

1023
00:53:22,800 --> 00:53:25,359
Speaker 2: How do you give back to yourself when you are

1024
00:53:25,400 --> 00:53:27,399
Speaker 2: feeling a little bit down and out?

1025
00:53:27,680 --> 00:53:32,000
Speaker 1: Oh my goodness, do I ever do that? Oh? Man?

1026
00:53:32,080 --> 00:53:38,560
Speaker 1: I can really, honestly, I need to be reminded by

1027
00:53:38,600 --> 00:53:41,760
Speaker 1: the people around me to do that. Like today, perfect example,

1028
00:53:41,840 --> 00:53:47,240
Speaker 1: I was just having a mourning and no really apparent reason,

1029
00:53:47,440 --> 00:53:51,799
Speaker 1: just you know, it's another day of me doing the

1030
00:53:51,840 --> 00:53:55,760
Speaker 1: same thing and hoping for some big improvement which probably

1031
00:53:55,800 --> 00:53:59,480
Speaker 1: didn't happen overnight, and not seeing the big picture. And

1032
00:53:59,520 --> 00:54:01,200
Speaker 1: I had to have my coach and my dad just

1033
00:54:01,239 --> 00:54:03,360
Speaker 1: really pulled me back into reality and be like you

1034
00:54:03,440 --> 00:54:06,600
Speaker 1: should be screaming at the top of your lungs of

1035
00:54:06,680 --> 00:54:10,239
Speaker 1: how far you've come. But I see that, you know,

1036
00:54:10,320 --> 00:54:12,799
Speaker 1: I see French open. I don't see like what did

1037
00:54:12,880 --> 00:54:16,920
Speaker 1: I do a month ago? So when they talk to

1038
00:54:16,960 --> 00:54:20,360
Speaker 1: me like that, they really also get their angry voice on.

1039
00:54:20,760 --> 00:54:23,600
Speaker 1: So it's to me like, oh, okay, don't be mad

1040
00:54:23,600 --> 00:54:25,960
Speaker 1: at me. I get it. But then it makes me

1041
00:54:26,040 --> 00:54:29,280
Speaker 1: think like, oh shoot, I really need to like chill

1042
00:54:29,680 --> 00:54:33,040
Speaker 1: on myself. So yeah, I'm very bad at catching myself

1043
00:54:33,040 --> 00:54:37,000
Speaker 1: of talking down to myself. I need people around me

1044
00:54:37,120 --> 00:54:39,719
Speaker 1: to get me back intod Sometimes.

1045
00:54:39,600 --> 00:54:43,400
Speaker 2: Your honesty is really refreshing, and you know, I think

1046
00:54:43,440 --> 00:54:48,799
Speaker 2: that it is so relatable to hear that there is

1047
00:54:48,920 --> 00:54:53,280
Speaker 2: struggle when things don't go as planned. But if we've

1048
00:54:53,560 --> 00:54:57,360
Speaker 2: learned anything over the last hour of us chatting together,

1049
00:54:57,640 --> 00:55:01,719
Speaker 2: it's that you truly do have the ability to come

1050
00:55:01,760 --> 00:55:05,360
Speaker 2: back to calm and you can be your own biggest

1051
00:55:05,400 --> 00:55:08,080
Speaker 2: type man, and you're also your biggest believer of what

1052
00:55:08,120 --> 00:55:12,920
Speaker 2: you are capable of. Especially as you reiterated winning against Serena,

1053
00:55:13,360 --> 00:55:15,760
Speaker 2: you walked off of that court and you said to yourself,

1054
00:55:15,760 --> 00:55:19,560
Speaker 2: there is nothing that I can't do. And so it's really, yeah,

1055
00:55:19,800 --> 00:55:22,279
Speaker 2: like to go back around like it's it's just refreshing

1056
00:55:22,320 --> 00:55:24,759
Speaker 2: to hear you that it can be both right. You

1057
00:55:24,800 --> 00:55:27,520
Speaker 2: can believe in yourself and have tough moments, and we

1058
00:55:27,600 --> 00:55:29,279
Speaker 2: all feel that way at times.

1059
00:55:29,960 --> 00:55:35,240
Speaker 1: Yeah. I mean, I'm the perfect example of just lacking

1060
00:55:35,360 --> 00:55:39,720
Speaker 1: that just that little bit of extra belief to achieve

1061
00:55:39,800 --> 00:55:41,799
Speaker 1: certain things. And it took me just a while to

1062
00:55:41,960 --> 00:55:45,400
Speaker 1: really get that and then put it into play because

1063
00:55:45,480 --> 00:55:49,959
Speaker 1: I am naturally so tough for myself and it's gotten

1064
00:55:50,040 --> 00:55:53,040
Speaker 1: me this far. But it's also been my enemy in

1065
00:55:53,080 --> 00:55:55,120
Speaker 1: a lot of moments. But I wish we could build

1066
00:55:55,120 --> 00:56:00,000
Speaker 1: a perfect person. Yeah, like this is this is my Yeah,

1067
00:56:00,080 --> 00:56:03,319
Speaker 1: my bad side sometimes. But I'm lucky just to, like

1068
00:56:03,360 --> 00:56:05,680
Speaker 1: I said, be surrounded by people that recognize it and

1069
00:56:05,719 --> 00:56:07,960
Speaker 1: are really not afraid to be honest with me. Like

1070
00:56:08,000 --> 00:56:10,720
Speaker 1: my coach today, he got like angry with me today,

1071
00:56:10,760 --> 00:56:14,400
Speaker 1: which he never usually does. You know, and sometimes coaches

1072
00:56:14,400 --> 00:56:17,719
Speaker 1: will be scared to give you the honest truth because

1073
00:56:17,760 --> 00:56:20,080
Speaker 1: I don't know, They're may be protecting their job or something.

1074
00:56:20,120 --> 00:56:22,920
Speaker 1: You know, it's just and I'm very lucky to be

1075
00:56:23,360 --> 00:56:26,560
Speaker 1: around people that are genuine and aren't afraid to tell

1076
00:56:26,600 --> 00:56:28,360
Speaker 1: me how it is because it's really only for my

1077
00:56:28,400 --> 00:56:29,040
Speaker 1: own benefit.

1078
00:56:29,480 --> 00:56:31,040
Speaker 3: Yeah it is. It is.

1079
00:56:31,120 --> 00:56:34,400
Speaker 2: Well again, I'm so happy that we were able to

1080
00:56:34,480 --> 00:56:35,839
Speaker 2: find the time to sit down.

1081
00:56:36,000 --> 00:56:36,920
Speaker 3: I'm cheering you on.

1082
00:56:37,120 --> 00:56:39,920
Speaker 2: I'm so amped to see this big return in the

1083
00:56:39,960 --> 00:56:41,000
Speaker 2: next month or so.

1084
00:56:41,480 --> 00:56:43,560
Speaker 3: And before I let you go, I have one final

1085
00:56:43,640 --> 00:56:44,399
Speaker 3: question for you.

1086
00:56:44,520 --> 00:56:48,400
Speaker 2: Right now, you have an opportunity to give yourself a

1087
00:56:48,440 --> 00:56:49,280
Speaker 2: piece of advice.

1088
00:56:49,360 --> 00:56:51,839
Speaker 3: Going back to that, let's say, first.

1089
00:56:51,560 --> 00:56:55,600
Speaker 2: Gnarly shoulder injury that really took you out way before

1090
00:56:55,640 --> 00:56:59,200
Speaker 2: you were ready you have an opportunity to give that

1091
00:56:59,360 --> 00:57:01,200
Speaker 2: Alah a piece of advice.

1092
00:57:00,920 --> 00:57:03,960
Speaker 3: Knowing what you know, now, what would you tell her?

1093
00:57:04,640 --> 00:57:07,360
Speaker 1: This might sound stupid, but I would just say that

1094
00:57:07,680 --> 00:57:10,319
Speaker 1: it will all be okay one way or the other.

1095
00:57:10,840 --> 00:57:13,759
Speaker 1: It's going to work out in some way or form

1096
00:57:13,840 --> 00:57:16,600
Speaker 1: or shape whatever. It's just it's not going to be

1097
00:57:16,800 --> 00:57:19,240
Speaker 1: what your brain is telling you like. It will be fine.

1098
00:57:19,960 --> 00:57:22,360
Speaker 3: It'll probably be better than you even imagine.

1099
00:57:22,880 --> 00:57:24,600
Speaker 1: I probably wouldn't listen anyway, So.

1100
00:57:27,280 --> 00:57:29,040
Speaker 3: I'm so happy that we're able to do this.

1101
00:57:29,320 --> 00:57:31,600
Speaker 2: Tell us if the hurdlers don't follow along with you yet,

1102
00:57:31,640 --> 00:57:32,720
Speaker 2: how do they keep up with you?

1103
00:57:32,760 --> 00:57:36,280
Speaker 3: How can they follow along with you? Give us your details.

1104
00:57:36,520 --> 00:57:40,040
Speaker 1: I am mostly on Instagram, and I try to post

1105
00:57:40,160 --> 00:57:43,160
Speaker 1: as much as realistic stuff as there is. I think

1106
00:57:43,200 --> 00:57:45,480
Speaker 1: I do a little bit of balance of my normal

1107
00:57:45,520 --> 00:57:48,680
Speaker 1: life and my practice. So follow along and see how

1108
00:57:48,720 --> 00:57:49,200
Speaker 1: I'm going.

1109
00:57:49,600 --> 00:57:52,720
Speaker 2: And yeah, I'm over at Emily Bodi and at Hurdle

1110
00:57:52,760 --> 00:57:54,960
Speaker 2: Podcast Another Hurdle Conquered.

1111
00:57:55,280 --> 00:57:56,360
Speaker 3: Catch you guys next time.