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Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the sit Down. I'm Viv Christie,

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Speaker 1: Managing editor of Australian Tennis magazine and.

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Speaker 2: I'm Metrolope, a writer an editor for oz open dot

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Speaker 2: com and Viv why are we sitting down this week

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Speaker 2: with Juel Fonseca, Well, Matt.

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Speaker 1: I had a chance to sit down with Joo at

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Speaker 1: the Brisbane International at the start of this season, and

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Speaker 1: he's of course one of the most exciting young players

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Speaker 1: in tennis from outside the top one hundred at the

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Speaker 1: start of last year, he rose to world number twenty

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Speaker 1: five and yeah, on the back of some incredible results,

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Speaker 1: big wins, amazing fanfare and just a fantastic game to

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Speaker 1: watch as well.

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Speaker 2: Yeah, one of the great stories of season twenty five

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Speaker 2: his rise. I obviously wasn't here for this interview, so

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Speaker 2: I was listening to it for the first time, so

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Speaker 2: that was fantastic for me. I really enjoyed it. But

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Speaker 2: also the timing's perfect because Juo has just reached the

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Speaker 2: fourth round at Indian Wells last week, He's best ever

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Speaker 2: result at a Masters tournament and after a bit of

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Speaker 2: a slow start to the season because of an injury interruption,

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Speaker 2: it kind of looks like he's building that momentum back

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Speaker 2: up again. So it's really exciting to see what he

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Speaker 2: did last week, and yeah, sets the stage for an

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Speaker 2: exciting season.

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Speaker 1: Gel fun Sikov, thank you for joining us on the

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Speaker 1: sit down.

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Speaker 3: It's a pleasure being here, pleasure meeting you, and yeah,

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Speaker 3: excited to talk.

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Speaker 1: And this time last year you were ranked around number

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Speaker 1: one forty five, and you know you launched an incredible

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Speaker 1: breakout year at the Canberra International. He had a chance

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Speaker 1: to sort of stop and think about what you've achieved.

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Speaker 3: I think, yeah, there was a period I think after

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Speaker 3: reopened that I had a time to reflect a little

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Speaker 3: bit what happened, because I mean I won the Nection

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Speaker 3: and then Camber and I did a pretty good run

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Speaker 3: in Australian Open, and after I went to South America

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Speaker 3: tour Juan Brunos Aires, and after reopen I had some

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Speaker 3: time and to reflect in it because everything just started

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Speaker 3: going week after a week just pretty good. So so yeah,

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Speaker 3: but now I'll say it was a I mean a

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Speaker 3: wonderful season. My expectations was was lower than well, everything

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Speaker 3: happened and and yeah, I just pretty pretty excited and

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Speaker 3: pretty happy that everything that happened to me in those

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Speaker 3: past months, and uh, just pretty excited for what's coming. Uh,

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Speaker 3: I'm playing glovel, I'm playing good tennis and confident with

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Speaker 3: my tennis. So so yeah, what have.

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Speaker 1: You learned about yourself in the last year?

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Speaker 3: I would say, I think due all from last the

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Speaker 3: boats from the beginning of the year, and the draw

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Speaker 3: now is much more mature and much more experienced, and

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Speaker 3: and yeah I got to to meet uh the great

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Speaker 3: players and uh got to got to know different tournaments

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Speaker 3: to in places. I understand a little bit how to

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Speaker 3: play with the five sets. I'll say I'm a little

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Speaker 3: bit more experienced than from last year. So so yeah,

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Speaker 3: I'll say I'm I'm happy with myself of course evolving

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Speaker 3: as a person and as a player. So but yeah,

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Speaker 3: very happy the way the way the things are handling.

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Speaker 1: Just on some of your highlights from the past year.

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Speaker 1: I mean, you qualified for these Joint Open, you upset

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Speaker 1: Andre Ruble in the first round, you want two titles,

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Speaker 1: You had success at challenger level. What what stands out

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Speaker 1: the mist for you?

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Speaker 3: I think rube Lev was where I started. Everything. I

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Speaker 3: think was where like I think the players and I'll say,

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Speaker 3: the world to tennis tour and get to know a

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Speaker 3: little bit more about me. And you know, I was

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Speaker 3: where my confidence was pretty high, and I knew that

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Speaker 3: I could do some great things and that my leave

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Speaker 3: was there. I just needed maybe time and experience. So

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Speaker 3: that was one highlight. And Buenos aidas my first title.

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Speaker 3: It meant a lot. I was well playing for almost

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Speaker 3: say moms on hard and then practice two three days

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Speaker 3: and played the Buenos Aids, so it was a special tournament.

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Speaker 3: I played really well, and yeah, that was also a highlight.

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Speaker 3: And and of course Basil finishing the year. I think

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Speaker 3: it was pretty good moments for me and that I

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Speaker 3: played such a good level.

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Speaker 1: If you take a step back that Australian Open breakthrough,

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Speaker 1: you actually qualified for the Australian Open last year. How

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Speaker 1: important was it to qualify? Like how much did that

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Speaker 1: help you?

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Speaker 3: I think I mean a lot. I played the US

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Speaker 3: Open in twenty twenty four the qualities and I lost

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Speaker 3: two in the third third drama qualities and it hurt

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Speaker 3: a little bit. And because I was playing good and

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Speaker 3: then well, it was difficult. But on the Australian Open,

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Speaker 3: just wanted so much to to play my first mandra

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Speaker 3: and I was just super happy that I got it.

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Speaker 3: I played such a good level. I was feeling good.

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Speaker 3: Like I said, we went to was then action and

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Speaker 3: then camera and then after the qualie. So meant to

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Speaker 3: me a lot to start the season, getting to play

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Speaker 3: my well, doing my debut on the mendra of a

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Speaker 3: Grand Slam.

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Speaker 1: And everywhere you go, including at the Astraine opened, there's

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Speaker 1: sort of huge fanfare and just such a great atmosphere.

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Speaker 1: How much do you enjoy that?

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Speaker 3: Well, I know that now. I just love playing of

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Speaker 3: the crowd. But like the early drive, from like thirteen

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Speaker 3: years old, they're fourteen, he was more shy and he

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Speaker 3: didn't like very much the crowd. He stayed a little

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Speaker 3: bit more tense. But nowadays I just love it. I

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Speaker 3: think the support that they bring me when I'm winning,

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Speaker 3: winning or losing is just very positive and andy know

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Speaker 3: when I'm winning there they are there to keep me

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Speaker 3: folks and like keep hungry for more. And when I'm losing,

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Speaker 3: they just gives me like motivations to not not think

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Speaker 3: about negative things and keep positive and keep believing. So

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Speaker 3: so yeah, I just love playing with them and they

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Speaker 3: helped me a lot.

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Speaker 1: What changed for you when you said you were shy.

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Speaker 1: Was there any change?

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Speaker 3: I think was the experience to play with the crowd

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Speaker 3: and to see the benefits that they bring you and

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Speaker 3: not like the negative things like their team for you.

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Speaker 3: You need to win, you have the obligation. They're putting expectations,

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Speaker 3: they're putting pressure. Now, it's just they're there to support

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Speaker 3: and and that's a hopeful. Well, unfortunately I'm not gonna

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Speaker 3: win all the matches. We all know that, but yeah,

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Speaker 3: I'm there to to put one hundred percent. So they're

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Speaker 3: tuning there and it just need to to use them

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Speaker 3: as as I can to in the positive way.

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Speaker 1: And have you had any unusual experiences with fans along

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Speaker 1: the way.

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Speaker 3: Yeah, I think I think kids they're super excited and

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Speaker 3: it's just nice to see. Well, there's some players there,

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Speaker 3: there are some fans that they said that they came

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Speaker 3: from well Brazil to Australia just to see me. It's

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Speaker 3: just it's just super nice to have this support and

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Speaker 3: it's just amazing to have their the support from the kids,

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Speaker 3: kids saying that I inspire them. It's just it's just

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Speaker 3: amazing and hopefully I can do some great stuff for

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Speaker 3: this sport and keep inspiring them.

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Speaker 1: What what's it like to be a role model at

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Speaker 1: such a young age.

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Speaker 3: I don't say like that. I just say like I'm

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Speaker 3: a player doing my my my work and and getting

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Speaker 3: to do great things for this amazing sport and like

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Speaker 3: I said, inspiring kids. But at the same time, it's

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Speaker 3: just cool to like to see the like people just

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Speaker 3: stop you. Uh well, I'll say more. In Brazil, the

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Speaker 3: people saw you when you go to a restaurant or

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Speaker 3: just passing on the street and once take a picture

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Speaker 3: of saying that good luck in the next ram. Is

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Speaker 3: just pretty nice to to see this from from other people.

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Speaker 3: Just like getting to know you and and wishing them

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Speaker 3: all the beast is just super nice. And but yeah,

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Speaker 3: i'd like they're there. Sometimes it's just like you want

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Speaker 3: to stay private with something and oh it's just but

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Speaker 3: I think in the positive way is just super nice

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Speaker 3: and and then.

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Speaker 1: I enjoy it's not just the fans who are taking night.

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Speaker 1: You also had a chance to meet with Roger Federer

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Speaker 1: at the Laver Cup. Describe that experience.

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Speaker 3: Oh, for me, it was I mean amazing. Just getting

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Speaker 3: to know my idol was just I think that I'm

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Speaker 3: I'm not gonna I'm gonna remember for for a long

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Speaker 3: long time and and now if my hands were shaking,

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Speaker 3: I was super nervous, and and now I was just

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Speaker 3: super great. Uh he's a fantastic guy, and uh, you know,

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Speaker 3: we had a quick chat and just amazing and I

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Speaker 3: really like it was an amazing experience.

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Speaker 1: What about the Team World captain Andre Agacy? What did

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Speaker 1: you learn from him?

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Speaker 3: Pretty much? Actually, I think the experience that both Andre

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Speaker 3: and Pat bring me and this amazing week was the

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Speaker 3: experience of playing on tour. The stories some things that

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Speaker 3: they talked and we we we got. I didn't know

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Speaker 3: them before before this week, and I was a little

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Speaker 3: bit nervous how I was going. And they were super

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Speaker 3: nice guys, and they helped me a lot during that week,

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Speaker 3: and and I was pretty nice chats and and yeah,

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Speaker 3: both of them are pretty nice guys.

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Speaker 1: Took us through your relationship with Gasta Vocushion.

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Speaker 3: Well, I'm at Gustavo in twenty twenty four Davis Cup

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Speaker 3: when we played in Brazil. He went there to talk

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Speaker 3: with the team and and uh, well he said some

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Speaker 3: great things about playing Davis Cup and while representing our country,

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Speaker 3: and uh, after we had a quick chat and he's

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Speaker 3: not very much into the tennis world. But the the

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Speaker 3: Google figure is just amazing. The compassion that he has

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Speaker 3: talking to well, I mean, the charisma that he has

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Speaker 3: is just amazing. He's a he I don not only

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Speaker 3: for both tennis world, but like the whole the whole

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Speaker 3: Brazilian culture. So so yeah, it's just uh an idol

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Speaker 3: for all of us. And I would say, well, he's

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Speaker 3: just an idol, and I just look at him like

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Speaker 3: as a like the an athlete that I want to

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Speaker 3: be in the future.

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Speaker 1: Who else has been influential in your career?

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Speaker 3: I'll say my parents, and they they helped me a

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Speaker 3: lot in the well and everything that they they put

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Speaker 3: me in this amazing sport. And well, they were always

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Speaker 3: there to support me. Whenever decision and whenever moment that

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Speaker 3: I had that they they were there. So so I

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Speaker 3: put this there. I'll put them in the in this

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Speaker 3: in this answer because they were there always for me

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Speaker 3: and cheering for me, and and yeah, because of them,

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Speaker 3: I'm playing the sport.

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Speaker 1: I know that in the past you've spoken about Federer

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Speaker 1: and Rafael Nadal as players that you really admire and

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Speaker 1: you really love their rivalry. Who would you like to

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Speaker 1: see become. If you were to have a great rivalry

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Speaker 1: like that, who would you like to be your rival?

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Speaker 3: Well, hopefully right now, say Johnny Can, carlosm Maybe in

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Speaker 3: a few few years I can play in the same

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Speaker 3: level as them. Of course, it's it's a long path

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Speaker 3: and and it's a long way to be there. We

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Speaker 3: still need to evolve a lot of stuff. But at

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Speaker 3: the same time, it's where I want to be and

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Speaker 3: it's it's my goal. So so Ye're working very hard

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Speaker 3: to be in the same level as them, and and yeah,

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Speaker 3: hopefully some years that I can play finals against those guys.

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Speaker 1: Are there any players that you haven't played yet that

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Speaker 1: you think I can't wait to play.

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Speaker 3: I love to play against Djokovic. I think kiss idol

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Speaker 3: for the sport is like we all say, the goat.

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Speaker 3: So so yeah, maybe hopefully soon I can play against him,

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Speaker 3: because well we know that in the future, like last

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Speaker 3: probably like four years, he's going to retire, so yeah,

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Speaker 3: we never know, so so I'll say him, I'll left

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Speaker 3: playing against him to see how it is. And yeah, last.

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Speaker 1: Year, I mean there was a sense that it was

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Speaker 1: everything was new for you. Does does it feel different

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Speaker 1: for you this season?

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Speaker 3: Yes? I think, well, I know a little bit more

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Speaker 3: of the tour, and I know more of the players,

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Speaker 3: and and yeah, it's gonna be my first You're defending points.

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Speaker 3: The the pressure of going to a tournament be well,

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Speaker 3: uh defand points or defending champion uh buenz aidres or

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Speaker 3: bazo is just uh, it's gonna be a great uh

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Speaker 3: experience for me. And but yeah, it's pretty different from

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Speaker 3: from last season. And but yeah, hopefully we can do well.

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Speaker 3: I'm confident with my game, like I said, and uh

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Speaker 3: and playing good.

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Speaker 1: You arenown for your power and your short making. Where

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Speaker 1: did that come from?

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Speaker 3: Difficult say? But I think since I was younger, I

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Speaker 3: liked playing hot, like full power. I like going for

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Speaker 3: the shots. Sometimes my shots went directly to the fans

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Speaker 3: or directly to the bottoms of that. But uh, working

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Speaker 3: and I keep playing more solid, but sometimes it just

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Speaker 3: it keeps going to defense sometimes. But hopefully I'm doing

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Speaker 3: some winners and and yeah, but since I was young,

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Speaker 3: I liked playing hard and I kept with that and

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Speaker 3: it's my it's my way to play. So so yeah, your.

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Speaker 1: Start in tennis was famously helped by being able to

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Speaker 1: attend the Real Open when you were young. How when

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Speaker 1: you think about it, how life changing was that having

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Speaker 1: that tournament so close.

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Speaker 3: I think was really important for my bow the start

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Speaker 3: of my career. Like I went to all the auditions

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Speaker 3: of the real opening, and I went as a spectator

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Speaker 3: for many years. Hence I went as a hitting partner

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Speaker 3: and then after as a player. But I'm there for

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Speaker 3: like I don't know, determined has like about fifteen years

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Speaker 3: maybe and and it's just super special and it helps well,

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Speaker 3: it put me in this sport. I think watching Nadal

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Speaker 3: playing there and winning and well all of this big players,

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Speaker 3: so so yeah, is this special tournament for me? And

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Speaker 3: one of my dream is to win win.

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Speaker 1: There is there one memory from that tournament that stands

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Speaker 1: out above all others.

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Speaker 3: I think Nadal winning. We watched the final and I

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Speaker 3: was this is one one of the boxes and I

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Speaker 3: remember him winning. So and now another moment, just my

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Speaker 3: my deeper dere in twenty twenty three, it was well

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Speaker 3: I lost all and four, but it was a special

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Speaker 3: moment for me, and yeah, it was great moments.

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Speaker 1: You also played soccer when you were young. What made

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Speaker 1: you choose.

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Speaker 3: Tennis, Well, I think since twelve eleven I was playing

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Speaker 3: more both and I had a little injury in so

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Speaker 3: occurred that I played futsal and I had a little

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Speaker 3: injury played with the old guys. I was eleven twelve

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Speaker 3: and I played with guys thirteen fourteen, And well, I

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Speaker 3: felt and I injured a little bit. Was not that

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Speaker 3: that like was not like very very like important pain

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Speaker 3: or whatever, but it just like felt me, I don't

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Speaker 3: want to play soccer anymore. I don't want to go

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Speaker 3: with tennis. And uh yeah, but not only that, I

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Speaker 3: really fell in love with this sport and I really

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Speaker 3: liked traveling. I felt I think I played a little

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Speaker 3: bit better at tennis, and uh, and I was already traveling.

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Speaker 3: I was already uh with a with a coach and

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Speaker 3: then and then uh, when I was twelve, I changed

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Speaker 3: my coach. Things got a little bit more serious. And

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Speaker 3: here I am.

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Speaker 1: What has been your favorite place on tour so far?

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Speaker 3: My favorite place on tour? I think I really like

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Speaker 3: Rome the Master Well, I love Pasta and Andy. I

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Speaker 3: think that the culture there is just really nice. The

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Speaker 3: city is just, I'm beliefubl beautiful. So so I'll say

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Speaker 3: this one. And also Wimbledon is just unbelievable. Every little

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Speaker 3: Detay is just amazing. So also this both places.

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Speaker 1: It's interesting that you say both roam and Wimbledon because

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Speaker 1: you've had success on hardcourt. On what what's your favorite.

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Speaker 3: I actually lost first round Rome, but yeah, it was

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Speaker 3: it's a cool city. But I think my favorite one

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Speaker 3: is nowadays. I always felt like I played better on clay,

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Speaker 3: and uh, but I've seen nowadays I'm playing I'm playing

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Speaker 3: good and hard. There's a long time that I'm central

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Speaker 3: I'm not playing clay, So for now I'll say hard

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Speaker 3: and maybe in the future I will say clay again,

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Speaker 3: but but nowadays hard.

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Speaker 1: It's a busy life for a nineteen year old. What

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Speaker 1: do you do to unwind when you're not playing tennis.

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Speaker 3: I think I have a pretty good social life, friends, family,

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Speaker 3: and I can hang out a little bit when I'm home,

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Speaker 3: and when I'm playing a tournament, my parents, who are

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Speaker 3: well family members of the family or friends, they can

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Speaker 3: come and for me to follow. My mental health stays good,

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Speaker 3: so I'll say it's my social life, like I said,

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Speaker 3: is pretty good. And I like to say to stay

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Speaker 3: with the family. When I'm home, I like to go

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Speaker 3: out of my friend's girlfriend and yeah, I'm pretty chill,

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Speaker 3: I like to stay home, and I think that's and.

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Speaker 1: Just to finish, what does a successful season look like

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Speaker 1: for you in twenty twenty.

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Speaker 3: Six, I think just keep evolving as as a player

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Speaker 3: as a person, keep learning, keep playing well, good progressing

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Speaker 3: on ranking and yeah, I think I'm looking forward for

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Speaker 3: this season. It's going to be fine and now hopefully

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Speaker 3: I can do some great stuff.

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Speaker 1: Well, thank you so much. We wish you all the

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Speaker 1: best with that, and thanks you sit down, Thank you, Viv.

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Speaker 2: Congrats on that. I loved listening to that and it

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Speaker 2: was a great opportunity to learn a little bit more

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Speaker 2: about him off the court. I thought it was so

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Speaker 2: fascinating hearing him finish the interview when you asked him

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Speaker 2: about what would make a successful season, and it's rather

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Speaker 2: than kind of rankings, milestones or rounds of tournaments, it

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Speaker 2: was a little bit broader than that. It was about

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Speaker 2: evolving as a player and a person. And I just

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Speaker 2: think that's what I took away from this interview. How

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Speaker 2: mature he sounds for someone so young, still a teenager.

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Speaker 1: Yeah, I mean I was very lucky to have quite

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Speaker 1: a bit of time with him in Brisbane, but yeah,

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Speaker 1: it was fascinating to hear him talk about early Joo

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Speaker 1: Juao and you know, just I guess the progress he's

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Speaker 1: made in such a short amount.

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Speaker 2: Of time for sure. And yeah, with the Indian Wells

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Speaker 2: result being, you know, that breakthrough at a master's level,

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Speaker 2: and you know he's establishing himself as such a force

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Speaker 2: on tour. It's really exciting to see what will come

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Speaker 2: next for him.

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Speaker 1: And we'll be back next week with another episode of

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Speaker 1: the sit Down when We Sit Down with Lindsay Davenport.

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Speaker 2: Can't wait for that one. And as always, if you

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Speaker 2: subscribe to The sit Down, you'll never miss an episode

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Speaker 2: when it lands in your feet. And if you could

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Speaker 2: leave us a rating or a review, we'd love that too.

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Speaker 2: See you next week, viv See there, Matt,