Speaker 1: Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of the sit Down.
Speaker 1: I'm Mattrolope, a RATA and editor for oz open dot com.
Speaker 2: And I'm Victoria Rinikov, a producer at Tennis Australia and
Speaker 2: the Australian Open. Matt, why are we sitting down with
Speaker 2: Kim Birel today?
Speaker 1: Well, Vick, we were lucky enough to sit down with
Speaker 1: Kim at the Billy Jinkin Cup Tie recently when she
Speaker 1: was in Melbourne at John Kyne Arena. But the chat
Speaker 1: wasn't just about that. This was a chance to go
Speaker 1: deep into her career journey. She's been playing at the
Speaker 1: top level or at tour level now for almost a decade,
Speaker 1: but there's been some speed bumps along the way, including
Speaker 1: some time on the sidelines with an elbow surgery. But
Speaker 1: it was a chance to not only talk about how
Speaker 1: she overcame those setbacks and what she did with her
Speaker 1: time off, but how well she's rebounded. She's entrenched herself
Speaker 1: in the top one hundred, being Ossie number one, and
Speaker 1: had some great success at tour level and a really
Speaker 1: really good start to twenty twenty six. So yeah, it
Speaker 1: was really fascinating to hear her talk about that journey
Speaker 1: and its ups and downs and how it's trending up and.
Speaker 2: Since entering the top one hundred as well. It's been
Speaker 2: interesting to hear her perspective on playing all these tournaments
Speaker 2: for the first time, getting a bit of a different
Speaker 2: experience on tour than she previously has had, so that
Speaker 2: was really fascinating.
Speaker 1: We hope you guys enjoy it. Kim Yrel, thank you
Speaker 1: very much for joining us today on the Sitdown podcast.
Speaker 3: How are you? I'm great, Thanks, Matt, very excited to
Speaker 3: be here. It's well, it's a slightly different venue locker
Speaker 3: room undisclosed understood.
Speaker 1: Well, I've certainly never done a podcast interview in a
Speaker 1: locker room before. Normally we're in the studio, but maybe
Speaker 1: for our listeners and viewers, you can give us a
Speaker 1: bit of context as to where we are and what
Speaker 1: you're doing in Melbourne.
Speaker 4: Well, we are here in the JCA or one of
Speaker 4: the JCA locker rooms John Cane Arena where we're playing
Speaker 4: Billy Jean King.
Speaker 3: Cup against Great Britain on Friday and Saturday. Very excited
Speaker 3: to be in melbs playing at home tied so.
Speaker 1: Good is it weird? Have you ever been to Melbourne
Speaker 1: in autumn.
Speaker 4: No, I haven't. I've been here in the winter once.
Speaker 4: I had my surgery done in the winter time, and
Speaker 4: I must say all.
Speaker 1: Got experience as a Queensland I.
Speaker 4: Got some great Yeah, I got your roots from a
Speaker 4: restaurant that was like just to run the corner because
Speaker 4: I didn't want to leave the warmth. But it's really
Speaker 4: cool to be here at a different time of year
Speaker 4: and it's not as cold as well it was expecting,
Speaker 4: and just being in Australia to play any time of
Speaker 4: the year is just the best.
Speaker 3: So grateful.
Speaker 1: But your season as a whole, like coming into this tie,
Speaker 1: has been really great. You've already made two semi finals
Speaker 1: and a third WT. You did a one twenty five
Speaker 1: k semi as well in Austin. You've come from outside
Speaker 1: the top one hundred and got back in the top seventy.
Speaker 1: You've won sixteen matches already, Like you must be pretty
Speaker 1: happy with how twenty six has started.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 4: Thanks, it's really cool to hear it kind of like
Speaker 4: that because as tennis players, you're just moving.
Speaker 3: From one to the next.
Speaker 4: You sort of don't even get really time to process.
Speaker 4: So yeah, I guess sixteen matches is a pretty good
Speaker 4: way to start the year. And overall, I'm just really
Speaker 4: proud of how I sort of picked myself back up
Speaker 4: last year and then have kind of kept the end
Speaker 4: of last year, kept that momentum going and had a
Speaker 4: really good week in Adelaide, gained so much confidence and
Speaker 4: then sort of maybe had a little bit of a
Speaker 4: dip here. I sort of wanted to perform better at
Speaker 4: Ao than I did, but was again able to just
Speaker 4: sort of pick myself back up.
Speaker 3: And get on with it.
Speaker 4: And I really thrive on hard court and I liked
Speaker 4: the US Swing.
Speaker 3: So I have that to look forward to. And I
Speaker 3: also went to the Middle East for I played. Had
Speaker 3: played Doha before, but had never played Dubai.
Speaker 4: So that was a new experience and I really liked
Speaker 4: the conditions there. And so yeah, you know when you
Speaker 4: just seems to be once you sort of get on
Speaker 4: a roll, it's yeah, what I mean, Tylie is another
Speaker 4: one who's had an even better role than I have,
Speaker 4: And yeah, you just gain confidence. And I think it's
Speaker 4: just like the competing day in day out, you know,
Speaker 4: and those time moments seem to maybe go your way
Speaker 4: a little bit more.
Speaker 3: And yeah, I'm super proud at the start of my year.
Speaker 4: Well, I'm glad we.
Speaker 1: Got to mention those some statsy, so you could you
Speaker 1: could reflect on what you've done. You mentioned that it
Speaker 1: was really good or important to you to pick yourself
Speaker 1: up at the end of last year after what were
Speaker 1: you picking yourself up?
Speaker 4: Yes, well, I kind of just was in a bit
Speaker 4: of a lull, I guess I can call it. Hadn't
Speaker 4: won too many matches since had sort of Clay, and
Speaker 4: then I just felt a little bit down because I
Speaker 4: actually went into Clay. Probably when I spoke to you,
Speaker 4: I was like really pumped and putting on a not
Speaker 4: a brave face.
Speaker 3: I was actually genuine you.
Speaker 1: Were really hard to play your seniting prayers, I remember, yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 4: And then I actually had some good matches and had
Speaker 4: sort of just lost a couple of really tight ones
Speaker 4: where I felt like I played well and put myself
Speaker 4: in a position to win and didn't quite get there.
Speaker 3: And when that happens consecutive weeks in a row can
Speaker 3: kind of weigh on you.
Speaker 4: And then by the time I got to French, I
Speaker 4: was just not feeling too confident in a few things
Speaker 4: areas of my game. And then I think that probably
Speaker 4: did affect the way my grass season went, although it
Speaker 4: was okay, but I think I can do better on
Speaker 4: grass than my season last year. And then yeah, sort
Speaker 4: of didn't come home. But by the end of a
Speaker 4: long trip, I was just a little bit fried by
Speaker 4: the end of the year and just not invest headspace
Speaker 4: with things.
Speaker 3: By the time I got to Asia.
Speaker 4: And didn't defend my points in Osaka, dropped out of
Speaker 4: the top one hundred, was kind of struggling with my
Speaker 4: serve what else, And yeah, I guess was a bit
Speaker 4: of a turning point when I decided to go to
Speaker 4: Chennai to play.
Speaker 3: What was it choosing between.
Speaker 4: Chennai or Hong Kong that week, and Hong Kong's one
Speaker 4: of my favorite tournaments.
Speaker 3: But I knew that I was going to be seated
Speaker 3: in Chennai and so exciting to there.
Speaker 4: Yeah.
Speaker 3: Yeah, I think they may have had it like two
Speaker 3: years now, okay.
Speaker 4: Yeah, And so just the conditions in India can be tough,
Speaker 4: like you have to watch what you eat, and it's
Speaker 4: really hot, and we got there and it was raining
Speaker 4: two days straight. Didn't get to practice my first match.
Speaker 4: I supposed to start matches in the afternoon, at four pm,
Speaker 4: and then they ended up starting matches at eleven. I
Speaker 4: was first on and it was so hot and I
Speaker 4: didn't feel one hundred percent in the stomach and lost
Speaker 4: the first set six love or six to one. Yeah,
Speaker 4: looking at my brother like he's sitting on the side,
Speaker 4: just drenched in sweat as well, and not even movingspace. Yeah,
Speaker 4: I was no. I was like, why did why did
Speaker 4: you come here? We should have just gone home? And
Speaker 4: then I think, yeah, I might have gone too the
Speaker 4: bathroom just like washed my face and then come back
Speaker 4: and maybe she had a little bit of a lull.
Speaker 4: I gained like a little bit of confident and ended
Speaker 4: up getting through that match and then just started to
Speaker 4: play better, and I felt like I was a little
Speaker 4: bit more clear after spending a couple of weeks with
Speaker 4: Pratty and what I needed to work on. And sometimes
Speaker 4: it just takes someone you know, saying things really and
Speaker 4: are not that bad, And that's sort of what she
Speaker 4: had been drilling into me the week before and Tokyo
Speaker 4: and Osaka and then yeah, I ended up beating Donna
Speaker 4: Vekitch that week and I was down five love in
Speaker 4: the third set around of Garland, like just I know
Speaker 4: people will get and she's such a lovely person.
Speaker 3: And yeah, that was a bit of.
Speaker 4: A dramatic end to that match because I came back
Speaker 4: in one she wasn't feeling one hundred percent. So yeah,
Speaker 4: honestly that week was just a humongous turning point for me.
Speaker 4: And then yeah, I made the final, got back in
Speaker 4: the top hundred, and knew I was going to make
Speaker 4: Mainjraw of Ao.
Speaker 3: It was so many things, it was just all at
Speaker 3: once and then BJ after that.
Speaker 4: I honestly I went into that week they hadn't announced
Speaker 4: the team yet and I didn't think I was going
Speaker 4: to be picked with how many year had gone from
Speaker 4: the middle of the year to to that point.
Speaker 3: It's just when I've played two singles matches there in Hobart.
Speaker 4: So yeah, it was honest I look at little killed
Speaker 4: thinking about that because I don't know what would have
Speaker 4: happened if I didn't go to India and had those exces.
Speaker 3: Also, like working with.
Speaker 4: My psychologist a lot and going back to like why
Speaker 4: I played tennis to compete and I just love the
Speaker 4: battle and I really had to dictate that week and
Speaker 4: sort of just reminded me of my love of the game.
Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, I didn't know that story. You might not
Speaker 1: have gone there. That's it's unly Yeah, and the fact
Speaker 1: it returned you to the top hundred. So you first
Speaker 1: got into the top hundred almost year earlier with that
Speaker 1: great breakout run you had in Brisbane, and pretty much
Speaker 1: apart from a few weeks here and there, you've pretty
Speaker 1: much been top hundred ever since. And it was just
Speaker 1: and so that's beyond the year. That's getting towards eighteen
Speaker 1: months now that you're kind of like a rank far
Speaker 1: week in, week out, top one hundred player. What have
Speaker 1: you discovered or what can you tell us is required
Speaker 1: of the level to be up there as a tour
Speaker 1: player direct entry into slams.
Speaker 3: What's the difference?
Speaker 4: Yeah, and just outside it, Well, honestly, I didn't think
Speaker 4: there was going to be that much of a difference.
Speaker 4: If anything, I thought it was going to be easier,
Speaker 4: because when you're just on the cast, you're still playing
Speaker 4: somewh my tfs, you're really grinding and qualifying every week,
Speaker 4: and you're checking the rankings constantly, and if you're just
Speaker 4: seeing that top one hundred is like the golden egg,
Speaker 4: like to get there and then I can relax.
Speaker 3: But it was almost like when I.
Speaker 4: Got there, I just the expectations of that I had
Speaker 4: for myself. The goal post just moved, like once I
Speaker 4: got to top hundred, maybe I could be top fifty,
Speaker 4: and I.
Speaker 3: Really started to believe it.
Speaker 4: And when that didn't happen, then I started to doubt
Speaker 4: myself a little bit. And just the overall how tough
Speaker 4: every single match is, Like when you're not seeing in
Speaker 4: one thousands, you're in main draw and you can maybe
Speaker 4: get through one match, and then you're playing a seeded player.
Speaker 4: It was just the I think, just the depth of
Speaker 4: everyone in the top one hundred and what's required, like
Speaker 4: physically but also mentally. It's week in and week out.
Speaker 4: It's almost more than you know I had experienced that, Yeah,
Speaker 4: and then you just when you get there, you just
Speaker 4: want to stay there because you're at.
Speaker 3: Much nicer tournaments. And the schedule.
Speaker 4: One thing I found that I really liked was I
Speaker 4: knew my schedule more in advance, and it took away
Speaker 4: that kind of am I going here or here based
Speaker 4: on the cart I kind of knew in advance, So
Speaker 4: that was a new experience, which was a good one.
Speaker 4: I mean there's so many positives to it, obviously, Yeah,
Speaker 4: but that was one thing, just the challenging aspect of
Speaker 4: it takes more out of you because the level's higher,
Speaker 4: so you expect.
Speaker 3: More of yourself.
Speaker 1: But you haven't managed to pretty much stay there. And
Speaker 1: you did nearly get to the top fifty. I think
Speaker 1: he got to sixty one. Yeah, so I mean that's amazing,
Speaker 1: and you got back to sixty nine this year as well,
Speaker 1: or seventy in the world. And I know there's a
Speaker 1: bit of fluctuation, but yeah, you're kind of like, yeah,
Speaker 1: does it feel are.
Speaker 3: You more comfortable?
Speaker 1: Yeah, that initial shock of it, Yeah, a year on,
Speaker 1: does it feel more comfortable? Like is that your level?
Speaker 3: Yeah? We are, I think so. And yeah, I think
Speaker 3: there's like I don't know the exact stat but I.
Speaker 4: Think it's it's very common for players to get into
Speaker 4: the top hundred and then to drop out after about
Speaker 4: a year and then maybe it takes a little bit
Speaker 4: more time to get back in and then you sort
Speaker 4: of settle. So I am really proud that I was
Speaker 4: able to hang on and stay inside the cut for
Speaker 4: the Slams, Like that's just a huge goal, And no,
Speaker 4: it is. I think I don't often give myself praise,
Speaker 4: but for that I am super proud, because it's not easy.
Speaker 3: So yeah, I think now just when I.
Speaker 4: Play someone ranked inside the top hundred, I have so
Speaker 4: much more belief that I can win and compete. And
Speaker 4: it just comes from those runs on the board and
Speaker 4: really want to prove it to yourself. And then yeah,
Speaker 4: you just definitely feel much more comfortable and knowing more
Speaker 4: of the girls, practicing with more of them week in
Speaker 4: and week out, knowing how each tournament's run. This will
Speaker 4: be my second time, you know, going to Madrid, and
Speaker 4: it was my first time last year playing all the
Speaker 4: one thousands and getting into mainjoy without having to qualify.
Speaker 4: So yeah, it was always like I've been on tour
Speaker 4: a long time and I'm, you know, a little bit
Speaker 4: older than some girls already, but it still felt like
Speaker 4: I was my first year on tour.
Speaker 1: You're a bit wide eye, Oh my god, and I
Speaker 1: met the four Italico or whatever.
Speaker 3: Yeah. Yeah, things you've seen on TV, Yeah you totally Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 1: Your breakout run in Brisbane that I referred to before
Speaker 1: was I guess perhaps even outperformed by what you did
Speaker 1: in Adelaide at the start of this year, you made
Speaker 1: it through to the Semis, also a five hundred event
Speaker 1: leading up to the AO. But obviously the Brisbane one
Speaker 1: was at home, you know what was And you reflect
Speaker 1: on both of those runs, which were both so amazing. Yeah,
Speaker 1: is there one that's more significant than the other.
Speaker 3: Or both incredible?
Speaker 4: Probably Brisbane sticks out to me a little bit more,
Speaker 4: just because I had reached literally.
Speaker 3: One hundred before that.
Speaker 4: I got to one hundred and people were messaging me saying, congratulations,
Speaker 4: you got to the top one hundred, top hundred for
Speaker 4: the first time.
Speaker 3: I was like, and I didn't even play that week.
Speaker 4: It was just that someone dropped out and then I
Speaker 4: went to But it didn't feel like as you know,
Speaker 4: big as what I think Brisbane when I want a match,
Speaker 4: I think it was against Emma when I won that
Speaker 4: match that it sort.
Speaker 3: Of put me in Yeah, and you're just having my
Speaker 3: friends and as in my family. Yeah, I was first
Speaker 3: and foremost and playing at home, and yeah, that was
Speaker 3: really special.
Speaker 4: But Adelaide was great too, and a bit unexpected.
Speaker 3: Obviously I got a walkover in the second.
Speaker 4: Round, so that did a little bit of luck was
Speaker 4: on my side there, but I think I was playing
Speaker 4: at a higher level than what I was in Brisbane
Speaker 4: the year. Yeah. Yeah, that's like my main goal is
Speaker 4: just to keep improving and I think if I can
Speaker 4: continue like on this trajectory of improvement, then hopefully I'll
Speaker 4: be in those situations again for sure.
Speaker 1: One thing that's interesting about your career too, and this
Speaker 1: is hard for Australians because you know, we travel a lot,
Speaker 1: as you were saying away for a long time, and
Speaker 1: when you have that support and family can sleep in
Speaker 1: your own bed, it can often be easy to succeed
Speaker 1: at home. But you've had some of your best tournament
Speaker 1: results overseas, so like Osaka final, Chennai, what you did
Speaker 1: in Austin Is that important to you to be able
Speaker 1: to go away to conditions you're not as used to
Speaker 1: doing it for the first time and still winning.
Speaker 4: Yeah, definitely. And I think for a little while it
Speaker 4: wasn't like that for me. It took a little bit
Speaker 4: of time where my best results were in Australia. The
Speaker 4: itfs that I want, we're here at home and so yeah,
Speaker 4: to have that really good result in Osaka definitely gave
Speaker 4: me some extra confidence. And yeah, just being on tour
Speaker 4: like more now, and I mean it's just as an
Speaker 4: Aussie playing at home, it's just the best.
Speaker 3: Yeah, We're away the whole year.
Speaker 4: And just looking into the crowd and seeing familiar faces.
Speaker 3: And for me, I'm very much a home.
Speaker 4: Body and I love my friends and my family so much.
Speaker 4: So yeah, I think that is why I've played really
Speaker 4: well at home. And then also at the start of
Speaker 4: the year, we're coming off of a training block where
Speaker 4: you actually get to practice.
Speaker 3: Things that we need to work on.
Speaker 4: And throughout the year, it's really tough to find those
Speaker 4: moments in time where I can sacrifice a few things
Speaker 4: to improve in other areas.
Speaker 3: It's just you're constantly playing tournaments, so I mean, we
Speaker 3: do our best.
Speaker 4: But I think that maybe why I've had my best
Speaker 4: results coming into January, where I just feel really good about,
Speaker 4: you know, areas that I've been able to improve and
Speaker 4: are feeling really fit it.
Speaker 3: And show because you're definitely fresh them as well.
Speaker 1: Definitely, Yeah, yeah, for sure, looking back at your career,
Speaker 1: you've made nine to A level quarter finals now, which
Speaker 1: is a lot. That might that might be the most
Speaker 1: of anyone in the Billy Drinking Cup team. Not sure,
Speaker 1: but I think it's a lot, and it dates back
Speaker 1: to twenty twenty three. So I wondered, was there a moment,
Speaker 1: a moment, or a result or a win that kind
Speaker 1: of convinced you that you were potentially, like I am
Speaker 1: good enough to crack that top hundred even before you
Speaker 1: got there, like the one that was the flip to.
Speaker 3: Switch for you.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I think I've kind of seen my career in
Speaker 4: two parts, like before my elbow surgery and after and
Speaker 4: before I had had some good results, you know, had
Speaker 4: a couple top twenty or at least one top ten wine.
Speaker 3: And I mean you started to get a taste of
Speaker 3: that them.
Speaker 4: And then it was put on pause and of course
Speaker 4: COVID so kind of had to start again, like to
Speaker 4: prove it to myself. And so I would say I
Speaker 4: really important match for me was playing Elise Mertens in Osaka,
Speaker 4: because I thought that was really high level match and
Speaker 4: she's a great player, and I gritted through, like there
Speaker 4: were all of the sets were really tired, and she
Speaker 4: hurt herself just right at the end in the third set.
Speaker 4: But yeah, like the first two sets were some of
Speaker 4: the best tennis I think I've played. And also working
Speaker 4: with Pratty, now I just feel so much more clear
Speaker 4: on my game, and knowing like some of her caliber
Speaker 4: just believes in me.
Speaker 3: I think has been a big help.
Speaker 1: You alluded to, Yes, your career in two parts, you
Speaker 1: have overcome a lot of injuries to get to this point.
Speaker 1: Is there a silver lining in that at all?
Speaker 4: Did you?
Speaker 1: Because you had a lot of time on the sidelines,
Speaker 1: So yeah, what did you do at that time? What
Speaker 1: did you learn about yourself?
Speaker 4: You know, because I got to be Yeah, I got
Speaker 4: to be basically a normal sort of early twenties. I
Speaker 4: was gonna say teenager, but I think it was a
Speaker 4: teenager at the start. But I mean a lot of
Speaker 4: that time was focused on getting better and my recovery,
Speaker 4: and I was very diligent with my rehab. But at
Speaker 4: the same time, I got to be home and I
Speaker 4: got to, you know, have some deeper connections with my
Speaker 4: friends that I didn't really have at school. And that was,
Speaker 4: you know, at the same time as it sucked, because
Speaker 4: I all I wanted. I mean, if anyone said you
Speaker 4: take this away and you can be back on to her,
Speaker 4: I would have taken it. But at the same time,
Speaker 4: looking back now, I know that was an important time
Speaker 4: for me as well. Because I think growing up I
Speaker 4: had a lot of niggles.
Speaker 3: It wasn't just my obra.
Speaker 4: I had like just I kind of always had something
Speaker 4: going on with my body, but actually gave me the time.
Speaker 4: I couldn't play, I couldn't play tennis, but I could
Speaker 4: train in the gym, and so I think I really
Speaker 4: developed into like a young woman by the time that
Speaker 4: I came back on to her.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and I also met my now fielance during that time. Sorry.
Speaker 4: If I wasn't injured, we probably never would have met,
Speaker 4: would have been able to build the foundation of the
Speaker 4: relationship that allowed me to then be like, see, I'm
Speaker 4: going for six months and so Yeah, at the same
Speaker 4: time as it sucked and it was hard, but it
Speaker 4: was also kind of a nice time.
Speaker 1: Yeah, how did you meet? Like you're saying, you would
Speaker 1: probably not have meant.
Speaker 4: No, because one of our mutual friends has this big
Speaker 4: Halloween party every year, and I always wanted to go,
Speaker 4: but I could never because I was always away.
Speaker 3: And yeah, that's where we met. We met at that
Speaker 3: Halloween party. Yeah, that's really right.
Speaker 4: Yeah, And he was supposed to be going to a
Speaker 4: different party and it got shut down, so then he
Speaker 4: ended up but this one's it was kind of was
Speaker 4: like a sliding doors moment for sure.
Speaker 1: Yeah, I also wondered, did that, particularly the elbow that
Speaker 1: kept you out, did it change your approach to like
Speaker 1: the small or your your body and being managed yourself
Speaker 1: as well, Because now you're looking back the last four years,
Speaker 1: you've almost averaged seventeen matches a year, which is way
Speaker 1: more Tennessee you were playing pre that, and that's like
Speaker 1: year after year after year of playing a decent schedule.
Speaker 1: So like your body's obviously handling it.
Speaker 4: Well, yeah, I think that my body is way more
Speaker 4: resilient than I could have ever imagined as a kid.
Speaker 3: And I think.
Speaker 4: I've surprised quite a few people, to be honest, And yeah,
Speaker 4: that feels really really good, especially my elbow. I was
Speaker 4: a moment in time where I didn't think that I
Speaker 4: was gonna be able to serve again, and I still
Speaker 4: struggle with it a little bit, but I's just exceeded
Speaker 4: my wildest dreams really, And you know, when I even
Speaker 4: started back playing in twenty twenty.
Speaker 3: Two, I was sort of like, let's just see what happens.
Speaker 3: I might just play a few more.
Speaker 4: Tournaments and so yeah, to now, look back on the
Speaker 4: last few years and how many matches I've been able
Speaker 4: to back up day in and day out.
Speaker 3: It's really incredible, And yeah, it gave me.
Speaker 4: A lot of perspective when I came back and just
Speaker 4: enjoying myself so much more on tour and being grateful.
Speaker 4: Of course, there's moments now it was a little while
Speaker 4: ago now where I know find certain aspects of the
Speaker 4: tour tough.
Speaker 3: But it is very good to remind myself of.
Speaker 4: That time where I didn't think I was ever going
Speaker 4: to play again, especially because tennis is such a big
Speaker 4: part of not just like my life professionally, but my
Speaker 4: family's life. Because yeah, my mom and dad, if anyone
Speaker 4: didn't know, they have a club on the Gold Coast
Speaker 4: that I basically lived at as a kid.
Speaker 3: And since I was eight years old, I think they've
Speaker 3: had it.
Speaker 4: So yeah, it's a big part of Like, even when
Speaker 4: I was injured, I was still going through a lot,
Speaker 4: and so tennis is just all around me all the time.
Speaker 4: So yes, I'm really grateful that was able to come back.
Speaker 3: Yeah, we are to thank you.
Speaker 1: How do you You said there were some elements of
Speaker 1: being on the road for a long time that are tough,
Speaker 1: and you mentioned that about your schedule, Like last year
Speaker 1: you were on the road for six months. That's quite
Speaker 1: the common experience for assies because we have so far
Speaker 1: to go. How do you make it work? How do
Speaker 1: you make life on tour bearable?
Speaker 4: Yeah?
Speaker 3: What a tricks if you land.
Speaker 4: I don't know if I make it work well, but
Speaker 4: I try my best. Well, I'm really lucky that my
Speaker 4: family has been able to come to me quite a
Speaker 4: few times, especially last year when I was in the
Speaker 4: Main Joor and I knew my schedule further in advance.
Speaker 4: My mum and dad came over and they had a
Speaker 4: great time, you know, on their own, but yeah, yeah,
Speaker 4: they were able to come to my matches and come
Speaker 4: to majory of Wimbledon, which is a really really special
Speaker 4: because my dad and I would talk.
Speaker 3: About that all the time growing up. So yeah, even
Speaker 3: the first day UH on site at.
Speaker 4: Wouldn't be this year. He was tearing up and so
Speaker 4: that was just like really special. And they even weren't
Speaker 4: planning to come to the US Open, and there was
Speaker 4: a sale and flights and they were like they're coming,
Speaker 4: So yeah, I guess home has to come to me.
Speaker 4: And then Matt my partner is able to travel a
Speaker 4: little bit with work, and now my brother's traveling with
Speaker 4: me full time this year, so that's a change in
Speaker 4: sort of my team. But yeah, I'm really lucky to
Speaker 4: have such a good relationship with him. We're really close,
Speaker 4: and it just helped to have family around for me, sure,
Speaker 4: and they just know me so much better than anyone else.
Speaker 4: And you know, sometimes were communicating without even speaking. It's
Speaker 4: just like cool that you just you look and look
Speaker 4: at each other and you just know what each other's thinking,
Speaker 4: and especially on court, that's a really amazing thing to
Speaker 4: have with somebody. And so yeah, I mean this year,
Speaker 4: we'll see how it goes, because usually he travels with
Speaker 4: me for a few weeks and then you know, was
Speaker 4: going and playing his own tournaments.
Speaker 3: So it's going to be different to be with each
Speaker 3: other all the time. But we won't be sharing.
Speaker 4: A room as often as we were, and we have
Speaker 4: plans in place if we get on each other's nerves.
Speaker 1: But then you have that, it sounds like you've got
Speaker 1: the great network, which is really important.
Speaker 4: Yea.
Speaker 1: At what point, when you were spending heaps of time
Speaker 1: at the family club in the Gold Coast, did you
Speaker 1: realize a professional career might have been like something you
Speaker 1: could actually do, Like when did you think you were
Speaker 1: good enough to go pro?
Speaker 4: I might sound crazy, but it was never a question
Speaker 4: for me, Like I just kind of grew up knowing
Speaker 4: that that's what I was gonna do, because I just
Speaker 4: was at the courts all the time.
Speaker 3: And even my dad would say where are you going,
Speaker 3: and I would say Wimbledon, Like it was just kind.
Speaker 4: Of yeah, It's just always been my path, I feel,
Speaker 4: even playing fixtures and tournaments every weekend, like I just
Speaker 4: played matches.
Speaker 3: I wanted to be on court all the time.
Speaker 4: Like we would get up early before school because my
Speaker 4: mom was a school teacher. Was a school teacher, so
Speaker 4: that was still very important to them that I finished school.
Speaker 4: But yeah, I would get up early with him, and
Speaker 4: it never felt difficult. I'm sure there were mornings when
Speaker 4: he never dragged me out of bed, but it was
Speaker 4: tougher to get out of bed. But it was just
Speaker 4: always really fun for me, which I think is like
Speaker 4: really cool that I had parents that were involved in tennis,
Speaker 4: especially my dad as a coach, but he was still
Speaker 4: able to be dad outside of court, and that I
Speaker 4: probably just allowed it to be more fun when we
Speaker 4: were at the club going on.
Speaker 3: A road trip to tournaments.
Speaker 4: So yeah, I am super grateful to still have like
Speaker 4: a really great relationship with my parents because I know
Speaker 4: it can be tricky.
Speaker 1: Yeah yeah, yeah, but that's really lovely to hear. And
Speaker 1: it sounds like as well, you were like a real
Speaker 1: fan of tennis, like you and your dad watching Wimbledon. Yeah,
Speaker 1: I'm like, who were the players that you loved watching?
Speaker 1: Who did you learn from? Who are your idols?
Speaker 3: That kind of thing.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I guess we did watch like quite a few
Speaker 4: old clips of like Monicselli's was someone that my dad really.
Speaker 3: Liked me watching.
Speaker 4: I think it's also like her demeanor in between points.
Speaker 4: That was something that my parents really drilled into me,
Speaker 4: is you know, when you go on court, you're representing you,
Speaker 4: but also like our family.
Speaker 3: And our club and now Australia. So yeah, that was
Speaker 3: one thing about her.
Speaker 4: And then I really loved watching Kim cleist Is not
Speaker 4: just because of the name, but yeah, just like the
Speaker 4: way she played and being Aussie Kim, and then obviously
Speaker 4: Sam because she grew up on the Gold Coast and
Speaker 4: there was a few years where she would do some
Speaker 4: training on the Gold Coast before her summer, and she
Speaker 4: would come with Dave and I would watch her practice
Speaker 4: and she would get me out on court and hit
Speaker 4: some serves at me and have little rallies. So yeah,
Speaker 4: little like moments like that. Now, looking back, I'm like, wow,
Speaker 4: that is really cool.
Speaker 1: That's really cool.
Speaker 4: I'm actually here, you know now playing under Sam because yeah,
Speaker 4: even my club, the mom and Dad's club, the court too,
Speaker 4: is named after her, and the council did like a
Speaker 4: ceremony and I got to go out with some flowers.
Speaker 3: So yeah, it's yeah, very cool.
Speaker 1: That's really you know, that's really cool. Probably like within
Speaker 1: like probably the last six months, you've played three top
Speaker 1: five players, So Pagoula in Cincinnati and Nissimova in Brisbane
Speaker 1: and then Rabaikner in the Middle East. I can't if
Speaker 1: it was Dohara, Dubai, Dobai. It was Dubai and that
Speaker 1: was like a couple of weeks after she'd won the
Speaker 1: So playing that kind of caliber of player, what did
Speaker 1: you learn from those matches and seeing what it takes
Speaker 1: to succeed at like the very top of this.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, that's a great question. They just they have
Speaker 3: really do have like.
Speaker 4: That sort of aura around them, and so I guess
Speaker 4: I've learned to respect them, of course, because what they've
Speaker 4: achieved is incredible and there's a reason.
Speaker 3: Why they're ranked where they are.
Speaker 4: But it's important to not beat yourself before stepping out
Speaker 4: onto the court because they are also human and there
Speaker 4: will be moments in.
Speaker 3: The match where you do have a chance.
Speaker 4: So the chances that you get are less often and
Speaker 4: they're quite small, but they can still you can take them. Yeah,
Speaker 4: and they have had moments where I have taken them
Speaker 4: against players in the top ten. It's just sort of
Speaker 4: having that belief like within yourself, deep within, like I
Speaker 4: can't do this, and so yeah, I think, especially after
Speaker 4: my last match against Rebakner in the first set, I
Speaker 4: think I gave her much too much credit and well,
Speaker 4: she played amazing as well, so it's kind of yeah,
Speaker 4: but I had moments in the second set where I'm
Speaker 4: not saying I would have won, but that I could
Speaker 4: it could have been like closer, so and then she
Speaker 4: went on to she ended up losing in the next round,
Speaker 4: So yeah, I think it's just that And I probably
Speaker 4: had like one match where I think I didn't believe,
Speaker 4: and so yeah, Pratty really called me up on that,
Speaker 4: pulled me up on that, and so since then, I've
Speaker 4: you know, tried to just make sure that that doesn't
Speaker 4: happen and I just believe no matter what when or lose,
Speaker 4: you know.
Speaker 3: Yeah, and also just that sorry my answer supposed so long,
Speaker 3: but if I get another pop.
Speaker 4: I seem to like play against someone of that calor
Speaker 4: and then do pretty well on the weeks after because
Speaker 4: you just see like what it takes and it's like
Speaker 4: you just feel even more motivated afterwards, like get me
Speaker 4: to the gym, like I need to practice and I
Speaker 4: need to find better hits and.
Speaker 3: So yeah, I guess I need to look at that more.
Speaker 1: Yeah, but there's like a rebound effect in that it
Speaker 1: shows you that the yard stick and.
Speaker 3: It motivates you.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it shows you the art stick and like, oh,
Speaker 4: it's not as far away as like it's far up,
Speaker 4: but it's not as far.
Speaker 3: As I thought.
Speaker 1: So it's pretty much ten years ago to the day
Speaker 1: that you made your tour level debut, like it was January,
Speaker 1: but it was in Hobartney Strain Open and then when
Speaker 1: you played Fake Cup for the first time, and now
Speaker 1: ten years on. You've come an enormous waiting since then.
Speaker 1: So what's in store next? Looking forward? What would you
Speaker 1: like to do or achieve or where do you think you.
Speaker 4: Yeah, I well, firstly, I want to be healthy and
Speaker 4: enjoying my tennis and you know, hopefully not get to
Speaker 4: like the low points. I'm sure they're inevitable and they
Speaker 4: make you know, the good times better. But yeah, I
Speaker 4: think I can be in the top fifty.
Speaker 3: I really do believe that. So I am gonna.
Speaker 4: Shoot for that and even maybe say top thirty and
Speaker 4: why not.
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's possible.
Speaker 4: Yeah, And I guess just I would like to be
Speaker 4: more consistent with my results, you know, making deeper in
Speaker 4: tournaments more often. And I would really like to play
Speaker 4: and represent Australia in the Olympics, putting that out there.
Speaker 3: Love that, Yep, that's something that I really really love
Speaker 3: to do. And obviously the Slams. I think I've been
Speaker 3: guilty of putting too much pressure on myself at the Slams.
Speaker 4: So I think this year, hopefully second time being in
Speaker 4: directly step and is the main or I can enjoy
Speaker 4: myself a little bit more and hopefully just you know,
Speaker 4: play better at the slams.
Speaker 3: That's a big goal of mine too.
Speaker 1: And just to finish off, you've mentioned Wimbledon a couple
Speaker 1: of times. Is that your favorite? Is that your dream
Speaker 1: or is there another Slam or another dream you have
Speaker 1: that you love to see realized.
Speaker 4: Yeah, well I can't go past Ao and yeah, just
Speaker 4: playing hero As and Aussie is so special.
Speaker 3: But Wimbledon is I mean every player kind of says it.
Speaker 4: Yeah, it has a special place in my heart, especially
Speaker 4: with just how much we talked about it as a
Speaker 4: kid's growing up.
Speaker 3: And I love grass. I think it does suit my
Speaker 3: game quite well.
Speaker 4: So ah yeah, I think hopefully this year it will
Speaker 4: be a great grass season, And I think I'm gonna
Speaker 4: get to the end of clay and be hopefully in
Speaker 4: like a more motivated, energized state ready for grass.
Speaker 3: And Wimby is pretty cool, so I want to play
Speaker 3: there many more years.
Speaker 1: Well, King, this has been an absolute pleasure. Thank you
Speaker 1: for sitting down with us today.
Speaker 3: Thank you really appreciate this is fun thing that.
Speaker 2: That was a great chat that you had with Kim.
Speaker 2: It was so good to hear that whole journey and
Speaker 2: everything she's gone through.
Speaker 3: It's been quite a journey.
Speaker 2: But there's been a.
Speaker 3: Lot that she should be really proud of.
Speaker 1: Absolutely, And from here, I guess the clay court season
Speaker 1: is underway and we've got Roland Garross coming up, but
Speaker 1: soon is the grass beyond that, which she kind of
Speaker 1: had an eye towards.
Speaker 2: Yeah, and I think she definitely loves to play on
Speaker 2: grass and it'll be exciting to see what she can
Speaker 2: do when she's there.
Speaker 1: It certainly will be. Thanks Vic for jumping in the
Speaker 1: co hosting chair with me again this week. We're missing Viv,
Speaker 1: but we're looking forward to seeing her when she returns
Speaker 1: from Roland Garross. And in the meantime, if you can
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Speaker 1: leave us a rating or a review, we'd love that too.
Speaker 1: See you next week.