WEBVTT - Tristan Schoolkate: Recharged and ready for North America 0:00:01.960 --> 0:00:04.920 Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of the sit Down. 0:00:05.200 --> 0:00:09.039 I'm Mattrolope, a writer and editor for osopen dot Com. 0:00:08.800 --> 0:00:12.240 And I'm Vi Christie, Managing editor for Australian Tennis magazine 0:00:12.280 --> 0:00:14.120 and Matt, why are we sitting down this week with 0:00:14.240 --> 0:00:15.120 Tristan Schoolcap? 0:00:15.400 --> 0:00:17.599 Well, if we were lucky enough to connect with Tristan 0:00:17.640 --> 0:00:20.040 while he was back in Brisbane for a training block. 0:00:20.320 --> 0:00:23.200 He played almost twenty tournaments in the first seven months 0:00:23.200 --> 0:00:25.240 of the season and decided he just needed a break, 0:00:25.520 --> 0:00:29.120 so coming home he enjoyed the chance to reset and refresh, 0:00:29.200 --> 0:00:31.560 and we actually connected with him the day before he 0:00:31.600 --> 0:00:34.440 was due to fly to North America and the US 0:00:34.440 --> 0:00:37.479 hardcourt season is probably where Tristan's had his best tennis. 0:00:37.479 --> 0:00:39.479 It's where he won his first Grand Slam match at 0:00:39.479 --> 0:00:41.879 the US Open in twenty twenty four, and then in 0:00:41.920 --> 0:00:44.800 twenty twenty five he reached his first ATP quarterfinal in 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:47.280 lost car Boss. He reached the second round of the 0:00:47.280 --> 0:00:50.479 Canada Masters after beating joelf on Seca. That's when he 0:00:50.520 --> 0:00:52.839 cracked the top hundred for the first time, and then 0:00:52.920 --> 0:00:55.360 he returned to the US Open second round last year 0:00:55.400 --> 0:00:57.280 with a great five set win. So it's been a 0:00:57.400 --> 0:00:58.680 very happy hunting ground for him. 0:00:59.080 --> 0:01:01.600 Yeah, and it was great to check in with Tristan, 0:01:01.680 --> 0:01:04.440 who has had I guess a really considered approach to 0:01:04.480 --> 0:01:06.960 his development. He was kind of just getting started in 0:01:07.000 --> 0:01:10.080 his career when COVID struck, so like all players, he 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:12.600 had to take a break. But he's since gone on 0:01:12.680 --> 0:01:15.839 to achieve some really great things, including that incredible match 0:01:15.880 --> 0:01:17.800 over Jennick Sinner at the Australian Open. 0:01:19.560 --> 0:01:22.119 Tristan school Kate, thanks very much for joining us today 0:01:22.280 --> 0:01:23.960 on the sit Down Podcast. Where in the world do 0:01:24.040 --> 0:01:24.520 we find you? 0:01:25.800 --> 0:01:27.840 I'm Brisbane at the moment. Thanks for having me. 0:01:28.120 --> 0:01:31.160 Yeah, no, it's great, great to see you. You're in 0:01:31.200 --> 0:01:33.839 Brisbane in the middle of the Tennesseeason. What brought you 0:01:33.920 --> 0:01:34.440 back home? 0:01:35.040 --> 0:01:37.959 Yeah, I'm just going back a couple weeks training, just 0:01:38.240 --> 0:01:40.920 getting out the hams to wheel a little bit and 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:43.640 just getting prepared for the North American summer. 0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:46.880 Yep, that's completely fair enough, was the What was the 0:01:46.880 --> 0:01:48.600 best thing about returning? Like, how long have you been 0:01:48.640 --> 0:01:49.720 home for since we beat? 0:01:50.880 --> 0:01:52.560 I love being back training a couple of weeks now. 0:01:53.760 --> 0:01:58.240 I think it's just yeah, resetting, refreshing before getting back 0:01:58.240 --> 0:01:59.440 into more tournaments. 0:02:00.040 --> 0:02:02.880 Okay, and how has the how has the refresh been, 0:02:02.880 --> 0:02:04.720 because we understand you're back off to the States. 0:02:04.760 --> 0:02:05.320 Is it tomorrow? 0:02:06.640 --> 0:02:08.760 Yeah, I head to Canada tomorrow hopefully get it to 0:02:08.960 --> 0:02:13.519 Montreal and then yeah it bounce to Cincinnati a lead 0:02:13.520 --> 0:02:14.920 an event in the US Open qualities. 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:15.679 Amazing. 0:02:15.880 --> 0:02:19.239 So did the did the couple of weeks home give 0:02:19.280 --> 0:02:21.560 you the refresh that you that you needed? 0:02:22.720 --> 0:02:28.799 Yeah, I mean by the twenty four hour journey back, Yeah, 0:02:28.800 --> 0:02:29.280 it was good. 0:02:29.600 --> 0:02:30.799 It's I think when I needed. 0:02:30.840 --> 0:02:33.959 And yeah, just got over the jet leg, so look 0:02:34.000 --> 0:02:35.320 forward to getting some more when I go back. 0:02:38.120 --> 0:02:38.520 Tristan. 0:02:38.639 --> 0:02:41.960 We always love to sort of take a player when 0:02:41.960 --> 0:02:44.200 we talk to them back to the start of their 0:02:44.280 --> 0:02:47.480 tennis journey. So yeah, we would love if you could 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:50.440 tell us about your start in tennis in Perth, which 0:02:50.440 --> 0:02:53.720 we understand with your dad who is a tennis coach. 0:02:55.000 --> 0:02:59.160 Yeah, I mean so a while back now, but yeah, 0:02:59.240 --> 0:03:02.560 I started at my low Or school Double few Primary 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:06.320 and my dad used to run lessons there, so I 0:03:06.400 --> 0:03:09.400 joined a group and I was playing a lot. 0:03:09.680 --> 0:03:11.359 Then went to the. 0:03:11.320 --> 0:03:15.440 Club he was coaching, Clamont Lawn Tennis Club and from 0:03:15.480 --> 0:03:18.400 there I played at a few different clubs in Perth 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:24.720 and eventually went to the National Academy well Talent Development 0:03:24.720 --> 0:03:30.000 Squad State Academy and then eventually the National Academy there 0:03:30.800 --> 0:03:33.880 and worked a lot with Andrew Roberts. 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:36.160 He was a head coach there at the time. 0:03:37.120 --> 0:03:42.160 Adam Carey, Alex Jago and Tom George a few of 0:03:42.200 --> 0:03:46.920 the coaches that helped me through my years from sort 0:03:46.920 --> 0:03:49.240 of twelve through eighteen amazing. 0:03:49.720 --> 0:03:52.560 And I read a story I think it was on 0:03:52.600 --> 0:03:55.920 the ATP website actually, and it referenced to your dad 0:03:56.040 --> 0:03:58.520 being a coach now in the Netherlands. I think it 0:03:58.560 --> 0:04:00.520 was from a year ago, so that may not still 0:04:00.520 --> 0:04:02.240 be true, but I was kind of intrigued by that. 0:04:03.480 --> 0:04:05.880 Yeah, I grew up there and spent a long time 0:04:05.880 --> 0:04:08.640 in Australia too, and now coaches back there. 0:04:09.520 --> 0:04:11.360 Kind of ever knew that connection actually go. 0:04:11.920 --> 0:04:15.840 And you know Perth is famous for its its grass courts. 0:04:16.720 --> 0:04:19.520 Was that the first surface that you played on? And 0:04:19.600 --> 0:04:21.520 if so, how did that shape your game? 0:04:22.560 --> 0:04:23.200 Yeah? 0:04:23.240 --> 0:04:26.480 I started a club with sixteen grass courts and two 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:33.640 synthetic grass so yeah, no high courts or clay fair 0:04:33.680 --> 0:04:37.039 adjustment the grounds and won't be too happy, but the 0:04:37.160 --> 0:04:41.240 bounces weren't too high, but no, I think yeah, it 0:04:41.279 --> 0:04:43.240 shaped some of the way I played today. 0:04:43.839 --> 0:04:45.599 And what's what's your favorite surface? 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:45.880 Now? 0:04:47.720 --> 0:04:48.799 I think grass for sure. 0:04:49.800 --> 0:04:53.040 I mean the season's not really too long, but but yeah, 0:04:53.040 --> 0:04:55.000 I think it just has a bit of a point 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:57.719 of difference and I spent a long time on it, 0:04:57.880 --> 0:04:59.520 so I really enjoyed it nice. 0:04:59.520 --> 0:05:01.200 I would have like to have played my first tennis 0:05:01.200 --> 0:05:04.000 sont Real, grasp Onto car here in Melbourne. 0:05:05.080 --> 0:05:06.600 But we're very interested. 0:05:06.240 --> 0:05:08.840 Both of us, to kind of get your take on 0:05:08.960 --> 0:05:11.039 like Perth is a bit of a tennis ecosystem. There's 0:05:11.040 --> 0:05:13.839 a lot of talent coming out of Perth, your generation, 0:05:14.040 --> 0:05:17.120 some younger players, and you've also talked about, you know, 0:05:17.240 --> 0:05:19.880 hitting with John Piers over there. Alicia Mullick lives there. 0:05:19.880 --> 0:05:22.080 There's a really good Casey the Laquas from there. There's 0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:24.120 masses of talent out in the West. 0:05:25.279 --> 0:05:26.440 So yeah, I don't know. 0:05:26.600 --> 0:05:27.840 Does it feel like it's been a bit of a 0:05:27.880 --> 0:05:29.960 breeding ground for you and having that kind of great 0:05:30.040 --> 0:05:32.719 tennis culture, lots of people to hit with and kind 0:05:32.720 --> 0:05:35.000 of be around at that high level. Is that kind 0:05:35.000 --> 0:05:37.440 of what tennis is like in Perth, even though it's 0:05:37.440 --> 0:05:39.320 a little bit further away from some of the other cities. 0:05:40.560 --> 0:05:43.480 Yeah, I mean you said it yourself just then, it's 0:05:43.520 --> 0:05:46.680 pretty far away. But no, I think there's a lot 0:05:46.680 --> 0:05:50.159 of good players that come through. I was pretty lucky. 0:05:50.200 --> 0:05:52.600 I think with the time I did there was a 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:57.600 few guys older than me, which helped to understand the 0:05:57.680 --> 0:06:01.160 level for training too. So you guys went to college 0:06:02.279 --> 0:06:03.680 and yeah, I was able to sort of draw on 0:06:03.800 --> 0:06:07.560 that build the experience through playing with some better players. 0:06:07.560 --> 0:06:11.840 But also yeah, we had good players sort of coming 0:06:12.040 --> 0:06:15.559 after me too, and it was a good, good bunch. 0:06:16.720 --> 0:06:18.720 Yeah, good training, So I'm really happy with that. 0:06:18.839 --> 0:06:22.280 When and you talk about the players coming up under you, like, 0:06:22.520 --> 0:06:25.960 for example, Talia Gibson's had an incredible year, Taylor Preston's 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:28.120 also emerging there both West Australians. Do you take his 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:31.600 special interest in seeing what those players are doing when 0:06:31.640 --> 0:06:33.040 they come from the same place as you do you 0:06:33.080 --> 0:06:34.640 follow their progress any more closely? 0:06:36.120 --> 0:06:38.680 I think you definitely hold onto a little bit of 0:06:38.760 --> 0:06:43.520 our Yeah, both from Perth so well, you sort of 0:06:43.560 --> 0:06:46.240 want to see them do well, and it's nice to 0:06:46.240 --> 0:06:49.760 see that players can make it coming from Perth and 0:06:50.720 --> 0:06:54.320 being so far away. I guess from Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane. 0:06:56.160 --> 0:06:59.760 But yeah, I think it's great. Hopefully there can be 0:06:59.760 --> 0:07:04.080 a new guy coming through, maybe a little younger, but no, 0:07:04.200 --> 0:07:05.080 the girls are doing great. 0:07:05.160 --> 0:07:05.960 It's awesome to see. 0:07:07.160 --> 0:07:10.880 And when I guess, with that great upbringing or introduction 0:07:10.960 --> 0:07:12.960 into tennis in Perth, when did you kind of start 0:07:13.040 --> 0:07:15.640 dreaming about a professional career or realizing you were good 0:07:15.720 --> 0:07:17.720 enough to actually make a go of what you're doing today. 0:07:19.280 --> 0:07:19.920 I'm not too sure. 0:07:20.840 --> 0:07:25.240 I think it's something you always dream of, definitely, but yeah, 0:07:25.280 --> 0:07:28.000 when it becomes a reality, I don't know. I think 0:07:28.080 --> 0:07:31.680 I he was sort of eighteen, did well in junior's. 0:07:32.840 --> 0:07:34.960 I hadn't played a whole heap. I did school normally, 0:07:36.280 --> 0:07:38.360 so barely played. I just played in the school holidays 0:07:40.080 --> 0:07:42.400 and yeah, I took a your off UNI and sort 0:07:42.440 --> 0:07:45.720 of played all the junior events around the world finish 0:07:46.200 --> 0:07:47.800 I think just inside top thirty. 0:07:48.840 --> 0:07:51.080 So that gave me some belief. 0:07:52.200 --> 0:07:55.400 Okay, that's quite late though, like to be not realizing 0:07:55.600 --> 0:07:57.720 or not really thinking you can make a go of 0:07:57.760 --> 0:08:01.000 it until about eighteen went What was it that clicked 0:08:01.080 --> 0:08:03.960 for you if you weren't playing as like that full 0:08:04.040 --> 0:08:05.560 junior schedule the same way some others do. 0:08:08.360 --> 0:08:11.360 I mean I was always around the top few maybe 0:08:11.960 --> 0:08:16.120 through my whole junior career, so I always had that belief. 0:08:17.400 --> 0:08:18.640 But no, I think. 0:08:20.000 --> 0:08:24.720 Playing internationally, seeing myself against some of the best players 0:08:24.720 --> 0:08:29.040 in the world, I gave me some confidence. Obviously, the 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:33.240 pro to was so different and everyone improves at different speeds. 0:08:34.280 --> 0:08:37.120 So yeah, it's been a fair journey. But yeah, I'm 0:08:37.160 --> 0:08:38.920 glad the way I did it was the way I 0:08:39.000 --> 0:08:39.199 did it. 0:08:39.559 --> 0:08:39.760 Yeah. 0:08:40.559 --> 0:08:44.319 Yeah, I was always really interested that you did make 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:48.400 a priority of finishing school, Like how do you think 0:08:48.520 --> 0:08:50.760 kind of that's helped you in the longer term. 0:08:53.400 --> 0:08:56.800 I mean I wasn't the smartest guy, but I enjoyed it. 0:08:58.559 --> 0:09:02.640 I did pretty well. I tried balances as best I could. 0:09:03.520 --> 0:09:06.720 But yeah, look, I think just having mates other interests, 0:09:08.360 --> 0:09:12.320 it would make going to training really exciting and something different. 0:09:13.320 --> 0:09:16.520 Like I'd rock up some days I'd miss maybe my. 0:09:16.559 --> 0:09:20.120 First period of the day or first class, and I 0:09:20.200 --> 0:09:23.400 mean like wet hair from a shower and my mates 0:09:23.440 --> 0:09:29.240 to be like, oh what even do obviously training and yeah, 0:09:29.280 --> 0:09:33.959 each night sort of finish training, go study, fall asleep 0:09:33.960 --> 0:09:38.400 at the desk half the time. No, it was great 0:09:38.760 --> 0:09:40.520 I still talked to a lot of my mates from 0:09:40.520 --> 0:09:42.840 school and keeps me grounded a bit. 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:47.720 That's it's such a kind of busy life for a teenager. 0:09:48.520 --> 0:09:50.040 What did you love most at school? 0:09:51.720 --> 0:09:58.400 Oh, recess and lunch. No, I think just like having 0:09:58.400 --> 0:10:02.800 a close group of mates. Semi competitive, obviously with results 0:10:02.840 --> 0:10:07.559 at school, but more so just yeah, socializing, having a 0:10:07.640 --> 0:10:10.360 bit of fun and not taking it all too serious. 0:10:11.080 --> 0:10:15.160 Sure, and as I understand it, you were pretty closely 0:10:15.280 --> 0:10:18.560 connected with the Hopman Cup at various stages. You were 0:10:18.600 --> 0:10:22.439 a ball kid for Joe Wilford's songer, you also became 0:10:22.640 --> 0:10:28.119 a hitting partner. How did those experiences shape your ambitions? 0:10:28.160 --> 0:10:32.760 I guess it was great. I mean I loved it. 0:10:33.360 --> 0:10:36.520 It was kind of our only tournament there, so it's 0:10:36.559 --> 0:10:39.360 nice to see all the pros being so close to 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:43.319 the top players. Our best chance of hopefully grabbing a 0:10:43.400 --> 0:10:45.040 racket from one of the players was to be a 0:10:45.080 --> 0:10:51.360 ball kid, but that never eventuated. And hitting with some 0:10:51.440 --> 0:10:54.319 of the pros was great. Good to see the level. 0:10:54.400 --> 0:10:57.480 And yeah, mix it with some of the big, big 0:10:57.559 --> 0:11:00.280 players and you I. 0:11:00.320 --> 0:11:03.599 Think we're a particular fan of Joe Wilfrid Soonger. What 0:11:03.960 --> 0:11:06.480 did you love about his game and did you have 0:11:06.559 --> 0:11:08.160 a chance to spend much time with him? 0:11:09.520 --> 0:11:10.079 Not too much. 0:11:11.360 --> 0:11:13.959 He was always my favorite player growing up, just the 0:11:14.000 --> 0:11:18.360 way he sort of played. He was pretty entertaining, played 0:11:18.400 --> 0:11:21.120 a little bit different to most guys. He was pretty aggressive, 0:11:22.000 --> 0:11:25.280 living around the court a bit, and yeah, I always 0:11:25.320 --> 0:11:28.240 love watching him, So it's pretty cool to walk at 0:11:28.320 --> 0:11:29.800 him a few times such as great. 0:11:29.800 --> 0:11:32.800 Yeah, sure recall interviewing you. 0:11:32.960 --> 0:11:34.559 I don't know if you would remember, but it was 0:11:34.640 --> 0:11:38.440 at a pro tour event in Geelong in twenty twenty 0:11:38.640 --> 0:11:42.000 and your career was sort of just starting to gather 0:11:42.160 --> 0:11:45.520 momentum at that time, and that very day we learned 0:11:45.520 --> 0:11:49.160 that Indian Wells had been canceled due to COVID. So 0:11:49.360 --> 0:11:51.679 it kind of I often think about that and think 0:11:51.679 --> 0:11:54.840 about how it impacted players such as yourself who were 0:11:54.960 --> 0:11:57.280 just starting to come through at that time. 0:11:57.400 --> 0:11:58.679 Do you do you ever think about that? 0:12:00.040 --> 0:12:02.760 Definitely? Yeah, it almost gets swept under the rug a 0:12:02.800 --> 0:12:05.079 little bit. It was pretty hectic time. 0:12:05.320 --> 0:12:10.640 Yeah, at that point I was deciding between going to 0:12:10.679 --> 0:12:15.840 college or not, decided not to, played some pro tournaments 0:12:16.640 --> 0:12:20.600 and then everything stopped. So yeah, went back to Perth 0:12:20.720 --> 0:12:23.600 trained for a few months and then found myself here 0:12:23.640 --> 0:12:29.520 in Brisbane, started training here and playing some wtrs. Yeah, 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:33.480 and about a year later went over and played some 0:12:33.920 --> 0:12:37.840 futures in the States and in Europe too. Yeah. 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:40.200 It was a very different time, that's for sure. 0:12:41.080 --> 0:12:44.040 And at that time you had just joined the Australian 0:12:44.080 --> 0:12:47.200 Davis Cup team, I think it was in Adelaide. Well, 0:12:47.960 --> 0:12:51.280 maybe tell us about you know, those memories and what 0:12:51.520 --> 0:12:54.199 kind of inspiration you got from that experience. 0:12:55.320 --> 0:12:59.200 Yeah, I was lucky enough to be Orange Boy, which 0:12:59.280 --> 0:12:59.600 is great. 0:13:00.800 --> 0:13:02.280 I knew a lot of the guys from the team, 0:13:03.120 --> 0:13:05.800 so it was cool to be around that and yeah, 0:13:05.800 --> 0:13:09.200 I understand the Yeah, the honor it is to play 0:13:09.200 --> 0:13:12.760 for your country. So it was pretty epic. Some of 0:13:12.800 --> 0:13:17.400 the matches are pretty close, they won with the celebrations 0:13:17.440 --> 0:13:20.160 were good. And I found myself in Geelong play in 0:13:20.200 --> 0:13:20.720 a future the. 0:13:20.720 --> 0:13:24.240 Next week and then yes, and then everything everything well 0:13:24.280 --> 0:13:28.040 everything halted, maybe completely change, but I guess I guess 0:13:28.080 --> 0:13:31.080 it also highlights something the closeness You've mentioned a couple 0:13:31.120 --> 0:13:33.600 of times with the other Australian plays, and I guess 0:13:33.679 --> 0:13:36.400 our as Australian plays is that unique aspect that we 0:13:36.559 --> 0:13:39.040 have to travel so far where other side of the world. 0:13:39.320 --> 0:13:42.280 Does that make having that connection with the other Australians 0:13:42.559 --> 0:13:45.960 even more important or special? Like kind of what how 0:13:46.000 --> 0:13:48.199 do you gear your trips around? Like are there a 0:13:48.240 --> 0:13:50.240 few of you that travel together or do you hit 0:13:50.320 --> 0:13:53.800 together dinners together? Is there that culture on tour among 0:13:53.840 --> 0:13:54.360 the Aussies? 0:13:55.440 --> 0:13:59.240 Yeah, I mean it's pretty good camaraderie. Everyone obviously understands 0:13:59.760 --> 0:14:03.440 the demands of traveling and playing as a pro from Australia, 0:14:04.640 --> 0:14:09.480 so it's important to have mates at the tournaments it are. Yeah, 0:14:09.640 --> 0:14:12.280 it makes things a little easier, that's for sure, but 0:14:13.640 --> 0:14:16.040 at the end of the day, it's very competitive. 0:14:17.360 --> 0:14:20.240 So yeah, it helps to have a bunch of guys who, 0:14:21.240 --> 0:14:22.320 yeah you can have a laugh with. 0:14:23.120 --> 0:14:25.800 Are there which who are your best mates among the Aussies? 0:14:26.480 --> 0:14:28.440 I played a lotbviously grown up with Dane and Rink. 0:14:30.000 --> 0:14:32.680 We both are the same age, oh, the. 0:14:32.760 --> 0:14:33.200 Three of us. 0:14:35.480 --> 0:14:39.880 So going through juniors to the pros, yeah, we all 0:14:39.920 --> 0:14:44.120 sort of ebbed and flows through the rankings, but more 0:14:44.200 --> 0:14:46.960 or less we're playing the same stuff now, so it's 0:14:47.000 --> 0:14:47.640 been pretty cool. 0:14:48.120 --> 0:14:48.920 Yeah, that is cool. 0:14:49.400 --> 0:14:52.520 And speaking of all that travel, like looking preparing for 0:14:52.600 --> 0:14:54.760 this interview and looking at some of the places you've played. 0:14:54.800 --> 0:14:57.400 You played almost on every continent. What would you say 0:14:57.480 --> 0:14:59.600 is maybe one of the more far flung locations you 0:14:59.600 --> 0:15:03.760 found self playing professional tennis or a memorable travel experience 0:15:03.960 --> 0:15:06.840 because of that, you know, unusual. 0:15:06.440 --> 0:15:13.080 Path played some tournaments in Cairo. Oh yeah, that was 0:15:14.440 --> 0:15:18.160 pretty hectic. I went there with Lee too, and we've 0:15:18.200 --> 0:15:19.880 had some pretty good stories come out of that one. 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:23.640 It's a fair trip. 0:15:25.280 --> 0:15:27.200 Is there one place you'd love to return to of 0:15:27.440 --> 0:15:30.040 those more remote or exotic locations you played? 0:15:30.960 --> 0:15:37.520 Not there? I mean I've played some futures in Sardinia 0:15:37.640 --> 0:15:38.080 and Italy. 0:15:38.760 --> 0:15:42.640 Oh no, it was a clay court tournament which it 0:15:42.800 --> 0:15:47.280 stayed sort of in a resort or some accommodation, not 0:15:47.400 --> 0:15:50.360 far but right on the ocean. It was really really nice, 0:15:51.880 --> 0:15:53.680 but obviously a bit of a trip to get to. 0:15:55.040 --> 0:15:59.040 Her good things about Sardinia one day one day And 0:15:59.280 --> 0:16:01.400 one other thing we we're interested to get your take on. 0:16:01.840 --> 0:16:03.960 Is this thing that we hear a lot with tennis 0:16:03.960 --> 0:16:06.280 players talking about there being such slim margins between the 0:16:06.360 --> 0:16:09.480 top hundred and the players existing just outside that bracket 0:16:09.520 --> 0:16:11.720 on the Challenger Tour, and that there really isn't that 0:16:11.880 --> 0:16:14.240 much difference in the level. So it's just kind of wondering, 0:16:14.280 --> 0:16:16.840 given you've kind of you've existed between both spaces in 0:16:16.920 --> 0:16:19.960 your career, what is the difference. What is the difference 0:16:20.000 --> 0:16:23.120 between being a player inside the top hundred consistently versus 0:16:23.160 --> 0:16:23.800 someone that's just. 0:16:23.840 --> 0:16:24.320 On the cusp? 0:16:25.760 --> 0:16:30.640 Yeah, I think I mean, perfect example, has been six months, 0:16:32.640 --> 0:16:35.720 I guess the start of twenty twenty five, building up 0:16:35.760 --> 0:16:38.560 to being in the top hundred, staying there for about 0:16:39.120 --> 0:16:41.880 six to eight months, and then now just slipping out 0:16:41.880 --> 0:16:42.640 a little bit as well. 0:16:44.280 --> 0:16:45.320 I think it comes down to. 0:16:46.840 --> 0:16:51.640 Winning semis, winning finals of challenges, making a couple of breakthroughs, 0:16:51.680 --> 0:16:54.520 and some bigger tournaments, and that could come down to 0:16:55.480 --> 0:16:59.080 one or two tire breaks, a couple sets here and there, 0:17:00.440 --> 0:17:01.760 and yeah, it. 0:17:01.840 --> 0:17:05.000 Seems seems like a long way, but it is not much. 0:17:05.960 --> 0:17:09.840 And I guess the guys who are on the tour 0:17:09.920 --> 0:17:11.760 and they're in the top hundred week in week out, 0:17:12.840 --> 0:17:15.640 I think their worst level is just a bit better 0:17:15.680 --> 0:17:19.920 than the guys who are hovering outside. Maybe the top 0:17:20.040 --> 0:17:22.560 level might be a little bit better too, so they 0:17:22.560 --> 0:17:26.200 can make some big runs at some big events, but yeah, 0:17:26.200 --> 0:17:26.840 the day to day. 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:31.440 Level is not much different. It's just yeah, consistency over 0:17:31.520 --> 0:17:34.879 that fifty two week period and that bit about the 0:17:34.920 --> 0:17:36.920 tie breaks it hinging on such small margins. Is that 0:17:37.000 --> 0:17:37.760 confidence building? 0:17:39.080 --> 0:17:40.120 Definitely? Yeah. 0:17:41.920 --> 0:17:45.879 I mean I lost a fifth set tiebreak Tomnsic and 0:17:47.000 --> 0:17:49.840 it's like a round of US Open twenty four. A 0:17:50.000 --> 0:17:53.120 year later, I'm playing first round and one seven six 0:17:53.200 --> 0:17:57.399 and the fifth and senago. So we lose both of those. 0:17:57.400 --> 0:18:01.280 You're probably pretty shattered you win both of those. Yeah, well, 0:18:01.359 --> 0:18:02.080 I guess we'll never know. 0:18:03.200 --> 0:18:07.800 Yeah, okay, interesting, Well, yeah, you really stepped into the 0:18:08.000 --> 0:18:11.920 spotlight at the Australian Open when you faced Jannick Sinner 0:18:12.160 --> 0:18:14.560 and you were only one of only two players to 0:18:14.640 --> 0:18:16.280 take a set off him that year. 0:18:17.000 --> 0:18:19.440 How do you look back on that? You know, that 0:18:19.720 --> 0:18:21.439 was the biggest match of your career so far. 0:18:21.560 --> 0:18:24.000 Really, I'd obviously played a match on such a big 0:18:24.040 --> 0:18:26.800 stage in front of so many people. 0:18:27.800 --> 0:18:29.160 It was really nice to have the crowd. 0:18:29.960 --> 0:18:33.600 Yeah, totally behind me, and I'm just glad I played 0:18:34.600 --> 0:18:36.040 a good match, went out there and did what I 0:18:36.080 --> 0:18:40.520 wanted to do. Obviously finished up second best, but there 0:18:40.600 --> 0:18:41.960 was a good chance that most guys were going to 0:18:42.000 --> 0:18:42.600 do that anyway. 0:18:43.560 --> 0:18:47.679 But I really enjoyed. Obviously, this is train open as 0:18:47.680 --> 0:18:48.000 a whole. 0:18:48.760 --> 0:18:52.240 I won my first major match there, so that was 0:18:52.280 --> 0:18:56.159 already a great achievement. And then two, yeah, I have 0:18:56.280 --> 0:18:59.480 a match like that was fantastic. Plenty of good memories 0:18:59.520 --> 0:19:03.000 and something I remember for a very long time. 0:19:03.800 --> 0:19:06.640 Was there anything that you learned about yourself in that match? 0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:09.879 I could play semi decent. 0:19:13.840 --> 0:19:15.440 I think it just gave me a lot of confidence 0:19:16.720 --> 0:19:18.840 just in the way I play, the brand of tennis 0:19:18.880 --> 0:19:24.520 I was working towards, and it probably helped with yeah, 0:19:24.560 --> 0:19:26.400 believing I could keep climbing up the rankings. 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:30.320 Yeah, if I could test the best in the world, 0:19:30.400 --> 0:19:31.560 it was a pretty good start. 0:19:33.520 --> 0:19:36.480 We understand our colleague Simon Ray, who's in the who 0:19:36.600 --> 0:19:39.800 heads up Tennis Australia's Data and insights team. He was 0:19:39.880 --> 0:19:42.040 in your entourage that night, and we know that you 0:19:42.640 --> 0:19:44.680 are a bit of a believer in data and analytics 0:19:44.720 --> 0:19:48.399 and using that in your career, so we were interested 0:19:48.440 --> 0:19:50.800 to know, like, yeah, how did you kind of tap 0:19:50.880 --> 0:19:52.879 into that, what appealed to you about that side of 0:19:52.920 --> 0:19:55.159 the game, and what kind of what's brought to you 0:19:55.240 --> 0:19:56.119 or what do you get out of it? 0:19:57.960 --> 0:20:00.800 Yeah, I think it can help to make a little 0:20:00.840 --> 0:20:03.120 difference here and there. At the end of the day, 0:20:03.119 --> 0:20:06.760 you've got to hit the ball in the lines. But 0:20:07.080 --> 0:20:08.919 if it comes down to a couple of big points, 0:20:09.840 --> 0:20:13.280 tiebreaks like we talked about before, and trying to hold on, 0:20:13.359 --> 0:20:18.119 maybe somewhere he might serve or a week aside under pressure, 0:20:19.520 --> 0:20:22.480 things like that can maybe make a couple of points 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:22.919 of difference. 0:20:24.200 --> 0:20:27.040 Has knowing that, like tapping into those analytics and working 0:20:27.119 --> 0:20:29.040 with Simon and people in that team, has that kind 0:20:29.040 --> 0:20:32.879 of made you view the game differently or noticings you 0:20:32.960 --> 0:20:34.000 might not have noticed. 0:20:33.720 --> 0:20:38.720 Before, maybe slightly. I think it just helps with the preparation. 0:20:39.920 --> 0:20:43.240 And yeah, going into an exam, if you didn't study, 0:20:44.200 --> 0:20:47.800 he probably didn't have much of a chance. But if 0:20:47.880 --> 0:20:50.879 that helped maybe a little bit, Yeah, obviously I was 0:20:51.000 --> 0:20:53.760 happy to do so. And yeah, I think it gives 0:20:53.760 --> 0:20:55.719 you that clarity and confidence under pressure too. 0:20:56.400 --> 0:21:01.480 Okay, nice, You're coming into part of the year that 0:21:01.560 --> 0:21:05.040 we've sort of touched on already that you've historically done 0:21:05.680 --> 0:21:08.240 had some great results at. So you won your first 0:21:08.280 --> 0:21:10.840 Grand Slam match at the US Open in twenty twenty four. 0:21:11.560 --> 0:21:16.240 Atp quarterfinal in twenty twenty five, that was your first quarterfinal, 0:21:16.680 --> 0:21:19.480 you made the top one hundred. Yeah, you've had some 0:21:19.680 --> 0:21:22.240