WEBVTT - The Sit-Down with Nick Kyrgios 0:00:01.960 --> 0:00:04.280 Hello, and welcome to the sit Down. I'm Viv Christie, 0:00:04.320 --> 0:00:06.120 managing editor of Australian Tennis. 0:00:05.800 --> 0:00:08.880 Magazine, and I'm Matrolope, writer for oz open dot com. 0:00:09.080 --> 0:00:11.280 And Viv tell us why we're sitting down with Nick 0:00:11.360 --> 0:00:12.480 Carryous this week. 0:00:12.360 --> 0:00:15.880 Because he has announced that he'll be back this Australian summer. 0:00:15.920 --> 0:00:19.520 He is playing his first tour event at the Brisbane International. 0:00:19.680 --> 0:00:23.079 So Nick returns after a long injury break. He spent 0:00:23.120 --> 0:00:26.439 the best part of two seasons sidelined. He comes back 0:00:26.480 --> 0:00:29.560 with I think new perspective and yeah, lots to add 0:00:29.600 --> 0:00:30.120 to the sport. 0:00:30.360 --> 0:00:32.199 Yeah, and we discovered that when the two of us 0:00:32.200 --> 0:00:35.280 sat down with Nick at pat Raft arenap for what 0:00:35.440 --> 0:00:37.519 ended up being a really wide ranging chat about a 0:00:37.520 --> 0:00:39.519 lot of things. We obviously spoke about the comeback, but 0:00:40.000 --> 0:00:42.280 Nick's a great talker, great student of the game and 0:00:42.280 --> 0:00:44.800 has been involved from a media perspective, so we had 0:00:44.840 --> 0:00:45.879 lots to chat about with him. 0:00:46.000 --> 0:00:48.440 Nick was so generous with his time. This is a 0:00:48.520 --> 0:00:51.559 longer interview than usual for us, but while worth settling 0:00:51.600 --> 0:00:57.280 in to hear what he has to say. Well, Nick, firstly, 0:00:57.360 --> 0:00:59.480 thank you for joining us on the sit down. It's 0:00:59.480 --> 0:01:00.960 great to see you back on court again. 0:01:01.440 --> 0:01:04.120 Yeah, it's been I've hit a lot of tennis balls 0:01:04.160 --> 0:01:06.240 in the last year and a half, but they haven't 0:01:06.240 --> 0:01:08.200 been proper ones. They've been like the furry ones and 0:01:08.560 --> 0:01:11.680 literally starting out with you know, under ten's balls, then 0:01:11.680 --> 0:01:14.319 building it up every couple of months and finally able 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:16.840 to come out here again on a beautiful court like 0:01:17.319 --> 0:01:20.880 the Brisbane Arena and officially be you know, announced a 0:01:20.959 --> 0:01:24.400 players is an insane moment that I thought that I 0:01:24.400 --> 0:01:27.679 wouldn't get back to. But yeah, I'm super excited. Obviously, 0:01:27.720 --> 0:01:29.880 had a bit of fun today with Layton, sun Cruise 0:01:30.040 --> 0:01:32.119 and Cooper and it's good to be back out there 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:34.120 amongst it. You know, there's a different energy to the 0:01:34.160 --> 0:01:35.880 Aussie summer that I think that I've missed. 0:01:36.240 --> 0:01:39.039 So six weeks or so out from the comeback. 0:01:39.200 --> 0:01:42.600 What are the emotions as you look forward to them. 0:01:43.160 --> 0:01:44.440 Yeah, I mean I'm a bit nervous. 0:01:44.520 --> 0:01:46.399 I think it's it's only natural to feel that way, 0:01:46.400 --> 0:01:49.480 and I think it's healthy. It just means I care 0:01:49.560 --> 0:01:52.080 about how I'm going to perform and the pressure of 0:01:52.560 --> 0:01:54.280 it's all. It's interesting because I got asked like, why 0:01:54.280 --> 0:01:56.360 would I put myself back in that position? And it's 0:01:56.440 --> 0:01:58.720 I think it's just something that US tennis players, us 0:01:58.720 --> 0:02:00.880 Ouzsy tennis players really missed the Australians. So I'm playing 0:02:00.880 --> 0:02:03.360 in front of our fans that they are some of 0:02:03.400 --> 0:02:06.360 the best fans in the world as well. So yeah, 0:02:06.400 --> 0:02:08.360 I'm just super excited. I feel like I'm in the 0:02:08.360 --> 0:02:09.960 best shape of my life. I've been training really hard 0:02:09.960 --> 0:02:11.200 and then I'm going to continue to do that over 0:02:11.200 --> 0:02:14.200 the next six to eight weeks and we'll give we'll 0:02:14.200 --> 0:02:14.760 give it a crack. 0:02:15.200 --> 0:02:17.880 You're returning to the scene of one of your seven 0:02:18.040 --> 0:02:21.079 career titles, the only one that you won in Australia. 0:02:21.200 --> 0:02:22.400 What's the significance of that. 0:02:23.639 --> 0:02:26.840 I just think the court in general really plays towards 0:02:27.200 --> 0:02:28.120 my game style. 0:02:28.160 --> 0:02:29.280 It's very fast, it's. 0:02:29.160 --> 0:02:32.240 Great serving conditions. It's the only thing I don't like. 0:02:32.240 --> 0:02:34.200 It's a bit humid. I forgot our humor this this 0:02:34.280 --> 0:02:37.640 place is. I was sweating literally in the first five minutes. 0:02:37.680 --> 0:02:40.440 So yeah, look, I just think it's it's amazing. You 0:02:40.440 --> 0:02:42.000 look at some of the past champions here. I mean, 0:02:42.000 --> 0:02:45.160 this tournament's always stacked with amazing talent and there's going 0:02:45.200 --> 0:02:48.160 to be some great players here and we've talked briefly 0:02:48.160 --> 0:02:50.160 about the Australian players and how good they've been over 0:02:50.200 --> 0:02:52.679 the last you know year or two, that some of 0:02:52.680 --> 0:02:53.280 them having. 0:02:53.120 --> 0:02:55.240 Career best years, career best titles. 0:02:55.240 --> 0:02:57.720 So it's an exciting time for men's tennis in Australia. 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:02.040 What's it like hitting with Cruise, hit with Late It's funny, 0:03:02.560 --> 0:03:03.200 It's it's. 0:03:03.040 --> 0:03:04.239 Not it's not weird, it's not. 0:03:04.840 --> 0:03:08.000 But I definitely give him, you know, some stick for it, 0:03:08.040 --> 0:03:10.320 and I, you know, I like trash talking a little bit, 0:03:10.360 --> 0:03:13.600 but no, it's it's cool. And as I said, I 0:03:13.600 --> 0:03:16.120 had a conversation with Layton yesterday about potentially returning to 0:03:16.120 --> 0:03:18.239 the Davis Cup line up. So just having these conversations 0:03:18.280 --> 0:03:19.799 again and being a part of it, hitting with these 0:03:19.800 --> 0:03:22.320 guys and just playing, you know, competing with them is 0:03:22.520 --> 0:03:25.200 something that I just I genuinely thought it wasn't going 0:03:25.240 --> 0:03:26.080 to be possible again. 0:03:26.680 --> 0:03:28.480 But yeah, it's it's a bit strange. 0:03:28.120 --> 0:03:30.520 Like me obviously playing and I've competed against his dad 0:03:30.520 --> 0:03:32.799 a lot and now committing against him. 0:03:32.800 --> 0:03:33.400 It's it's funny. 0:03:33.480 --> 0:03:36.000 Yeah, it's very full circle. Yes, what if you missed 0:03:36.120 --> 0:03:38.240 most in your time away from tennis? It sounds like 0:03:38.280 --> 0:03:39.280 it's the competitiveness. 0:03:39.880 --> 0:03:41.880 Yeah I missed, I missed. I mean I did compete 0:03:41.880 --> 0:03:44.200 a lot off the court. I mean it can be anything, 0:03:44.200 --> 0:03:46.000 can be a computer game, video game, anything like a 0:03:46.040 --> 0:03:46.480 board game. 0:03:46.560 --> 0:03:48.840 I'll compete a little bit too hard. 0:03:48.880 --> 0:03:51.720 But I guess it's just actually the sport of and 0:03:51.760 --> 0:03:53.560 I think winning, Like when you win a tennis match, 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:56.280 you know that the routine, actually the routine of winning 0:03:56.280 --> 0:03:58.280 a tennis match, getting physio, gone back to the hotel, 0:03:58.280 --> 0:04:00.440 and enjoying that win with your team. I think that's 0:04:00.480 --> 0:04:03.200 what our team into the other than twenty two. We 0:04:03.200 --> 0:04:05.400 were experiencing that so much. It just became part of 0:04:05.440 --> 0:04:07.640 our culture of you know, going to the courts, getting 0:04:07.640 --> 0:04:09.960 it done and enjoying those wins together. And I think 0:04:10.000 --> 0:04:13.080 that's what I missed most, was doing it with my 0:04:13.120 --> 0:04:14.720 team and having success together. 0:04:14.720 --> 0:04:16.000 I think that's what I missed most. 0:04:16.200 --> 0:04:17.720 We were also going to ask you if there was 0:04:17.720 --> 0:04:19.720 a specific moment, because you were after you've been out 0:04:19.760 --> 0:04:22.320 for two years, effectively, if there was a moment where 0:04:22.320 --> 0:04:25.680 you felt the burning desire properly to return again, and 0:04:25.760 --> 0:04:28.240 was it that conversation with Novak at Wimbledon, or was 0:04:28.240 --> 0:04:30.240 there another time where you watch something happened, You're like, God, 0:04:30.240 --> 0:04:31.479 I'd love to be out there again. 0:04:32.360 --> 0:04:35.280 I definitely went through a lot of dips, like energy lows, 0:04:35.520 --> 0:04:37.760 highs and lows throughout the last eighteen months. There were 0:04:37.760 --> 0:04:39.359 times where I was super motivated to like, all right, 0:04:39.360 --> 0:04:41.000 I want to start the rehab. I want to sorry, 0:04:41.320 --> 0:04:42.640 I want to you know, I want to get going. 0:04:42.680 --> 0:04:43.960 I want to be better. And then there was times 0:04:43.960 --> 0:04:45.360 where I was like I don't want to play anymore. 0:04:45.360 --> 0:04:47.400 You know, this is too hard. Like I was having 0:04:47.400 --> 0:04:49.000 pain in my hand, my wrists, and I was like, 0:04:49.040 --> 0:04:50.920 this is not going to get better, Like I didn't want. 0:04:50.760 --> 0:04:53.240 To do the work required. And I guess I had 0:04:53.240 --> 0:04:54.240 a really good team around me. 0:04:54.279 --> 0:04:56.040 And then I went to Wimbledon and I tried to, 0:04:56.120 --> 0:04:58.160 you know, announce it on Twitter that i'd be hitting 0:04:58.200 --> 0:05:00.159 with some of the players there, and Novak was hit 0:05:00.240 --> 0:05:04.040 with him for three days and that's when I actually 0:05:04.080 --> 0:05:06.360 realized that, you know, I was only starting to serve then. 0:05:06.520 --> 0:05:08.440 And then he was like, it doesn't look like you've 0:05:08.480 --> 0:05:10.480 had surgery. You're moving really well, you're playing really well. 0:05:10.520 --> 0:05:12.320 And that's when I looked at my team. I was like, Okay, 0:05:12.360 --> 0:05:14.200 maybe we're on the right track, maybe we can return, 0:05:14.240 --> 0:05:16.240 And six months later here we are. 0:05:16.279 --> 0:05:18.040 So it's been a That was probably. 0:05:17.760 --> 0:05:20.000 The turning moment when when Novak said that, I was like, Okay, 0:05:20.000 --> 0:05:22.480 we're doing something right here, and we're you know, gearing 0:05:22.480 --> 0:05:23.320 for a return. 0:05:23.040 --> 0:05:23.839 At some stage. 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:27.320 Sounds like Novak was one of the players that really 0:05:27.400 --> 0:05:28.799 supported you in the comeback. 0:05:29.160 --> 0:05:31.080 With there any other players that really reached out. 0:05:32.000 --> 0:05:34.480 Look, I think whether a player wants me to come 0:05:34.520 --> 0:05:36.880 back or not, that's one thing, But whether the sport 0:05:36.960 --> 0:05:39.680 needs it, I think it's another. I don't think there'd 0:05:39.720 --> 0:05:42.400 be too many happy faces seeing me back on to it. 0:05:42.480 --> 0:05:44.520 You know, I had a lot of friends, but I 0:05:44.560 --> 0:05:46.159 also had a lot of people that didn't get along with, 0:05:46.160 --> 0:05:48.560 which I think is completely normal in sport, and I 0:05:48.560 --> 0:05:50.359 think the tennis world needs a bit more of that. 0:05:51.160 --> 0:05:54.040 But yeah, I mean, look, there's been a plenty of supporters. 0:05:54.120 --> 0:05:55.960 You know, the American players I'm all pretty close with, 0:05:56.000 --> 0:05:57.800 and they gave me a lot of support as well. 0:05:57.839 --> 0:06:00.280 But I think people that I've drawn in spray from 0:06:00.279 --> 0:06:02.720 probably like Dominic Team, someone like that who went through 0:06:02.760 --> 0:06:06.240 a major surgery and his one actually wasn't even as 0:06:06.279 --> 0:06:08.440 severe as mine, and to see him just get back 0:06:08.440 --> 0:06:10.200 to a challenger level and play some Grand Slams was 0:06:10.400 --> 0:06:12.200 a bonus where I want to get back there and 0:06:12.200 --> 0:06:15.039 win some you know, some big matches. So I've really 0:06:15.120 --> 0:06:17.520 drawn and obviously we know the severity of people that 0:06:17.520 --> 0:06:20.719 have had risk injuries before Del Potro team like these 0:06:20.720 --> 0:06:22.720 guys haven't got back to where they were, and I 0:06:22.720 --> 0:06:24.560 don't think that's a fair for me. 0:06:24.760 --> 0:06:26.120 I want to, but I don't know. 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:27.880 We'll see how my level is when I get back, 0:06:27.920 --> 0:06:29.760 But I don't know if it's a fair I guess 0:06:29.800 --> 0:06:31.479 goal to have in mind to get back to, you know, 0:06:31.520 --> 0:06:33.960 making a Grand Slam final after such as severe injury. 0:06:34.000 --> 0:06:36.279 But we'll see. But I think there've been some supportive 0:06:36.320 --> 0:06:36.960 tennis players. 0:06:37.160 --> 0:06:40.040 That's good. Yeah, it's obviously been as particularly the nature 0:06:40.040 --> 0:06:42.520 of the injury being so rough, it's hard to maybe 0:06:42.560 --> 0:06:44.760 see a positive in the time away and the challenges. 0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:46.520 But have there been any silver linings? 0:06:46.600 --> 0:06:48.520 Oh yeah, I mean, look, spending time with my family, 0:06:49.360 --> 0:06:51.080 you know, my partner and just you know, my brother 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:53.320 has two kids. Now, you know, I think as an 0:06:53.320 --> 0:06:55.760 Australian tennis player, you travel so much of the year 0:06:55.760 --> 0:06:57.640 and you know, all these tennis guys will tell you 0:06:57.640 --> 0:07:01.000 you miss I think, significant moments with your and your 0:07:01.000 --> 0:07:04.400 best friends and your people that you would ideally want 0:07:04.400 --> 0:07:05.800 to spend all the time with you don't get to 0:07:05.800 --> 0:07:08.120 see them at all. So I think the positive of 0:07:08.160 --> 0:07:09.880 being injured was I was able to catch up on 0:07:09.880 --> 0:07:11.680 so many other things off the court as well that 0:07:12.000 --> 0:07:15.320 needed my attention. You know, obviously a lot of business 0:07:15.320 --> 0:07:16.960 ideas that I had, you know, I started, you know, 0:07:17.000 --> 0:07:19.040 I was very proactive in my time away and just 0:07:19.040 --> 0:07:20.720 spend time with my loved ones and the people that 0:07:20.720 --> 0:07:23.000 I thought I'd missed out so much time, Like what 0:07:23.080 --> 0:07:27.000 from literally fifteen to twenty five, I felt like I 0:07:27.000 --> 0:07:29.480 didn't even spend time with my family because I was 0:07:29.480 --> 0:07:31.360 always traveling for tennis. So now I definitely felt like 0:07:31.400 --> 0:07:32.240 I caught that time up. 0:07:32.480 --> 0:07:34.480 Do you feel Also, younger people talk about having like 0:07:34.560 --> 0:07:36.840 long periods of time actually refreshing them because you're not 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:38.840 pounding your body, you're not traveling is not yet Like 0:07:38.880 --> 0:07:42.320 so you know you're twenty nine, but are you physically 0:07:42.360 --> 0:07:43.880 twenty nine? Do you know what I mean? You say 0:07:43.880 --> 0:07:45.200 it on the court before that you were like, I'm 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:46.240 old now, but it's like you. 0:07:46.280 --> 0:07:50.760 Kind of I actually feel as if I'm like seventy. 0:07:51.200 --> 0:07:51.920 I feel like I've. 0:07:51.840 --> 0:07:54.000 Had so many experiences and you know, I've dealt with 0:07:54.040 --> 0:07:55.840 a lot of things in my life, and I've you know, 0:07:56.600 --> 0:07:58.320 you know, being in the spotlight at eighteen and going 0:07:58.360 --> 0:07:59.920 through the experience of I feel like I've gone through 0:07:59.920 --> 0:08:01.840 a lot for a person, and I feel like I 0:08:01.880 --> 0:08:03.760 feel a lot older than twenty nine, that's for sure. 0:08:03.760 --> 0:08:05.400 And people will assume I'm a lot older because I 0:08:05.440 --> 0:08:09.000 was on tour at seventeen, But yeah, I definitely, honest like, mentally, 0:08:09.040 --> 0:08:10.680 I do feel a bit, I guess new to the 0:08:10.680 --> 0:08:12.560 tour again, where you know, just like going into the 0:08:12.560 --> 0:08:14.560 locker room and like just before having a shower, just 0:08:14.560 --> 0:08:17.240 feeling that again and doing those things kind of feels 0:08:17.240 --> 0:08:18.920 a little bit new, which is good because there was 0:08:18.920 --> 0:08:20.520 parts where I was like, oh, here we got another 0:08:20.560 --> 0:08:22.640 tennis center and another this and all that. But yeah, 0:08:22.680 --> 0:08:24.120 I know what you mean, But I definitely I don't 0:08:24.120 --> 0:08:25.800 know if physically I feel younger. 0:08:25.840 --> 0:08:26.640 I don't know about that. 0:08:27.400 --> 0:08:29.040 So we have to ask when you do come back, 0:08:29.080 --> 0:08:30.559 who are you most looking forward to playing? 0:08:30.640 --> 0:08:33.080 Oh, I've got a couple of answers there. 0:08:33.160 --> 0:08:36.640 Ah, But look that I think the tennis world right 0:08:36.640 --> 0:08:39.920 now is in a it's definitely the changing of the guard. 0:08:40.040 --> 0:08:43.320 I think we will understand that Rafa and Fed's not 0:08:43.400 --> 0:08:46.040 being there anymore. And I think this is you could 0:08:46.080 --> 0:08:48.560 comfortably say it's the back end of Novak's career. Now 0:08:49.920 --> 0:08:51.679 you know it's open, but you know you've got the 0:08:51.760 --> 0:08:54.520 lights of you know, Olcaaz whole garoon. You're Onix Sinner 0:08:54.640 --> 0:08:57.080 like these guys that are, you know, vying for that 0:08:57.120 --> 0:08:59.079 next kind of mantle. But I would love to play 0:08:59.360 --> 0:09:03.719 obviously center at some stage, hopefully not my first match back, 0:09:03.760 --> 0:09:06.880 but I doubt did pay Brisbane. But you know, look, 0:09:06.920 --> 0:09:10.079 that's that's probably that would be circled on my calendar 0:09:10.080 --> 0:09:13.520 for sure. And I don't know, it's always fun playing 0:09:13.600 --> 0:09:16.319 tizzy paths. I think we all I think that's a 0:09:16.440 --> 0:09:17.800 very healthy one for the tennis world. 0:09:18.400 --> 0:09:18.720 Awesome. 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:22.120 Yeah, you you came so close to winning a Grand 0:09:22.120 --> 0:09:23.720 Slam title at Wimwooden. 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:26.560 Is how much of a motivation is it to go 0:09:26.600 --> 0:09:27.280 one better than that? 0:09:28.440 --> 0:09:31.360 I think that's probably one of the only things keep 0:09:31.400 --> 0:09:33.280 me around in the sport. I mean, obviously, I think 0:09:33.280 --> 0:09:35.240 I've got a lot more tennis to play for my fans, 0:09:35.280 --> 0:09:39.840 but I think a Grand Slam is the only thing 0:09:39.880 --> 0:09:42.600 that's kind of missing. I think in Australian tennis in general, 0:09:42.640 --> 0:09:44.800 you know we've got you know, Lexi Poper winning a Master's. 0:09:44.559 --> 0:09:46.600 Event, you know, Demon's vying for titles. 0:09:47.080 --> 0:09:49.000 But I think that at the end of the day, 0:09:49.040 --> 0:09:51.199 that all means nothing if you don't finish. I think 0:09:51.200 --> 0:09:52.760 that's the only thing that people really care about in 0:09:52.760 --> 0:09:54.480 tennis career is how many Grand Slams you have. And 0:09:55.000 --> 0:09:56.640 did I think that the doubles Grand Slam was going 0:09:56.679 --> 0:09:58.040 to calm it down, to be honest, and No, I 0:09:58.120 --> 0:09:59.400 knew that the critics always going to be like, oh, 0:09:59.440 --> 0:10:01.040 I doesn't have a single one still after I want 0:10:01.040 --> 0:10:03.440 to double one. And I agree with him, like I 0:10:03.480 --> 0:10:06.679 am a singles player and I've put in so much 0:10:06.720 --> 0:10:08.160 work to be a good singles player, and I was 0:10:09.160 --> 0:10:11.840 two sets away, a set and a half away from winning. 0:10:12.000 --> 0:10:14.920 You know, I'm a tennis event that makes you tennis immortality. 0:10:15.000 --> 0:10:17.360 So that's definitely a driver. I mean, I hear it 0:10:17.400 --> 0:10:19.199 every day that he hasn'tont to go slam, Like the 0:10:19.200 --> 0:10:20.719 amount of times I've heard that it's going to drive 0:10:20.760 --> 0:10:21.320 me insane. 0:10:21.520 --> 0:10:24.079 Most people haven't though, Oh I know, but like. 0:10:24.320 --> 0:10:26.240 They say that, oh, he's one of the most talented 0:10:26.280 --> 0:10:28.559 players like this, so that that there's I think there's 0:10:28.600 --> 0:10:30.719 a lot that comes with that, which is it's good 0:10:30.760 --> 0:10:33.559 in a way, but it's also a curse because people 0:10:33.559 --> 0:10:34.760 want you to win so bad. 0:10:35.920 --> 0:10:39.040 Your first Grand Slam back will be your home Grand Slam. 0:10:39.240 --> 0:10:41.160 How special is it to play at the Astraine Open. 0:10:41.280 --> 0:10:44.000 Yeah, it's been extremely tough missing that event the last 0:10:44.000 --> 0:10:48.760 two years, not because I'm sitting there, you know, watching 0:10:48.800 --> 0:10:51.440 other people play. You know, I love watching other Ossies 0:10:51.480 --> 0:10:53.560 play at this Train Open. I love the stories created, 0:10:53.600 --> 0:10:56.120 I love the opportunities that they have and it can 0:10:56.160 --> 0:10:57.839 change careers it honestly. Can you make a run of 0:10:57.840 --> 0:11:00.360 the Austrain Open and we see, you know, all these 0:11:00.400 --> 0:11:02.520 young Aussies have good runs and then you know it kicks. 0:11:02.360 --> 0:11:02.920 Off their career. 0:11:03.000 --> 0:11:05.520 But for me, it's just there's a different feeling playing 0:11:05.520 --> 0:11:08.120 in Australia. And you know, I played my first I 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:10.559 mean I played Australi Open Juniors when I was fifteen 0:11:10.600 --> 0:11:12.680 years old and it just seemed like that time of 0:11:12.679 --> 0:11:14.240 the year was always special for Ozsi's you know, it 0:11:14.240 --> 0:11:16.360 was Aussie summer even this time you're all hanging out together, 0:11:16.440 --> 0:11:18.840 training together. You can feel the energy kind of heating 0:11:18.880 --> 0:11:20.760 up a little bit, and I can't wait to get 0:11:20.760 --> 0:11:22.800 out there and just feel you know, I'm just going 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:24.800 to soak up every little moment because it could be 0:11:24.840 --> 0:11:27.240 my last one and I'm not going to take a 0:11:27.280 --> 0:11:28.719 granted even if I win, not lose, I'm going to 0:11:28.800 --> 0:11:32.000 enjoy the stadium. I'm going to enjoy all the tough moments, 0:11:32.000 --> 0:11:34.040 the adversity moments, and just enjoy it all. 0:11:34.280 --> 0:11:37.080 Do you have a favorite moment from your Australian Open 0:11:37.120 --> 0:11:37.439 so far? 0:11:39.200 --> 0:11:41.240 I think, oh, that's a tough one. 0:11:43.320 --> 0:11:46.720 I mean, obviously, yeah, I mean it's been it's been amazing. 0:11:46.960 --> 0:11:49.319 I think obviously the doubles has got to be up there. 0:11:50.320 --> 0:11:51.840 You know, I never thought I'd be in the doubles again, 0:11:51.920 --> 0:11:54.720 stand literally never I thought the singles, what one would come? 0:11:54.800 --> 0:11:56.720 That's maybe at some stage if not, but I'd never 0:11:56.720 --> 0:11:58.240 thought I'd get close to any of those one and 0:11:58.240 --> 0:12:03.439 it just happened. I think the CATCHONOV match in the 0:12:03.640 --> 0:12:05.920 third round of the show and Open, when it was 0:12:06.000 --> 0:12:09.040 like a four hour and fifty out, four hours and 0:12:09.040 --> 0:12:11.600 fifty minute grind and it was it was probably one 0:12:11.640 --> 0:12:13.960 of the most insane energy I've ever been a part of. 0:12:14.000 --> 0:12:16.000 The crowd was absolutely going insane and it was it 0:12:16.040 --> 0:12:16.559 was special. 0:12:17.160 --> 0:12:19.600 Now that was on John Canaen. Yes, obviously, that's such 0:12:19.640 --> 0:12:22.000 a big part of your story. That court. You've almost 0:12:22.040 --> 0:12:24.720 kind of made it your own. We actually did some 0:12:24.760 --> 0:12:27.040 research into your Do you know your record on that court? 0:12:27.200 --> 0:12:28.160 No, I don't know. 0:12:28.440 --> 0:12:30.320 Would you guess how many matches you played and won 0:12:30.360 --> 0:12:30.640 on it? 0:12:31.040 --> 0:12:34.679 I'd be close to probably fifteen, I reckon, Yeah, fifteen 0:12:34.760 --> 0:12:37.960 and fifteen, maybe twelve and three or something, that's. 0:12:37.800 --> 0:12:38.360 What your record is. 0:12:38.440 --> 0:12:38.640 Twelve. 0:12:39.200 --> 0:12:42.080 Yeah, there you go. So that was what we're going 0:12:42.120 --> 0:12:44.320 to ask you. So, yeah, won twelve, lost three, so 0:12:44.320 --> 0:12:46.319 it's an eighty percent record. So what is it about 0:12:46.360 --> 0:12:48.480 that court that brings out your best because it is 0:12:48.480 --> 0:12:50.280 by far your best record at the AO of all 0:12:50.280 --> 0:12:51.640 the court. In fact, you played on it so much 0:12:51.640 --> 0:12:54.000 more than all the es, but you pretty much never 0:12:54.040 --> 0:12:54.480 lose on it. 0:12:55.640 --> 0:12:57.440 I think it's just I don't know, it's just something 0:12:57.440 --> 0:13:00.360 about the speed the court just feels amazing. I think 0:13:00.400 --> 0:13:02.640 I just love the dimensions of even though every single 0:13:02.640 --> 0:13:04.640 court in the same dimensions, just the backdrop, but everything 0:13:04.720 --> 0:13:05.520 or about it. 0:13:05.880 --> 0:13:09.880 I like how the crowd's really close. I'm not too sure. 0:13:10.280 --> 0:13:12.160 I really want to put a petition in when I'm 0:13:12.160 --> 0:13:15.600 done to call it the Curios instead of John. I think, 0:13:15.960 --> 0:13:17.920 I genuinely think if we called it the Curios Court, 0:13:17.920 --> 0:13:19.360 it would be it would be a lot more, it 0:13:19.360 --> 0:13:20.960 would be a lot cooler, and I think people would 0:13:20.960 --> 0:13:23.079 be like it would create a bit more buzz or 0:13:23.080 --> 0:13:24.800 you playing on the Hero's Court like, because then it's 0:13:24.840 --> 0:13:27.400 like known for being a bit of a chaotic zoo 0:13:27.600 --> 0:13:30.280 like you know atmosphere, I think, and then people will 0:13:30.280 --> 0:13:31.880 think about some of the best times I had on 0:13:31.920 --> 0:13:34.440 it and just how chaotic the crowd was going like 0:13:34.440 --> 0:13:37.960 it sometimes I was like, this place is ridiculously loud 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:40.080 and it was a bit of like a zoo out there. 0:13:40.120 --> 0:13:42.080 I think, Yeah, I mean, I don't know what it 0:13:42.080 --> 0:13:44.000 is about that court, but I don't know. Hopefully I'll 0:13:44.000 --> 0:13:46.160 be able to play on it again this year, and 0:13:46.240 --> 0:13:47.520 if not, you know, I'm happy to. 0:13:47.520 --> 0:13:48.040 Play on Rod. 0:13:48.520 --> 0:13:51.480 So is it actually like, are the crowd different compared 0:13:51.480 --> 0:13:53.360 to say Rod Labor Because you've had some pretty wild 0:13:53.400 --> 0:13:55.560 matches on Keya in the doubles run, and you've played 0:13:55.559 --> 0:13:58.360 on MCA as well. But there's something maybe a bit 0:13:58.400 --> 0:14:02.000 specific about JCA. Is it the ground passes, it's coming 0:14:02.040 --> 0:14:02.800 right down to the court. 0:14:02.880 --> 0:14:03.080 Yeah. 0:14:03.080 --> 0:14:05.000 I think I do like the fact that it's very 0:14:05.000 --> 0:14:06.920 accessible for the fans. The fans are right there. They 0:14:07.000 --> 0:14:09.640 haven't on like ongoing conversations with me. I think they've 0:14:09.679 --> 0:14:11.800 realized that I really feed off it, and they're obviously 0:14:11.800 --> 0:14:14.920 a bit boozy around that time as well, like five vmish. 0:14:15.320 --> 0:14:16.640 Yes, that's the hour on. 0:14:16.760 --> 0:14:19.320 Yeah, And I don't know, it's just something about that court. 0:14:19.360 --> 0:14:21.680 I think that the crowd of rod Labor a bit 0:14:21.760 --> 0:14:23.680 more tame, and you know, they're a bit more I 0:14:23.680 --> 0:14:28.840 guess classy, But I don't think I fit into that 0:14:28.920 --> 0:14:29.640 kind of description. 0:14:29.760 --> 0:14:31.560 So I think I'd love to play on John Cane again. 0:14:31.640 --> 0:14:33.000 I love it. Where will the I guess we'll see 0:14:33.000 --> 0:14:34.160 where you're scheduled when you come back. 0:14:34.280 --> 0:14:34.920 Yes. Yes. 0:14:36.240 --> 0:14:38.560 When you look back on your career as a whole, 0:14:38.840 --> 0:14:40.280 what what are you most proud of? 0:14:42.280 --> 0:14:46.240 I think I think how much I've kind of, I guess, 0:14:46.360 --> 0:14:49.440 changed and matured over the course of my career. I 0:14:49.480 --> 0:14:51.800 think I'm very much still a child. I'm very much 0:14:51.840 --> 0:14:54.960 still youthful, and I love to have fun. But I think, 0:14:55.400 --> 0:14:58.200 you know, I think I was earlier in my career. 0:14:59.200 --> 0:15:01.440 I didn't really, I don't know. I just I think 0:15:01.480 --> 0:15:04.520 I enjoy it now because I know that the window 0:15:04.560 --> 0:15:06.840 that I've had as an athlete and the success I've 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:09.320 had is not normal and it's very like, I'm very 0:15:09.400 --> 0:15:11.400 lucky to have had that success, but also I worked 0:15:11.520 --> 0:15:13.840 very hard. But not many athletes are able to say 0:15:13.840 --> 0:15:15.520 that they've you know, going to the top of their 0:15:15.560 --> 0:15:17.840 sport and really knocked on the door of you know, 0:15:17.880 --> 0:15:20.840 getting to the ultimate prize. And I think this injuries 0:15:20.840 --> 0:15:22.600 made me realize that, you know, I've got to be 0:15:22.640 --> 0:15:23.840