WEBVTT - Joanna Garland: “My dream is to play Wimbledon one day” 0:00:01.960 --> 0:00:04.600 Hi everyone, and welcome to another episode of The Sitdown. 0:00:04.720 --> 0:00:07.760 I'm Mattrolope, a writer an editor for ozopen dot com. 0:00:07.840 --> 0:00:11.559 And I'm viv Christine, managing editor for Australian Tennis magazine. 0:00:11.080 --> 0:00:13.040 And Viv why are we sitting down this week with 0:00:13.200 --> 0:00:14.160 Joanna Garland? 0:00:14.360 --> 0:00:18.000 Well, Matt, Joe is born in the UK, where I 0:00:18.000 --> 0:00:20.120 guess all the eyes of the tennis world are at 0:00:20.120 --> 0:00:23.319 the moment. With Wimbledon qualifying about to begin, we're deep 0:00:23.320 --> 0:00:26.360 into the grass court season. Joe was born in the UK, 0:00:26.760 --> 0:00:31.760 represents Chinese Taipei, based in the Netherlands, a real citizen 0:00:31.800 --> 0:00:32.280 of the world. 0:00:32.320 --> 0:00:33.120 But yeah, we. 0:00:33.040 --> 0:00:35.600 Wanted to tap into her to see how she's feeling 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:38.160 about the grass court season. And of course we got 0:00:38.200 --> 0:00:40.840 to know her through the one point Slam here in Australia, 0:00:40.880 --> 0:00:43.159 so we can kind of claim her a little bit 0:00:43.200 --> 0:00:45.680 as well. But yeah, it was a great chat. She 0:00:45.800 --> 0:00:48.360 was really candid and yeah, I think our listeners will 0:00:48.400 --> 0:00:49.559 learn a lot in this interview. 0:00:49.800 --> 0:00:52.440 They will. What we loved about this chat we were 0:00:52.479 --> 0:00:54.640 talking off air was just about how we even got 0:00:54.640 --> 0:00:56.880 like the story behind the story. Because she was so 0:00:56.960 --> 0:00:59.360 candid and so open, we learned things we know a 0:00:59.400 --> 0:01:01.680 lot about j a story, but yeah, she gave us 0:01:01.720 --> 0:01:05.600 some really amazing insights into life on the tour and 0:01:05.680 --> 0:01:07.640 what was going on behind the scenes. And we really 0:01:07.680 --> 0:01:13.280 hope you enjoy this chat. Joanna galand thank you very 0:01:13.360 --> 0:01:15.679 much for joining us today on the sit Down Podcast. 0:01:15.880 --> 0:01:16.600 It's good to see you. 0:01:16.840 --> 0:01:17.840 It's good to see you too. 0:01:18.720 --> 0:01:20.840 Where in the world do we find you right now? 0:01:21.480 --> 0:01:24.440 I am at home in Stevenage in the UK. I 0:01:24.520 --> 0:01:25.520 just arrived last night. 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:30.240 Ah, okay, because we were actually wondering we heard that 0:01:30.280 --> 0:01:32.000 you were based in the Netherlands and saw that you 0:01:32.080 --> 0:01:34.520 just played a tournament there. Is that your base or 0:01:34.560 --> 0:01:35.040 is the UK? 0:01:35.480 --> 0:01:37.880 That's right, and the Netherlands is my base and I'm 0:01:37.959 --> 0:01:42.319 there in between tournaments as we travel so much. But 0:01:42.640 --> 0:01:45.240 because we've got a season coming up, I'm doing a 0:01:45.280 --> 0:01:47.960 training week in London this week, so I'm staying at home. 0:01:48.200 --> 0:01:51.960 Okay, nice, that's good. Your last result was playing at 0:01:51.960 --> 0:01:55.560 the den Bosch tournament and you fell to Robin Montgomery, 0:01:55.560 --> 0:01:58.280 who went on to win the tournament. So I know 0:01:58.320 --> 0:02:00.560 a loss is disappointing, but when you see what the 0:02:00.600 --> 0:02:02.600 person you lost to went on to do, does that 0:02:02.680 --> 0:02:04.920 kind of make it a bit easier or make you 0:02:04.960 --> 0:02:06.840 feel better about your game knowing you lost to the 0:02:07.040 --> 0:02:07.840 eventual champ. 0:02:09.480 --> 0:02:12.040 It does. I feel like it shouldn't, but it does. 0:02:12.240 --> 0:02:16.040 And I don't think it necessarily means so much, because 0:02:16.080 --> 0:02:18.000 there are a lot of factors that are involved with 0:02:18.360 --> 0:02:21.480 winning and losing in tennis matches. But I think it 0:02:21.520 --> 0:02:27.040 actually emphasizes the importance of being ready to take an 0:02:27.040 --> 0:02:28.840 opportunity when it presents itself. 0:02:29.240 --> 0:02:31.560 And I guess playing in a tournament that is where 0:02:31.600 --> 0:02:34.080 you're based, how we are interested to know how long 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:35.960 have you been based in the Netherlands and what's the 0:02:36.000 --> 0:02:38.320 connection that saw you settle there? 0:02:38.919 --> 0:02:42.200 So I've moved there full time for two years now. 0:02:44.120 --> 0:02:47.880 I first went there when I was thirteen or fourteen 0:02:48.280 --> 0:02:52.760 to play an IF junior event, and my dad saw 0:02:52.800 --> 0:02:56.040 how great the facilities were and ask someone if they 0:02:56.120 --> 0:02:58.239 knew a good coach and connected me with this coach 0:02:59.360 --> 0:03:02.160 who is my co today. And I used to go 0:03:02.280 --> 0:03:05.919 there during the summer and winter holidays to train with him, 0:03:06.320 --> 0:03:09.079 and yeah, a couple of years ago, decided to move 0:03:09.080 --> 0:03:09.799 there full time. 0:03:10.520 --> 0:03:13.240 Cool, there's a very long running association then that must 0:03:13.280 --> 0:03:14.960 be like ten years now it is. 0:03:15.360 --> 0:03:16.720 Yeah, Wow, amazing. 0:03:17.720 --> 0:03:20.760 As you mentioned, you are in Britain now and you 0:03:20.800 --> 0:03:23.960 are a player with British heritage, So tell us about 0:03:23.960 --> 0:03:25.760 your relationship with grass. 0:03:26.120 --> 0:03:30.040 Oh well, I've somehow British and i grew up in 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:33.480 the UK, so I've grown up watching Winwooden on Telly 0:03:33.600 --> 0:03:35.720 and I've been a couple of times lucky enough to 0:03:35.760 --> 0:03:40.160 go as a kid. So grass pot season is a 0:03:40.160 --> 0:03:42.800 massive thing for me, as it is for all of 0:03:42.840 --> 0:03:46.360 the Brits. To be honest, I've played on grass in Australia. 0:03:46.960 --> 0:03:50.200 There are a couple of itfs in Australia in March 0:03:50.240 --> 0:03:53.920 every year on grass, and I've been to play those 0:03:53.960 --> 0:03:58.760 a few times and i absolutely loved it. Yeah, it's 0:03:58.800 --> 0:04:01.760 a very short part of the year, but it's exciting 0:04:02.040 --> 0:04:06.119 and I mean my dream is to qualify or play 0:04:06.120 --> 0:04:10.000 wimbled in one day. So yeah, grass season is important. 0:04:10.280 --> 0:04:13.119 We have to ask how does the grass compare in 0:04:13.200 --> 0:04:15.160 Australia to the UK. 0:04:16.440 --> 0:04:20.400 Honestly, sometimes it's well, the courts I played on we 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:25.200 were great like and because you have so much space, 0:04:25.240 --> 0:04:28.600 you're able to have so many courts so like practice 0:04:29.120 --> 0:04:32.839 is very evenly spread out, so the main courts don't 0:04:32.839 --> 0:04:36.680 get ruined. The grass was good, and actually, because it's 0:04:36.680 --> 0:04:40.600 so hot over there in March, the courts actually play 0:04:40.920 --> 0:04:42.720 play like a hard court, so they bounce a bit 0:04:42.760 --> 0:04:45.040 better than they would here when you get like a cold, 0:04:45.080 --> 0:04:45.599 rainy day. 0:04:46.240 --> 0:04:46.960 That's interesting. 0:04:48.000 --> 0:04:51.799 You mentioned Wimbledon qualifying last year. You came within around 0:04:51.839 --> 0:04:54.880 I think of qualifying for Wimbledon. How special would it 0:04:54.920 --> 0:04:57.880 be to take that next step at Rahampton next week? 0:04:59.240 --> 0:05:02.360 It would mean the old to me, like I've I've 0:05:02.440 --> 0:05:05.800 qualified for I qualified for running gowns last year and 0:05:06.760 --> 0:05:10.080 that was just the best moment of my life so far. 0:05:11.360 --> 0:05:15.599 But I think this would top it, especially falling short 0:05:15.680 --> 0:05:18.080 last year. I had set points in both sets and 0:05:18.400 --> 0:05:22.000 lost a really tight match. So this, this would be 0:05:22.160 --> 0:05:24.039 This would be the moment of my life if I 0:05:24.080 --> 0:05:24.400 did it. 0:05:24.680 --> 0:05:29.279 Yeah, speaking of moments of your life, you were, of 0:05:29.320 --> 0:05:32.200 course a star of the one point Slam here in Australia. 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:36.679 You described that in a BBC interview as a once 0:05:36.680 --> 0:05:39.880 in a lifetime experience and the most fun day in 0:05:39.920 --> 0:05:43.279 your life. What what was it that made it so special? 0:05:45.080 --> 0:05:50.640 Everything? I just I think, yeah, playing getting to share 0:05:50.680 --> 0:05:53.919 the court with all of you know, all of the 0:05:53.960 --> 0:05:58.080 breaks that were there, those those players and just playing 0:05:58.120 --> 0:06:01.600 in that kind of atmosphere in front of so many people, 0:06:01.680 --> 0:06:03.760 and just the whole event itself. I mean it was 0:06:05.160 --> 0:06:07.120 from what I've heard, it was a fantastic event to 0:06:07.200 --> 0:06:10.200 watch live, whether you were there or whether you're watching 0:06:10.200 --> 0:06:13.120 it on Telly. So for me just to be on 0:06:13.160 --> 0:06:17.560 that court and be in that whole situation, that was incredible. 0:06:18.520 --> 0:06:21.360 Yeah, we can attest to that. We were watching and 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:24.240 we all loved it. Everyone really got caught up in 0:06:24.920 --> 0:06:28.120 the story. But you know, you have an interesting story 0:06:28.240 --> 0:06:31.640 about even participating in the event. As I understand it, 0:06:31.680 --> 0:06:33.839 you didn't sign up until the very last minute. You 0:06:33.839 --> 0:06:36.039 had I think, one minute to spare us. Tell us 0:06:36.080 --> 0:06:36.480 about that. 0:06:37.920 --> 0:06:41.160 No, that's right. So I lost in my actual A 0:06:41.440 --> 0:06:47.960 qualifying match that morning and happened to walk past Lawrence, 0:06:48.000 --> 0:06:51.400 who was organizing the event, I think, and he asked 0:06:51.440 --> 0:06:53.159 me if I wanted to sign up because I lost, 0:06:53.200 --> 0:06:55.440 and initially I said no, But I went to have 0:06:55.560 --> 0:06:57.400 lunch with my best friend who was there to watch 0:06:57.480 --> 0:07:00.560 me in Melbourne, and she said that she was thinking 0:07:00.600 --> 0:07:03.640 of going to watch the one point Slam later and 0:07:03.680 --> 0:07:05.719 I thought, well, if she's going to watch, then I 0:07:05.760 --> 0:07:08.479 may as well, sign up. He's probably only going to 0:07:08.480 --> 0:07:10.000 be a couple of points and then we can go 0:07:10.080 --> 0:07:13.880 and have dinner or something. And so I went, I 0:07:13.960 --> 0:07:16.040 ran down, I ran back down to the tournament office 0:07:16.040 --> 0:07:18.120 and said, please, can I sign up with kind of 0:07:18.160 --> 0:07:20.720 like one one minute to spare before the deadline? 0:07:21.400 --> 0:07:24.160 So you ended up very Yeah, you ended up on 0:07:24.400 --> 0:07:27.880 Redever Arena before thousands of spectators and so many more 0:07:28.000 --> 0:07:28.920 watching at home. 0:07:29.160 --> 0:07:29.920 Who would have thought? 0:07:30.720 --> 0:07:34.119 I didn't tell anyone I was playing last minute? 0:07:34.680 --> 0:07:36.400 Did your friends know that you were doing it though? 0:07:36.440 --> 0:07:38.400 The ones that were starting to watch, the ones. 0:07:38.200 --> 0:07:40.480 That were staying to watch, Yes, but anyone at home, 0:07:40.720 --> 0:07:43.600 any friends that they didn't know? And I think someone 0:07:43.640 --> 0:07:46.520 messaged my mom saying, hey have you tuned into this? 0:07:48.360 --> 0:07:49.440 She had no idea. 0:07:50.480 --> 0:07:54.320 That's incredible, so good. What was so amazing about your 0:07:54.400 --> 0:07:56.880 one point slam experience was the people that you beat. 0:07:57.240 --> 0:08:02.160 So you beat very curios Sachary donovikch, which is absolutely 0:08:02.200 --> 0:08:04.280 more wild now because very have just one Roland Garros 0:08:04.400 --> 0:08:07.560 and Donnovicch just one Queens. So does that make it 0:08:07.600 --> 0:08:09.800 even more significant when you think about who they were 0:08:09.840 --> 0:08:10.920 and what they've gone on to do. 0:08:12.600 --> 0:08:14.440 Yeah, it's really cool. I mean I can say that 0:08:14.600 --> 0:08:19.160 I've well I haven't beaten him, but technically beaten the 0:08:19.240 --> 0:08:22.680 Grand Slam champion. No, I mean, I know, I know, 0:08:22.840 --> 0:08:25.280 like you know, if I plays her in a real match, 0:08:25.360 --> 0:08:28.640 I'm I'm probably not even winning one point of him. 0:08:28.720 --> 0:08:31.280 But like the one. That's what makes the one point 0:08:31.320 --> 0:08:34.480 Slam so great because there's there's so much pressure to 0:08:34.480 --> 0:08:37.000 play that one point. Yeah, Like there's those names of 0:08:37.040 --> 0:08:39.960 the players that I came up against. It's crazy. I 0:08:40.000 --> 0:08:43.440 actually I was pretty sad when Sachary lost her Sakary 0:08:43.480 --> 0:08:47.280 won her point against Carlos, so I be curios. And 0:08:47.280 --> 0:08:49.360 then I was like, oh, if Carlos wins his next point, 0:08:49.400 --> 0:08:52.480 I get to play him, And I was kind of gutted. 0:08:52.520 --> 0:08:56.000 To be honest, I've forgotten that's how the draw work. 0:08:56.240 --> 0:08:59.640 Yeah, have you looked back on any of your like 0:08:59.760 --> 0:09:02.320 few but knowing your individual points, and do you have 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:03.240 a favorite point? 0:09:04.080 --> 0:09:05.520 It's got to be the one against though. 0:09:05.679 --> 0:09:08.240 Yeah, I would have said that one as well with 0:09:08.280 --> 0:09:08.840 the backhand. 0:09:08.840 --> 0:09:09.840 It was really incredible. 0:09:11.240 --> 0:09:15.520 Yeah, it also did. The experience did amazing things for 0:09:15.559 --> 0:09:18.199 your profile because in the in the weeks after that, 0:09:18.840 --> 0:09:21.000 I heard you on the tennis podcast. You've gone on 0:09:21.040 --> 0:09:23.320 the BBC and talked about your experience. We're talking to 0:09:23.360 --> 0:09:27.400 you now. I'm sure there's been other opportunities as well. 0:09:28.640 --> 0:09:31.040 What was it like to adjust to that new profile 0:09:31.080 --> 0:09:31.600 that you had. 0:09:32.120 --> 0:09:34.600 I mean, I've never had that kind of publicity before. 0:09:35.800 --> 0:09:41.480 It was it was honestly felt very, very weird. But 0:09:41.880 --> 0:09:46.120 I I'm very happy and grateful that I got the 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:50.600 publicity I did through this event. Like, I'm so thankful 0:09:50.640 --> 0:09:54.000 for the opportunity. I mean, it would be nice for 0:09:54.040 --> 0:09:57.840 one day for me to be recognized for my own 0:09:57.880 --> 0:10:03.720 tennis and not just the one point slam. But yeah, 0:10:03.720 --> 0:10:05.480 it was. It was crazy. It was a bit it 0:10:05.480 --> 0:10:07.280 was a bit strange. I mean there are still messages 0:10:07.280 --> 0:10:12.200 that I haven't replied to because I got so many. Yeah, 0:10:12.200 --> 0:10:16.400 it was. It was unreal. It's just like I think, Yeah, 0:10:16.480 --> 0:10:19.560 the amount of messages and like support that I received 0:10:19.679 --> 0:10:20.480 was was crazy. 0:10:20.720 --> 0:10:24.160 Yeah, we will ask you about other tennis results, not 0:10:24.200 --> 0:10:26.520 just the one point slime. But before we move on 0:10:26.640 --> 0:10:29.440 to that there, it was really interesting to listen to 0:10:29.480 --> 0:10:32.840 your tennis podcast interview, specifically because you've got quite emotional 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:36.960 in that interview talking about the realization of being one 0:10:37.000 --> 0:10:39.560 point within winning a million dollars and what that could 0:10:39.600 --> 0:10:42.640 have done for your family, But that was quite soon 0:10:42.720 --> 0:10:44.680 after what had happened, And with I guess now six 0:10:44.720 --> 0:10:47.320 months on, how does it kind of feel now that 0:10:47.360 --> 0:10:49.000 you've had a bit of space to reflect on it 0:10:49.000 --> 0:10:51.200 and it's maybe a bit more distant in the memory. 0:10:51.520 --> 0:10:55.120 If I have to be honest, like completely honest, it 0:10:55.200 --> 0:10:58.200 definitely messed with me a bit for the weeks and 0:10:58.280 --> 0:11:04.520 maybe a month or two afterwards, and not at all 0:11:04.720 --> 0:11:07.680 like ungrateful for the experience, Like I wouldn't change a thing. 0:11:08.160 --> 0:11:08.480 Really. 0:11:08.520 --> 0:11:10.080 I mean, okay, maybe I would have made the ball 0:11:10.160 --> 0:11:14.880 that I missed and chose to and chose to receive, 0:11:15.000 --> 0:11:17.480 but you know, I wouldn't change a thing. And I'm 0:11:18.320 --> 0:11:21.199 I'm so grateful for the experience and loved every single 0:11:21.200 --> 0:11:24.160 second of it. But it definitely messed with me afterwards, 0:11:24.880 --> 0:11:26.400 and I had to say that I did struggle a 0:11:26.440 --> 0:11:29.000 bit mentally to cope with it. Plus I don't think 0:11:29.040 --> 0:11:31.959 it it helped because because it was such a such 0:11:31.960 --> 0:11:35.880 a big thing, So everyone that I saw or everyone 0:11:35.880 --> 0:11:37.560 that I knew, like was like, oh, why did you 0:11:37.559 --> 0:11:39.480 miss that back hand of the line, And I'm like, great, 0:11:40.800 --> 0:11:44.760 but no, I'm I'm over it now. And I think, 0:11:44.800 --> 0:11:49.079 like I said that, I mean, my parents have always 0:11:49.080 --> 0:11:52.959 been struggling financially, and it would have been I mean, 0:11:52.960 --> 0:11:55.800 I could have you know, they could have retired or 0:11:56.160 --> 0:11:59.640 could have bought their first house. But they don't mind 0:11:59.679 --> 0:12:01.960 at all. Like they were just so happy that I 0:12:02.000 --> 0:12:06.240 got to experience it. And yeah, I mean I was. 0:12:06.280 --> 0:12:08.360 I was a bit sad for a while, and I 0:12:08.440 --> 0:12:11.400 kind of felt like I had to make up for 0:12:11.520 --> 0:12:14.800 losing through my own tennis results. So I kind of 0:12:14.920 --> 0:12:18.760 pushed quite hard on an injury that I had when 0:12:18.760 --> 0:12:22.320 I maybe should have stopped playing. But it's all part 0:12:22.320 --> 0:12:24.560 of tennis and all part of life, isn't it. So 0:12:25.440 --> 0:12:27.680 but now I'm okay with it. 0:12:28.520 --> 0:12:30.480 Good. I'm going to hear. 0:12:31.320 --> 0:12:35.800 Just backtracking a little. I love a tennis origin story, 0:12:36.040 --> 0:12:39.160 So could you tell us about your start in the sport. 0:12:40.080 --> 0:12:42.600 I started the sport. I started quite young. I think 0:12:44.120 --> 0:12:47.120 my dad is my dad still is a tennis coach 0:12:47.360 --> 0:12:51.920 and he was the one that got me into tennis. Yeah. 0:12:51.960 --> 0:12:53.760 So I picked up a racket at quite a young age, 0:12:53.800 --> 0:12:58.800 maybe five, five or six years old, and I was 0:12:58.840 --> 0:13:00.880 just playing a lot with with the kids at the 0:13:00.880 --> 0:13:03.720 tennis club, like on the mini courts waiting for him 0:13:03.760 --> 0:13:08.120 to finish work. Probably spent hours hitting against the wall 0:13:08.240 --> 0:13:10.640 by myself. 0:13:11.160 --> 0:13:13.199 The wall was in everybody story. 0:13:13.559 --> 0:13:15.520 I think I used to. What I used to do 0:13:15.679 --> 0:13:17.240 was like the wall wouldn't be the wall, but it 0:13:17.280 --> 0:13:20.960 would be like an opponent and yeah, and if I 0:13:21.000 --> 0:13:23.800 hit it hard enough so the ball would like rebound 0:13:23.960 --> 0:13:27.560 and then go long, I would have won the point. 0:13:27.679 --> 0:13:30.800 And then eventually, like I remember, like doing this and 0:13:30.880 --> 0:13:33.160 like picking up the trophy or like winning a Grand 0:13:33.200 --> 0:13:35.920 Slam like with just imagine like my imagination. 0:13:36.120 --> 0:13:40.520 So yeah, did you ever imagine when I was kid 0:13:40.800 --> 0:13:44.680 a specific opponent for the wall, maybe like Zerov for example. 0:13:48.000 --> 0:13:50.240 I don't know, maybe I think I think I did, 0:13:50.280 --> 0:13:53.199 like imagine myself playing like sharp Over and Williams and 0:13:54.000 --> 0:13:54.920 that were they? 0:13:55.000 --> 0:13:56.840 Were they your favorite players growing up? 0:13:57.480 --> 0:14:02.319 Favorite players growing up? I mean, for sure here was 0:14:02.360 --> 0:14:07.040 such a massive influence being British, But I think just 0:14:07.120 --> 0:14:09.440 like just all of them, all the great like love 0:14:09.520 --> 0:14:11.959 watching them play and how lucky are we that we've 0:14:11.960 --> 0:14:15.040 got to got to witness that? Right? 0:14:15.280 --> 0:14:17.920 Did you did you ever attend Wimbledon as a fan 0:14:18.000 --> 0:14:18.839 when you were growing up. 0:14:19.480 --> 0:14:21.040 I think I went a couple of times. I can't 0:14:21.040 --> 0:14:24.640 remember exactly how many. So you watch sharp over Djokovic. 0:14:24.760 --> 0:14:29.680 I think we've got to see Roger as well. I mean, 0:14:29.760 --> 0:14:32.240 just just talking about it now brings back great memories. Yeah. 0:14:32.440 --> 0:14:35.560 I went a few times and my dad would always 0:14:35.560 --> 0:14:38.040 be like, oh, like, don't just watch the ball, like 0:14:38.120 --> 0:14:41.000 watch their footwork, look at how they move, look at 0:14:41.040 --> 0:14:43.720 what they're doing in between the points, their body language, 0:14:44.600 --> 0:14:47.080 and it's it's such a nice day out Wimbledon, Like 0:14:47.520 --> 0:14:49.680 I would recommend it to anyone. 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:53.000 Yeah. Yeah, it's an absolute privilege, isn't it. 0:14:54.640 --> 0:14:58.240 Your tennis journey and also your life journey took you 0:14:58.360 --> 0:15:00.640 to Taiwan for quite a few years. 0:15:00.680 --> 0:15:02.880 Tell me what were those years like for you. 0:15:03.280 --> 0:15:06.520 I think those years in Taiwan really shaped who I 0:15:06.560 --> 0:15:11.720 am and now, and they were not the foundation of 0:15:11.960 --> 0:15:14.240 me playing tennis because I picked up a racket in 0:15:14.280 --> 0:15:17.840 the UK, but it's really the reason that I did 0:15:18.000 --> 0:15:24.480 keep playing and eventually turned professional. Tennis is such an 0:15:24.480 --> 0:15:28.320 affordable sport over there, and I was lucky enough to 0:15:28.400 --> 0:15:32.120 be in a school that had ten clay courts across 0:15:32.160 --> 0:15:35.200 the road, so played loads of tennis and I mean, 0:15:35.240 --> 0:15:39.360 we didn't go. We didn't go for the tennis. We 0:15:39.400 --> 0:15:41.520 went well. So I have two little brothers and my 0:15:41.560 --> 0:15:44.960 parents were like, we think it's a good time for 0:15:45.000 --> 0:15:49.400 you to understand your mother's culture and try and learn 0:15:49.440 --> 0:15:52.680 the language. So they decided to move us over there 0:15:53.680 --> 0:15:57.240 and I ended up staying for eight years to finish 0:15:57.320 --> 0:15:57.840 high school. 0:15:58.680 --> 0:15:59.720 What was behind that? 0:15:59.840 --> 0:16:02.400 Was it sort of the staying on which I understand 0:16:02.400 --> 0:16:04.360 your family went back to the UK. 0:16:04.480 --> 0:16:06.880 So I was at the school Factor. 0:16:06.920 --> 0:16:14.360 School Factor, Yeah, so I would also started receiving financial 0:16:14.400 --> 0:16:18.600 support from the federation and from my school as well. 0:16:20.240 --> 0:16:22.000 But part of that, so part of that was I 0:16:22.040 --> 0:16:25.480 had to play in the national league for the school, 0:16:25.720 --> 0:16:27.640 and I was just having a really good time, like 0:16:27.640 --> 0:16:31.840 all my friends were there and I really wanted to stay. 0:16:32.000 --> 0:16:35.240 So I persuaded my parents to let me stay and 0:16:35.520 --> 0:16:38.960 they did so I left Taiwan when I was around eighteen. 0:16:39.240 --> 0:16:42.360 I think, yeah, wow, that's a that's a big decision 0:16:42.400 --> 0:16:44.920 to make when you're when you're so young. You know, 0:16:45.040 --> 0:16:48.360 tennis and life, I guess is full of sliding door moments. 0:16:48.400 --> 0:16:50.560 Do you ever sort of stop and think about, you know, 0:16:50.640 --> 0:16:52.880 it had different or would it be different if you'd 0:16:53.040 --> 0:16:53.840 gone back to the UK. 0:16:53.920 --> 0:16:55.960 At the same time, I feel like I wouldn't have 0:16:56.000 --> 0:16:59.080 carried on playing. I maybe would have played tennis for fun. 0:17:00.080 --> 0:17:04.439 I probably would have gone to UNI and just played 0:17:04.480 --> 0:17:08.399 once or twice a week. So so yeah, I have 0:17:08.480 --> 0:17:12.200 thought about it before, and so I'm very happy that 0:17:12.240 --> 0:17:12.719 I stayed. 0:17:14.080 --> 0:17:16.600 You've talked a bit about how your dad said that 0:17:16.720 --> 0:17:20.120 the like how great tennis was all the facilities were 0:17:20.119 --> 0:17:22.240 in the Netherlands. But then you've also talked about how 0:17:22.320 --> 0:17:24.520 in Taiwan you've got like free access to courts, but 0:17:24.560 --> 0:17:26.800 then in the UK you've got that access to grass 0:17:26.800 --> 0:17:28.919 and that's the hope of Wimbledon. So what has it 0:17:28.960 --> 0:17:31.160 been like? I guess your tennis story has been shaped 0:17:31.160 --> 0:17:33.119 by those three different countries in a way, Like what 0:17:33.280 --> 0:17:35.919 is are they more similar than we think? Or are 0:17:35.960 --> 0:17:39.479 there distinct things about each of them? And you know 0:17:39.520 --> 0:17:41.199 that I don't know whether you prefer one or the 0:17:41.240 --> 0:17:43.040 other or that have helped shape you as a player. 0:17:43.960 --> 0:17:50.800 I think all three have the pros and cons, and 0:17:50.920 --> 0:17:53.240 I've been lucky enough to kind of like take the 0:17:53.280 --> 0:17:57.959 benefits from all three three places. Like the coaching culture 0:17:57.960 --> 0:18:00.679 in Taiwan is completely different to to what it is 0:18:00.680 --> 0:18:04.880 in the UK, especially when I was a kid, coaches 0:18:04.920 --> 0:18:10.080 were very strict and very tough on us, but tennis 0:18:10.200 --> 0:18:13.359 was so affordable, But it was the mindset was a 0:18:13.359 --> 0:18:20.199 bit fixed, and I'd say like in the UK and 0:18:20.240 --> 0:18:24.000 in the Netherlands, it's sorry. In the UK it's it's 0:18:24.080 --> 0:18:28.360 more kind of open, like you have coaches telling kids, yeah, 0:18:28.359 --> 0:18:31.280 you're you're capable, you can do this, and I think 0:18:31.440 --> 0:18:36.440 the the emphasis is more on like fun and player development, 0:18:36.480 --> 0:18:40.440 whereas over in Taiwan it was all about getting good 0:18:40.520 --> 0:18:44.440 and working hard and training hard. So I think that's 0:18:44.520 --> 0:18:49.879 kind of like what I struggled with in Taiwan was 0:18:49.920 --> 0:18:52.040 how tough the coaches were on us because we've got 0:18:52.080 --> 0:18:56.040 like loads of physical punishments and and that kind of stuff. 0:18:56.600 --> 0:18:58.760 But tennis was so accessible over there. It's it's it's 0:18:58.760 --> 0:19:01.520 basically free and the weather is good all year round 0:19:01.760 --> 0:19:04.840 so you don't have to play indoors. And in the 0:19:04.920 --> 0:19:06.960 UK it's and I think in the Netherlands as well, 0:19:06.960 --> 0:19:09.600 it's just it's more like based around fun. So yeah, 0:19:09.680 --> 0:19:11.920 I've been lucky enough to have both of those, both 0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:12.640 of those elements. 0:19:12.800 --> 0:19:12.960 Yeah. 0:19:13.040 --> 0:19:15.679 Yeah, you also said something quite profound in your BBC 0:19:15.840 --> 0:19:18.399 interview about about your dad, you said he was your coach, 0:19:18.440 --> 0:19:21.119 but that your relationship got a bit broken as a 0:19:21.160 --> 0:19:23.679 result of that. And so what what was that like 0:19:23.760 --> 0:19:26.240 to kind of shift away into a different coaching setup 0:19:26.240 --> 0:19:28.160 and what what is your coaching setup and the people 0:19:28.200 --> 0:19:28.600 around you? 0:19:28.640 --> 0:19:28.840 Now? 0:19:28.880 --> 0:19:30.920 Who's in who's in your team? 0:19:31.000 --> 0:19:34.440 It was difficult. I remember the conversation that we had 0:19:34.760 --> 0:19:37.040 when I told him, like, I don't think this is 0:19:37.040 --> 0:19:40.800 going to work anymore, and I could see he was 0:19:40.840 --> 0:19:45.719 so upset. It was difficult. Yeah, we just every session 0:19:45.720 --> 0:19:50.520 would end up like with with with us having an argument. 0:19:50.400 --> 0:19:52.879 And like that sounds kind of common though. 0:19:54.240 --> 0:19:56.720 It's rather common. But yeah, we couldn't get any work 0:19:56.720 --> 0:20:01.280 done on court, like you know, like the like the 0:20:01.560 --> 0:20:03.760 ballhopper would be thrown and like the balls would go 0:20:03.800 --> 0:20:06.119 all over the court and I'd had to walk home. 0:20:08.080 --> 0:20:10.280 We just we just but we wouldn't talk, and then 0:20:10.280 --> 0:20:13.560 that would upset my mom as well. So I think 0:20:13.600 --> 0:20:16.640 it was good we stopped. And so my setup now 0:20:16.800 --> 0:20:20.200 is I just I work with my Dutch coach privately. 0:20:21.200 --> 0:20:24.480 We in winter, we train in this little barn. There's 0:20:24.520 --> 0:20:27.200 like a farm with a little barn that has two 0:20:27.200 --> 0:20:33.640 indoor courts we trained there. Yeah, it's really cute. The 0:20:33.680 --> 0:20:37.840 club level in the Netherlands is great, so like basic 0:20:37.880 --> 0:20:40.520 club players like they can give me a good game, 0:20:40.600 --> 0:20:42.560 so there are plenty of people to hit with and 0:20:42.840 --> 0:20:46.199 I have my physio who's also my SNC coach. So 0:20:46.240 --> 0:20:47.640 it's quite a cute little setup. 0:20:48.640 --> 0:20:54.240