WEBVTT - The Sit-Down with Storm Hunter 0:00:02.240 --> 0:00:04.600 Hello and welcome to the sit down. I'm Viv Christy, 0:00:04.680 --> 0:00:07.120 Australian tennis magazine managing editor, and. 0:00:07.040 --> 0:00:09.520 I'm Mattrolok, a writer for oz open dot com. 0:00:09.560 --> 0:00:10.000 And Viv. 0:00:10.080 --> 0:00:12.360 Why are we sitting down with Storm Hunter this week? 0:00:12.640 --> 0:00:12.960 Well? 0:00:13.000 --> 0:00:16.160 Storm is a much love figure in Australian tennis and 0:00:16.200 --> 0:00:18.640 as most of us know, she suffered a terrible injury 0:00:18.760 --> 0:00:20.840 a couple of months ago, so we wanted to check 0:00:20.880 --> 0:00:23.799 in on Storm's rehab. But also this is a really 0:00:23.800 --> 0:00:26.680 special time of year for Storm. She won her first 0:00:26.840 --> 0:00:30.280 doubles Tour level title on grass and has had some 0:00:30.360 --> 0:00:31.960 incredible results at Wimbledon. 0:00:35.600 --> 0:00:37.680 Thanks so much for joining us on the sit down today, Storm. 0:00:37.720 --> 0:00:38.680 It's great to see you. 0:00:38.760 --> 0:00:40.920 No worries, Matt, thank you for having me. I'm really 0:00:40.960 --> 0:00:41.800 excited to be here. 0:00:42.000 --> 0:00:44.720 So it's been two months since you did the injury 0:00:44.880 --> 0:00:45.560 in Brisbane. 0:00:45.680 --> 0:00:47.120 How are you? How are you feeling? 0:00:47.800 --> 0:00:49.839 I'm quing good. Thank you, thank you for asking. 0:00:50.040 --> 0:00:52.360 Yeah, it's actually, to be honest, gone really really fast, 0:00:52.520 --> 0:00:55.400 which I didn't think I would say that. Obviously, it 0:00:55.440 --> 0:00:57.520 can tend to feel really slow, and especially in those 0:00:57.560 --> 0:01:01.279 early stages when you can't do much, you're limited with 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:03.600 what you can do. But every single week I feel 0:01:03.640 --> 0:01:06.760 like I've progressed a little bit. This week, I'm starting 0:01:06.800 --> 0:01:08.679 to walk a little bit out of the moonboot, which 0:01:08.720 --> 0:01:12.039 is very very exciting. I'm getting my independence back a 0:01:12.040 --> 0:01:14.280 little bit more, which is good. My husband was having 0:01:14.360 --> 0:01:17.560 to do literally everything for me and for him, so 0:01:17.800 --> 0:01:19.959 it was nice now that I can start to do 0:01:20.000 --> 0:01:23.120 some things for myself and I'm going okay. 0:01:23.120 --> 0:01:23.560 Obviously. 0:01:23.720 --> 0:01:26.920 Yeah, with French Open, it was a little bit hard watching, 0:01:27.000 --> 0:01:29.360 I guess, like just kind of think, you know, you're 0:01:29.400 --> 0:01:31.640 always wanting to be there and you're like, oh, that's 0:01:32.600 --> 0:01:34.000 where I should be and whatnot. 0:01:34.040 --> 0:01:36.840 But it was also really fun to watch my friends. 0:01:36.520 --> 0:01:40.160 Play, watch the Australian team, like the players do well, 0:01:40.200 --> 0:01:44.160 and support them from afar and just stay connected to tennis. 0:01:44.280 --> 0:01:47.680 So yeah, at the moment, I'm good. I think it 0:01:47.720 --> 0:01:48.400 will change. 0:01:48.400 --> 0:01:50.880 I know there'll be some tougher moments, but I've got 0:01:51.280 --> 0:01:54.400 really good people around me who every day they're kind 0:01:54.400 --> 0:01:56.760 of motivating me and keeping me kind of on track. 0:01:56.840 --> 0:02:00.280 And yeah, rehab is going to progress every week, so 0:02:00.320 --> 0:02:02.800 it kind of feels like we're going in the right direction. 0:02:03.160 --> 0:02:07.160 Yeah, you got a lot of praise for staying after 0:02:07.200 --> 0:02:09.120 what had happened, and no one would have blamed you 0:02:09.160 --> 0:02:11.200 if you were like, I'm in heaps of pain, this 0:02:11.280 --> 0:02:13.160 situation sucks, I'm out of here. 0:02:13.480 --> 0:02:14.800 But you did stay and you. 0:02:14.680 --> 0:02:17.480 Supported, and I just wanted to like, yeah, what made 0:02:17.520 --> 0:02:18.080 you want to stay? 0:02:19.240 --> 0:02:22.760 Yeah, It's interesting because when I rupture my achilles like 0:02:22.800 --> 0:02:24.799 we had, it was kind of later in the day. 0:02:24.800 --> 0:02:25.880 It was at four pm. 0:02:26.280 --> 0:02:29.120 I'd already been selected to play the singles, and the 0:02:29.120 --> 0:02:32.040 next day it was the last ten minutes of our session, 0:02:32.080 --> 0:02:35.000 and actually Dasher and Taylor were coming on to hit 0:02:35.040 --> 0:02:38.160 after us, after Arena and I had finished, and they 0:02:38.200 --> 0:02:40.600 obviously everyone kind of knew what happened, like everyone was 0:02:40.639 --> 0:02:44.359 there and saw it. So obviously when I had went 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:47.240 off the court after it had happened, basically they had 0:02:47.240 --> 0:02:49.639 said to Dasher like, okay, you're we don't know what's 0:02:49.639 --> 0:02:52.040 happened with Storm, but like she's not playing tomorrow, so 0:02:52.520 --> 0:02:54.120 now you have to play. You've got to get like 0:02:54.639 --> 0:02:58.120 mentally ready to play. And obviously Dash is my best 0:02:58.120 --> 0:03:03.400 friend and she's gone through two als, also had surgery 0:03:03.400 --> 0:03:06.840 on her aculles, so she was also distressed for me, 0:03:07.000 --> 0:03:11.120 because you know, we're such close friends, and I was 0:03:11.160 --> 0:03:13.440 kind of like, dude, you need to focus on tomorrow 0:03:13.480 --> 0:03:17.320 because like it's upsetting, but like I'm all Team Australia, 0:03:17.360 --> 0:03:19.320 like at this point, it's not about me. It's about 0:03:19.360 --> 0:03:21.600 the team and we need to like we need to 0:03:21.639 --> 0:03:26.119 win this qualifying tie. So yeah, basically, like that night 0:03:26.120 --> 0:03:28.160 at dinner, I hadn't had scans yet. I was getting 0:03:28.200 --> 0:03:30.440 scans later in the night, and you know, everyone was like, 0:03:31.000 --> 0:03:32.359 you don't have to come for dinner, like you just 0:03:32.400 --> 0:03:34.360 go stay in your room, like everyone had come visited 0:03:34.400 --> 0:03:38.160 me in my room. We'd all cried, all hugged and 0:03:38.160 --> 0:03:42.400 cried and said how you know, bad this situation is. 0:03:42.520 --> 0:03:44.000 But you know, they're like you can just hang. 0:03:44.040 --> 0:03:46.120 I'm like, no, I'll come for dinner, like it's kind 0:03:46.120 --> 0:03:48.280 of nice to be around and at. 0:03:48.160 --> 0:03:53.080 Dinner distraction as well. Yeah, definitely And yeah, and. 0:03:53.080 --> 0:03:55.960 Basically the team kind of said to me at that time, 0:03:56.000 --> 0:03:57.560 they said, we don't know like if you want to 0:03:57.560 --> 0:04:00.920 stay or if you've thought about tomorrow, but basically they 0:04:00.960 --> 0:04:03.800 asked me to stay and they said that we would 0:04:03.840 --> 0:04:06.480 love to see you there, like if you're up for it. 0:04:06.880 --> 0:04:09.120 And for me, it wasn't even a choice, like I 0:04:09.160 --> 0:04:11.200 didn't even I was like, why do you think I'm leaving, 0:04:11.360 --> 0:04:13.680 Like I'm not going anywhere, I'm staying here. 0:04:13.800 --> 0:04:16.880 And yeah, I was kind of like, no, of course 0:04:16.880 --> 0:04:17.559 I'm gonna stay. 0:04:17.600 --> 0:04:19.080 Like, well, I guess maybe you might have had to 0:04:19.120 --> 0:04:21.560 go for like hospital or quick surgery, like I don't know, 0:04:21.760 --> 0:04:24.120 who knows what the scans would have revealed or something. 0:04:24.279 --> 0:04:26.039 Yeah, exactly, we were kind of a little bit like 0:04:26.279 --> 0:04:28.479 depending on the scans because we didn't really know the 0:04:28.640 --> 0:04:31.960 severity of like what had happened. But I was kind 0:04:31.960 --> 0:04:34.840 of like, no, like, you know, even if I'm not playing, 0:04:35.200 --> 0:04:38.000 like our mentality with the teams that everyone has a 0:04:38.080 --> 0:04:40.599 role and their role is just important as like the 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:42.640 person who's actually playing the match, like if you're not 0:04:42.680 --> 0:04:45.279 selected to play, but like your role was cheering and 0:04:45.279 --> 0:04:48.520 supporting on the sidelines is just as important as actually playing. 0:04:48.600 --> 0:04:51.680 So like for me, that's always been my mentality with 0:04:51.760 --> 0:04:53.520 the team. And I was like, well, I've got to 0:04:53.560 --> 0:04:55.880 live that, Like I've got to live. I can't just 0:04:55.880 --> 0:04:58.000 say like it's all about me, like I'm done, I'm 0:04:58.080 --> 0:05:00.160 out of here. I'm like I want to what and 0:05:00.320 --> 0:05:02.720 support and like I said, like the team's kind of 0:05:02.760 --> 0:05:05.720 my family. Like half of the team went to my wedding, 0:05:07.040 --> 0:05:09.960 so like they're all basically my family. So I'm like, 0:05:10.000 --> 0:05:14.599 I'm in good hands, like you know, everyone, you know, 0:05:14.680 --> 0:05:16.640 they obviously feel for me, but I kind of want 0:05:16.640 --> 0:05:19.720 to be surrounded by that like support as well, because 0:05:19.720 --> 0:05:21.200 it definitely made me feel better because I was like, 0:05:21.240 --> 0:05:23.359 if I go home or whatever, like I'm just going 0:05:23.440 --> 0:05:26.200 to be upset and sad. So at least I'm kind 0:05:26.240 --> 0:05:28.919 of around And yeah, and like I said, seeing Taylor 0:05:28.960 --> 0:05:32.080 play and even Dasha, she was so good, like just 0:05:32.240 --> 0:05:34.359 was on a mission, and Arena did really well to 0:05:34.440 --> 0:05:37.480 kind of get through a tough match, and yeah, watching 0:05:37.520 --> 0:05:39.840 Taylor was like my highlight for sure. 0:05:40.160 --> 0:05:43.160 And when you said that about you know, you're seeing progress, 0:05:43.360 --> 0:05:45.560 you're getting your independence back and things like that. Seeing 0:05:45.600 --> 0:05:47.920 that progress and you getting more and more strength and 0:05:47.960 --> 0:05:49.320 being able to do more, is that it's a kind 0:05:49.320 --> 0:05:50.960 of like good for your state of mind when you 0:05:51.080 --> 0:05:52.520 have that progress continuing. 0:05:52.680 --> 0:05:54.920 Yeah, one hundred percent, I think that's probably the main 0:05:55.160 --> 0:05:58.279 most important thing. And even to be honest, like even 0:05:58.279 --> 0:06:00.480 if it's something so little that you have to kind 0:06:00.520 --> 0:06:02.520 of celebrate that and that's what I've been really trying 0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:05.120 to do. So I've been journaling a lot actually, and 0:06:05.800 --> 0:06:09.279 each week I write down what I did this week 0:06:09.360 --> 0:06:12.880 that I couldn't do last week. So for example, last week, 0:06:12.880 --> 0:06:14.520 I couldn't put my shoe on because my foot was 0:06:14.520 --> 0:06:16.080 still too swollen. 0:06:16.279 --> 0:06:18.080 So this week, I can actually put my shoe on. 0:06:18.120 --> 0:06:20.520 So I'm like, wow, like Storm, You've improved because now 0:06:20.560 --> 0:06:22.880 you can put your shoe on and it's comfortable. 0:06:23.720 --> 0:06:25.760 Even my sock. For example, I was wearing. 0:06:26.160 --> 0:06:28.520 High socks because it was same, like it was cutting 0:06:28.560 --> 0:06:31.000 into kind of my achilles and it was sore. So 0:06:31.120 --> 0:06:34.000 now I can wear like ankle socks and it's like, oh, good. 0:06:33.920 --> 0:06:35.440 Job, Like you're actually improving. 0:06:35.560 --> 0:06:38.480 So yeah, just trying to find like little things that 0:06:39.360 --> 0:06:41.200 I couldn't do that now I can do, and just 0:06:41.920 --> 0:06:43.919 not being like, oh, finally I can do that, but 0:06:43.960 --> 0:06:46.240 I actually seeing that as a positive and not being 0:06:46.360 --> 0:06:49.120 like just not disregarding it. I think that's the most 0:06:49.160 --> 0:06:52.560 important thing. And for me and my mentality is like, no, 0:06:52.680 --> 0:06:55.640 that's great, Like you're on the right track. And even 0:06:55.680 --> 0:06:58.760 if it's something so small, I think it's really important 0:06:58.760 --> 0:07:02.200 to yeah, celebrate and remember like where you've come from. 0:07:02.240 --> 0:07:04.159 If even just last week or two weeks. 0:07:04.000 --> 0:07:07.880 Ago, that's actually probably a good life approach anyway, even 0:07:07.880 --> 0:07:09.600 if you weren't coming from an injury, any kind of 0:07:09.600 --> 0:07:13.960 progress journaling you know what you could do this week 0:07:14.040 --> 0:07:16.239 or this month or this year that you couldn't do previously, 0:07:16.320 --> 0:07:17.760 or a new skill you've learned. It's just a nice 0:07:17.800 --> 0:07:20.040 kind of approach to life generally. So maybe it's been 0:07:20.040 --> 0:07:22.640 a good reminder of like good mental approaches. 0:07:22.800 --> 0:07:23.480 Yeah, I think so. 0:07:23.600 --> 0:07:28.200 And I actually study psychology at university, so trying to 0:07:28.280 --> 0:07:30.200 use some of those I guess tools that I learn 0:07:30.280 --> 0:07:32.960 and like put them kind of into practice. But yeah, 0:07:33.000 --> 0:07:35.000 I think like even with my career on the road, 0:07:35.040 --> 0:07:38.960 I've usually been someone who kind of reflects a lot 0:07:39.000 --> 0:07:42.120 and tries to celebrate like not just wins or losses, 0:07:42.160 --> 0:07:45.240 but certain things you know in my matches that if 0:07:45.240 --> 0:07:47.000 I did well that I wasn't doing the week before, 0:07:47.040 --> 0:07:49.360 that we kind of focused on. So I guess it's 0:07:49.400 --> 0:07:51.400 kind of the same kind of mentality, And I think 0:07:51.440 --> 0:07:53.960 that's the thing. It could be not just tennis or sport, 0:07:54.120 --> 0:07:56.440 or it can relate to anyone with work and life 0:07:56.440 --> 0:08:00.280 and what goals they have, and that's something that I think, yeah, 0:08:00.360 --> 0:08:02.800 it has helped me with my tennis success. I guess 0:08:02.800 --> 0:08:04.840 on on the road and the last few years is 0:08:05.080 --> 0:08:09.040 my mentality of just yeah, celebrating those small little wins 0:08:09.080 --> 0:08:11.200 even if there no one else knows about them, and 0:08:11.240 --> 0:08:14.080 they're just like for you personally, but just kind of 0:08:14.160 --> 0:08:16.360 keeping you, I guess, yeah, on the right track. And 0:08:16.760 --> 0:08:19.320 you know, not every week you're going to have you know, 0:08:19.400 --> 0:08:21.440 that's the other thing. It's not like you're being super 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:24.400 positive and like blowing over everything you know you can. 0:08:24.520 --> 0:08:26.760 Sometimes progress isn't linear too exactly. 0:08:27.040 --> 0:08:28.240 Yeah, and that's the reality. 0:08:28.400 --> 0:08:30.960 But I think I tend to try and look at 0:08:31.000 --> 0:08:35.199 things yeah, gluff past full, yes, then empty and yeah, 0:08:35.320 --> 0:08:37.200 or even just see like okay, that's where I was at, 0:08:37.320 --> 0:08:39.760 Like reading back. I also will look back and read 0:08:40.400 --> 0:08:42.600 general entries from like when I had my cast on 0:08:42.640 --> 0:08:44.400 and I couldn't get out of the bed, or and 0:08:44.440 --> 0:08:46.400 be like, okay, like you look how far you've already come? 0:08:47.760 --> 0:08:49.840 You know, so you're yeah, you're doing good. 0:08:50.000 --> 0:08:53.240 That's good, and I've seen obviously you're You've posted a 0:08:53.240 --> 0:08:56.920 bit on Insta since in the last two months about like, 0:08:56.960 --> 0:08:59.000 you know, milestones and what you've been doing in the 0:08:59.040 --> 0:08:59.760 gym and stuff like that. 0:09:00.040 --> 0:09:01.559 It's been the response to that. 0:09:02.400 --> 0:09:05.559 Ah, to be honest, it's been it's blown me away. 0:09:05.600 --> 0:09:09.040 How supportive and how I guess everyone's kind of gotten 0:09:09.040 --> 0:09:09.520 around me. 0:09:09.840 --> 0:09:12.079 And that's why I kind of keep. 0:09:11.880 --> 0:09:13.600 Posting because I get I get a lot of love 0:09:13.640 --> 0:09:15.880 and support and people, you know, they're cheering me on, 0:09:16.160 --> 0:09:19.240 like you know, fans who watch me play and they 0:09:19.320 --> 0:09:22.600 just obviously feel for me going through this and other players. 0:09:23.960 --> 0:09:26.400 The amount of people that have actually ruptured their achilles 0:09:26.559 --> 0:09:28.560 and then going through the same thing, and that you know, 0:09:28.600 --> 0:09:31.439 they're liking to see my progress as well because they 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:33.719 can kind of relate or give it gives them a 0:09:33.760 --> 0:09:37.920 little bit of inspiration too, So it's yeah, it's been 0:09:38.280 --> 0:09:40.280 kind of overwhelming in a good way, to be honest. 0:09:40.320 --> 0:09:44.080 I didn't expect to get so much support and love 0:09:44.160 --> 0:09:47.400 from everyone online, but it's been. It's been lovely, and 0:09:47.840 --> 0:09:49.360 I like kind of keeping everyone up date. I think 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:51.920 people were interested and they want to know how you're going, 0:09:52.040 --> 0:09:54.600 like even just ticking off those milestones, and it's kind 0:09:54.600 --> 0:09:56.400 of fun to stay engaged as well, and. 0:09:56.520 --> 0:09:58.360 Yeah, it's a way to stay connected, yeah. 0:09:58.160 --> 0:10:00.640 Exactly, So you know, even just some will reply and 0:10:00.679 --> 0:10:03.240 I'll have a chat with them online and then yeah, 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.120 it's just a way of, yeah, staying connected, and yeah, 0:10:06.120 --> 0:10:07.280 I enjoy it's kind of fun to. 0:10:07.200 --> 0:10:09.400 Make some reels and post some videos and stuff. 0:10:09.520 --> 0:10:11.760 Yeah for sure. Well as social media manager roll quickly 0:10:11.800 --> 0:10:13.720 in your future too. You never know you're working on 0:10:13.760 --> 0:10:14.600 another skill set. 0:10:14.760 --> 0:10:17.439 I think darry Sable, to be honest, has we comment 0:10:17.520 --> 0:10:17.800 on that. 0:10:18.160 --> 0:10:19.360 I will let her have that one. 0:10:19.440 --> 0:10:21.400 She is almost tennis leading. There's not many players on 0:10:21.440 --> 0:10:25.000 tour that do social media like Dasher. I guess speaking 0:10:25.040 --> 0:10:27.440 of tennis, we're chatting to you when the grass court 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:30.600 season has begun, and I think in terms of your 0:10:30.679 --> 0:10:33.120 tennis journey and what you've achieved in your career, so 0:10:33.240 --> 0:10:35.400 much of it has connected. 0:10:34.920 --> 0:10:35.600 You with grass. 0:10:35.679 --> 0:10:39.400 Your first tour level title in doubles was in Nottingham, 0:10:39.400 --> 0:10:41.760 I think on grass. Yes, that's a big milestone in 0:10:41.760 --> 0:10:43.680 a players career at to a level title, Like what 0:10:43.720 --> 0:10:45.520 did that mean in terms of your tennis journey and 0:10:45.600 --> 0:10:47.440 kind of the confidence it might have given you. 0:10:47.920 --> 0:10:50.680 Yeah, that's crazy because I remember that that's so clearly, 0:10:50.720 --> 0:10:54.200 like it was yesterday with Minnie Cadam Zach. We like 0:10:54.320 --> 0:10:56.640 to this day, we were like shocked that we won 0:10:56.679 --> 0:10:57.040 that event. 0:10:57.040 --> 0:10:58.120 Even to in our first round. 0:10:58.160 --> 0:11:00.720 We were like, huh, this is like crazy, how are 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:03.319 we winning our first round of this WTA, Like I 0:11:04.760 --> 0:11:07.760 remember it so clearly with her and gosh, it was 0:11:07.800 --> 0:11:10.439 so special because we've beat some really good teams, some 0:11:10.480 --> 0:11:13.840 good players, I think on the grass, like as an 0:11:13.840 --> 0:11:16.800 Australian and as a West Australian, like I grew up 0:11:16.800 --> 0:11:18.080 playing on grass. 0:11:17.679 --> 0:11:19.720 In like easter tournaments. 0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:23.440 We had fourteen's Nationals in mill Duro as well, and 0:11:23.480 --> 0:11:26.400 I won Fourteen's Nationals on grass there, and I think 0:11:26.440 --> 0:11:29.120 you just kind of have this like confidence because we've 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:32.520 played on it as juniors growing up, and you know, 0:11:33.000 --> 0:11:35.080 it's only a few weeks of the year, which I 0:11:35.080 --> 0:11:37.240 wish it was a little bit longer, to be honest, 0:11:37.280 --> 0:11:40.680 and I think every Australian player probably does. But yeah, 0:11:40.720 --> 0:11:42.760 you kind of just get this sense of like maybe 0:11:42.800 --> 0:11:45.679 belief that you don't get necessarily on clay or even 0:11:46.280 --> 0:11:49.600 hard court when you're overseas. It's kind of, yeah, the 0:11:49.640 --> 0:11:51.720 sense of peace and relax and you've done this before. 0:11:51.760 --> 0:11:53.880 You've been on this court, like on this grass court 0:11:53.960 --> 0:11:56.120 many times, and there's a lot of players overseas that 0:11:56.120 --> 0:11:58.000 have never played on a grass court. You get to 0:11:58.000 --> 0:12:00.240 those events and they like have no idea what they're doing, 0:12:00.720 --> 0:12:02.439 and you're kind of like, oh, I've got. 0:12:02.240 --> 0:12:04.960 This, you know, so, which is crazy because they're all 0:12:05.000 --> 0:12:06.960 so much closer to like the UK and things like 0:12:07.000 --> 0:12:08.920 that normally, like we have so far to go, but 0:12:09.040 --> 0:12:11.559 I think people forget how much grass we have here 0:12:11.559 --> 0:12:12.160 in Australia. 0:12:12.400 --> 0:12:14.840 Yeah, especially in regional towns is like grass courts, you 0:12:14.840 --> 0:12:17.720 know everywhere, like in Wa there's probably more grass courts 0:12:17.760 --> 0:12:20.600 than hard courts. I would say, yeah, especially like kind 0:12:20.600 --> 0:12:23.320 of country towns and we would always go kind of 0:12:23.400 --> 0:12:26.720 Christmas and Easter. We'd go to like Bustleton or Geraldton 0:12:26.760 --> 0:12:29.680 and play those those tournaments and like it was always 0:12:29.720 --> 0:12:32.160 the best time ever. Like you'd play so many matches 0:12:32.280 --> 0:12:34.600 and just everyone would just stay at the club and 0:12:34.679 --> 0:12:37.240 have sosiuses all or whatever, and yeah, I. 0:12:37.280 --> 0:12:38.800 Have really fun memories. 0:12:38.800 --> 0:12:40.520 I think going to grass, like going to the UK, 0:12:41.400 --> 0:12:44.360 and having those memories as a kid like kind of 0:12:44.400 --> 0:12:46.840 helps when you go over there because like, yeah, I've 0:12:46.880 --> 0:12:50.760 had these experiences and amaze, you know, fun happy experiences 0:12:50.800 --> 0:12:53.079 on the court and kind of using that when you. 0:12:53.040 --> 0:12:53.640 Get over there. 0:12:53.720 --> 0:12:56.760 So, yeah, that was a very big moment in my 0:12:56.800 --> 0:12:58.640 career because I actually started to believe for the first 0:12:58.679 --> 0:13:00.960 time that I kind of belonged to that level and 0:13:01.040 --> 0:13:03.160 that like it wasn't just a fluke, that I could 0:13:03.160 --> 0:13:04.920 do it again. And I think we broke into the 0:13:04.920 --> 0:13:07.800 top one hundred for doubles for the first time after 0:13:07.800 --> 0:13:11.200 winning Nottingham. So it was definitely a big stepping stone 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:14.920 for modern and I to win that title. And since then, 0:13:14.920 --> 0:13:17.040 I've had, yeah, a lot of success on grass, making 0:13:17.040 --> 0:13:19.480 the final of Wimbledon last year the doubles, which was 0:13:20.080 --> 0:13:23.880 another amazing experience, and also qualifying for Wimbledon last year 0:13:23.920 --> 0:13:26.920 that was also something, yeah, a dream come true. 0:13:27.200 --> 0:13:28.880 Yeah, well, you've pre empted my next question. 0:13:28.920 --> 0:13:30.840 I was going to say, fast forward to twenty twenty three, 0:13:30.920 --> 0:13:33.599 and you had great success in singles by qualifying for 0:13:33.640 --> 0:13:35.840 the major at Wimbledon and then made the doubles final 0:13:35.880 --> 0:13:39.080 at Wimbledon. So, like, tell us who have never played 0:13:39.080 --> 0:13:41.120 on a Wimbledon grass court, what's that like and what 0:13:41.200 --> 0:13:43.480 was that experience like, you know, doing well in singles 0:13:43.520 --> 0:13:45.840 and going so deep in doubles. You had the full 0:13:45.920 --> 0:13:48.160 three week Wimbledon experience. You were there right at the 0:13:48.160 --> 0:13:49.120 beginning and right at the end. 0:13:49.600 --> 0:13:49.880 Yeah. 0:13:49.920 --> 0:13:52.120 So firstly, the one thing about Wimbledon is that the 0:13:52.200 --> 0:13:55.240 qualifying it's the only slam that the qualities isn't at Wimbledon, 0:13:55.600 --> 0:13:58.880 it's in Roehampton. And I think that makes the elusive 0:13:58.880 --> 0:14:04.640 Wimboeden dream that much more I guess special and achievable 0:14:04.679 --> 0:14:05.920 slash unachievable in. 0:14:05.880 --> 0:14:08.160 A way because you're so close but you're so far. 0:14:08.679 --> 0:14:10.960 And I the two years before that, I made the 0:14:10.960 --> 0:14:13.559 final round of qualities and I had played in fun 0:14:13.600 --> 0:14:15.600 around qualities before, but this is the first time that 0:14:16.440 --> 0:14:19.600 I had lost and like felt completely heartbroken because you 0:14:19.600 --> 0:14:21.680 don't even get to step through the gates Wimwooden, Like 0:14:21.720 --> 0:14:24.240 you don't even get to go there and walk around 0:14:24.280 --> 0:14:26.120 and like hit on the courts or anything. 0:14:26.280 --> 0:14:26.360 Like. 0:14:26.400 --> 0:14:30.520 It's basically this dream that's crushed, you know, and you 0:14:30.520 --> 0:14:33.720 could be ranked one ten in the world and. 0:14:32.000 --> 0:14:34.200 Not get side. 0:14:34.440 --> 0:14:34.640 Yeah. 0:14:34.760 --> 0:14:37.680 So I think the Roehampton is in a way that's 0:14:37.760 --> 0:14:39.720 like what's so special about it? You know, you have 0:14:39.760 --> 0:14:43.880 this row of courts basically built on an oval, and 0:14:43.920 --> 0:14:47.240 that fine around of qualities, like there's no pressure like it. 0:14:47.360 --> 0:14:50.240 I think It's one of those, yeah, that you can 0:14:50.280 --> 0:14:52.840 just feel the tension in the air, and you know, 0:14:52.880 --> 0:14:54.640 the courts have gotten a lot better, but in the 0:14:54.720 --> 0:14:56.520 last few years they you know, depending on the rain 0:14:56.600 --> 0:14:59.320 and whatnot, like they could be yeah, tough to play 0:14:59.320 --> 0:15:01.280 on too, a lot of of awkward bounces and in 0:15:01.320 --> 0:15:04.160 those moments you're kind of, yeah, getting a little bit 0:15:04.160 --> 0:15:06.160 of luck as well with the bounces and whatnot. But 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:09.240 to qualify at Roe Hampton is I think one of 0:15:09.280 --> 0:15:10.680 the hardest things to do in tennis. 0:15:10.840 --> 0:15:14.160 And I felt very, very lucky. 0:15:13.920 --> 0:15:17.280 To be able to have that experience last year, had 0:15:17.320 --> 0:15:21.680 been able to qualify and have my husband there, Scotti, 0:15:21.720 --> 0:15:23.280 who was working with me at the time, and just 0:15:23.320 --> 0:15:26.080 having those people there to be able to witness that 0:15:26.160 --> 0:15:28.920 it was very very special. And obviously I was already 0:15:28.920 --> 0:15:31.200 going there for doubles, but I think to achieve that 0:15:31.280 --> 0:15:33.840 in singles and say that I got through three tough 0:15:33.840 --> 0:15:36.440 matches Roe Hampton, you've kind of really earned your way 0:15:36.480 --> 0:15:39.920 to Wimbledon, kind of just makes it, yeah, that much 0:15:40.000 --> 0:15:42.880 more special, I guess. And you know that's already a 0:15:42.920 --> 0:15:45.640 week a week done, and you haven't even got there, 0:15:45.640 --> 0:15:48.280 and you've already gone through all these emotions and then 0:15:48.320 --> 0:15:50.480 you get to Wimbleden for the first time, and I 0:15:50.520 --> 0:15:53.560 think I've played there maybe four times now in doubles, 0:15:53.560 --> 0:15:56.680 and every single time you get goosebumps walking through through 0:15:56.720 --> 0:16:01.480 those gates, and the courts are just so beautiful, fully manicured, 0:16:01.560 --> 0:16:06.080 and you know, you just feel this sense of just goosebumps. 0:16:06.120 --> 0:16:08.760 It's just it's a dream come true. And I just 0:16:08.760 --> 0:16:09.960 don't take that for granted. 0:16:10.400 --> 0:16:14.320 Yeah, it is a beautiful place. It's amazing with eager 0:16:14.360 --> 0:16:17.120 I guess like there is this consistency in women's tennis. 0:16:17.160 --> 0:16:20.080 We saw co Co go deep again and Sablenka and 0:16:20.080 --> 0:16:22.520 Rebaiken are in the quarter finals. There's been so much 0:16:22.560 --> 0:16:24.880 like openness in women's tennis, but in the last year 0:16:25.000 --> 0:16:27.080 or two it seems to have kind of really. 0:16:27.280 --> 0:16:28.520 Stabilized at the top. 0:16:28.680 --> 0:16:30.440 Like what have you made of that change, because it 0:16:30.480 --> 0:16:32.240 seems to be quite different to what it was so 0:16:32.360 --> 0:16:33.800 maybe four or five years ago. 0:16:34.160 --> 0:16:37.440 Yeah, definitely, I think those especially riber keen as vr 0:16:37.520 --> 0:16:41.000 Tech and Sabolenka have kind of established themselves as the 0:16:41.040 --> 0:16:43.120 top three, not just at Slams but at all the 0:16:43.240 --> 0:16:46.920 kind of masters throughout the year. And now Coco as 0:16:46.920 --> 0:16:49.240 well has kind of found that consistency too, and I 0:16:49.240 --> 0:16:51.160 think I like it. 0:16:51.240 --> 0:16:52.800 I think it's great to see you kind of want to. 0:16:52.800 --> 0:16:57.200 See those top players kind of being consistent and having 0:16:57.280 --> 0:16:59.600 those matchups that we you know, you sometimes see on 0:16:59.600 --> 0:17:02.440 the men's tour with you know, obviously Federer and Djokovic, Nadal. 0:17:02.520 --> 0:17:05.120 When you have those matchups, it's kind of you can 0:17:05.119 --> 0:17:07.879 go either way, and it's generally very high quality tennis, 0:17:07.880 --> 0:17:09.880 and I think Asaka will also kind of get back 0:17:09.960 --> 0:17:10.199 up there. 0:17:10.240 --> 0:17:12.240 I think she's playing at such a high level. 0:17:12.760 --> 0:17:16.320