1
00:00:02,200 --> 00:00:05,080
Speaker 1: Hello, and welcome to the sitdown. I'm Viv Christie, managing

2
00:00:05,200 --> 00:00:07,400
Speaker 1: editor of US joe In Tennis magazine.

3
00:00:06,880 --> 00:00:09,240
Speaker 2: And I'm Mattrolope, a writer for oz open dot Com

4
00:00:09,440 --> 00:00:13,320
Speaker 2: and viv this week, why are we sitting down with Alexipopperin.

5
00:00:12,920 --> 00:00:15,720
Speaker 1: Well, we are sitting down with Alexi because he is

6
00:00:15,880 --> 00:00:18,760
Speaker 1: riding an absolute high in his career at the moment.

7
00:00:18,960 --> 00:00:22,560
Speaker 1: He arrives at the US Open as a seated player

8
00:00:22,600 --> 00:00:24,919
Speaker 1: for the first time at a Grand Slam tournament, on

9
00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,200
Speaker 1: the back of his first ATP Master's one thousand title

10
00:00:28,320 --> 00:00:29,560
Speaker 1: in Montreal. Yeah.

11
00:00:29,760 --> 00:00:31,760
Speaker 2: Now, I actually didn't do this interview. It was you

12
00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,960
Speaker 2: and John Hooven, us host of the Aoshow Weekly, and

13
00:00:35,000 --> 00:00:37,640
Speaker 2: you guys were lucky enough to catch Alexi early Melbourne

14
00:00:37,680 --> 00:00:40,000
Speaker 2: time from New York, which was really cool and it

15
00:00:40,080 --> 00:00:41,720
Speaker 2: was just great to hear him talk about the kind

16
00:00:41,760 --> 00:00:43,480
Speaker 2: of place he's out in his career at the moment,

17
00:00:43,560 --> 00:00:45,680
Speaker 2: the wave of confidence he's riding and you know what

18
00:00:45,760 --> 00:00:46,440
Speaker 2: might lie ahead.

19
00:00:49,800 --> 00:00:51,760
Speaker 1: Alexi, thank you for joining us today.

20
00:00:52,400 --> 00:00:53,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, good to be here. Thank you.

21
00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,280
Speaker 1: We are talking to you in what we would have

22
00:00:56,320 --> 00:00:58,800
Speaker 1: to describe as a career best season. You've had a

23
00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:01,680
Speaker 1: third round run at the Olympics, a series of top

24
00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:05,680
Speaker 1: ten wins, and our first ATP Masters one thousand title.

25
00:01:05,760 --> 00:01:07,920
Speaker 1: It must be feeling pretty good for you right now.

26
00:01:08,480 --> 00:01:11,520
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's definitely feeling good. You know, I've had it,

27
00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:14,520
Speaker 3: I would say, up to this point, a little up

28
00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:19,119
Speaker 3: and down year, topsy turvy year. But yeah, last week

29
00:01:19,200 --> 00:01:21,400
Speaker 3: really really showed that I'm able to play at that

30
00:01:21,480 --> 00:01:24,800
Speaker 3: level and play consistently at that level, which is, you know,

31
00:01:24,840 --> 00:01:26,880
Speaker 3: a testament to all the hard work we've done over

32
00:01:26,920 --> 00:01:27,839
Speaker 3: the past two years.

33
00:01:27,959 --> 00:01:31,920
Speaker 4: An incredible run and some big performances within that Montreal

34
00:01:32,000 --> 00:01:36,240
Speaker 4: title with wins over Shelton, dimetro of her catch quarter

35
00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:39,480
Speaker 4: and rub lev tell me first of all about the

36
00:01:39,520 --> 00:01:42,640
Speaker 4: personal significance of this title win.

37
00:01:43,120 --> 00:01:47,560
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's definitely it's massive for me. You know, I

38
00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:50,640
Speaker 3: don't take many players in their career, go through their

39
00:01:50,640 --> 00:01:53,120
Speaker 3: career when you know, and win a Mass one thousand,

40
00:01:53,960 --> 00:01:56,560
Speaker 3: and for me to be able to do that is honestly,

41
00:01:57,080 --> 00:02:00,440
Speaker 3: it is a dream come true. But at the same time,

42
00:02:00,480 --> 00:02:02,480
Speaker 3: you know, the work doesn't stop here. You know, we

43
00:02:02,560 --> 00:02:04,560
Speaker 3: still have goals and we saw have ambitions or our

44
00:02:04,640 --> 00:02:07,800
Speaker 3: own as a team where as to where we want

45
00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:09,360
Speaker 3: to get to it or how we want to play

46
00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:11,600
Speaker 3: and it's definitely not the last Master final that I

47
00:02:11,639 --> 00:02:15,520
Speaker 3: want to play in and try and win. So you know,

48
00:02:15,560 --> 00:02:19,079
Speaker 3: I've got big ambitions and know we were straight back

49
00:02:19,120 --> 00:02:21,640
Speaker 3: to work as soon as soon as we were done.

50
00:02:22,160 --> 00:02:24,360
Speaker 4: Fantastic attitude. And I'm sure you would have seen some

51
00:02:24,400 --> 00:02:27,440
Speaker 4: of the media coverage back home here in Australia where

52
00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,119
Speaker 4: a lot of the focus was on the historical significance

53
00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:32,440
Speaker 4: the first Australian man in twenty one years to win

54
00:02:32,480 --> 00:02:36,000
Speaker 4: a title of this magnitude, and of course that was

55
00:02:36,040 --> 00:02:38,680
Speaker 4: since Leyton Hewitt. So what does it mean to you

56
00:02:38,720 --> 00:02:41,519
Speaker 4: to have been the first man in over two decades

57
00:02:41,560 --> 00:02:43,800
Speaker 4: to replicate what he did at Indian Wells in two

58
00:02:43,880 --> 00:02:44,480
Speaker 4: thousand and three.

59
00:02:45,360 --> 00:02:49,960
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's definitely an honor. You know, I think Lane's

60
00:02:50,000 --> 00:02:52,960
Speaker 3: been a really big part of kind of my my

61
00:02:53,280 --> 00:02:56,880
Speaker 3: professional career, you know, as David's cub captain, as you know,

62
00:02:57,240 --> 00:03:01,720
Speaker 3: is kind of, you know, the kind of role model

63
00:03:01,800 --> 00:03:05,280
Speaker 3: leader that all Aussie boys inside the top und all

64
00:03:05,320 --> 00:03:07,760
Speaker 3: Aussie talnis players kind of looked to. And you know

65
00:03:07,800 --> 00:03:10,320
Speaker 3: he's really helped a lot throughout all of our careers

66
00:03:10,360 --> 00:03:12,440
Speaker 3: and you know, to have him by my side and

67
00:03:13,160 --> 00:03:15,160
Speaker 3: kind of, you know, kind of helped me along the

68
00:03:15,160 --> 00:03:18,520
Speaker 3: way is really amazing. And for me to be able

69
00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:21,240
Speaker 3: to you know, win this title and first since he

70
00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:24,680
Speaker 3: did it is a true honor and definitely something I'm

71
00:03:24,680 --> 00:03:26,240
Speaker 3: really proud of, Alexi.

72
00:03:26,320 --> 00:03:29,320
Speaker 1: Who else would you say has been influential in your

73
00:03:29,360 --> 00:03:30,079
Speaker 1: career so far?

74
00:03:31,680 --> 00:03:33,920
Speaker 3: You know, I think my team right now that I have,

75
00:03:35,320 --> 00:03:39,040
Speaker 3: my two coaches have been have been unbelievable for me,

76
00:03:39,440 --> 00:03:42,240
Speaker 3: Nevil Godwin and Xavier in the least. I think those

77
00:03:42,320 --> 00:03:45,119
Speaker 3: two they came in at around about the same time,

78
00:03:45,360 --> 00:03:48,680
Speaker 3: never came in a little bit later than Xavier, and

79
00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,800
Speaker 3: you know, they kind of flip my game upside down

80
00:03:53,000 --> 00:03:57,520
Speaker 3: and kind of mentally helped me get back on the

81
00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:02,839
Speaker 3: right track after my very disappointing year into the twenty two.

82
00:04:03,240 --> 00:04:06,160
Speaker 3: And also, you know, the team, the rest of the

83
00:04:06,160 --> 00:04:11,400
Speaker 3: team that I've surrounded myself, Valentine match is your I Evan,

84
00:04:11,480 --> 00:04:13,680
Speaker 3: my sitness coach who I recently hired, and I think

85
00:04:13,720 --> 00:04:17,000
Speaker 3: he was kind of the missing piece and the puzzle,

86
00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,680
Speaker 3: you know, he was. He's been believable since he's been

87
00:04:19,680 --> 00:04:23,000
Speaker 3: on the team, kind of integrated in straight away and

88
00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:26,159
Speaker 3: also baftly I can't. I can't forget my family, you know,

89
00:04:26,200 --> 00:04:29,200
Speaker 3: the the sacrifices that they've made for me and then

90
00:04:29,240 --> 00:04:31,880
Speaker 3: my brother for our tennis careers. You know, they've they've

91
00:04:31,880 --> 00:04:34,760
Speaker 3: really sacrificed so much, you know, leaving Australia at a

92
00:04:34,839 --> 00:04:38,520
Speaker 3: very early age and kind of focusing on tennis, and

93
00:04:39,000 --> 00:04:42,240
Speaker 3: my parent and my mom not missing a match or

94
00:04:42,279 --> 00:04:45,560
Speaker 3: practice until I was about to twenty one, twenty two

95
00:04:45,640 --> 00:04:49,200
Speaker 3: years old, which is amazing, and my dad, you know,

96
00:04:49,279 --> 00:04:51,560
Speaker 3: always finding a way to be able to pay for

97
00:04:51,600 --> 00:04:53,640
Speaker 3: all of this because you know, tennis isn't chieved at all,

98
00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:59,239
Speaker 3: and it's it's it's definitely something that I'm eternally grateful

99
00:04:59,240 --> 00:04:59,760
Speaker 3: for my parents.

100
00:04:59,800 --> 00:05:04,000
Speaker 4: For a big rankings rise following that title, and that

101
00:05:04,040 --> 00:05:07,159
Speaker 4: means you'll be entering the US Open as a seed.

102
00:05:07,480 --> 00:05:09,960
Speaker 4: Tell me about what that does to your mindset, entering

103
00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:13,080
Speaker 4: a major as a seed, the good and the bad aspects.

104
00:05:13,960 --> 00:05:19,160
Speaker 3: I don't think that's much different to entering a tournament

105
00:05:19,160 --> 00:05:20,719
Speaker 3: of seed on not the seed. You know, for me,

106
00:05:21,279 --> 00:05:24,400
Speaker 3: it's it's really important the process that we kind of

107
00:05:24,440 --> 00:05:27,880
Speaker 3: implement before the tournament and during the tournament, you know,

108
00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,120
Speaker 3: because it's it's it's there's no different. You know, you

109
00:05:31,160 --> 00:05:33,200
Speaker 3: go to every Grand Slatin and you try and win it.

110
00:05:33,800 --> 00:05:39,200
Speaker 3: And for me, that's always been kind of my idea.

111
00:05:39,360 --> 00:05:43,520
Speaker 3: I've always thought that I could go deep in Slams,

112
00:05:43,560 --> 00:05:45,719
Speaker 3: and you know, I think I've showed it with consistent

113
00:05:45,760 --> 00:05:48,000
Speaker 3: third round runs and haven't been able to kind of

114
00:05:48,040 --> 00:05:50,560
Speaker 3: pass the third round hurdle, which has been a shame.

115
00:05:50,920 --> 00:05:53,119
Speaker 3: I've had some close matches over the past few years.

116
00:05:53,120 --> 00:05:56,679
Speaker 3: But you know, for me, it's it's not not much changes.

117
00:05:56,720 --> 00:05:58,880
Speaker 3: You know, the preparation is still the same, the mentality

118
00:05:58,920 --> 00:06:00,720
Speaker 3: is still the same. You go into might try to

119
00:06:00,760 --> 00:06:03,480
Speaker 3: win it and then we see what comes.

120
00:06:03,600 --> 00:06:06,599
Speaker 4: You know, last week on the podcast, we had Simon

121
00:06:06,720 --> 00:06:09,960
Speaker 4: Ray from the Game Insight Group and Dad some analysis

122
00:06:10,200 --> 00:06:14,240
Speaker 4: on your performances in Montreal and notice that your return

123
00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:17,280
Speaker 4: of serve numbers were just through the roof, growing exponentially

124
00:06:17,560 --> 00:06:20,360
Speaker 4: throughout the latter stages of that title. Have you been

125
00:06:20,440 --> 00:06:22,960
Speaker 4: putting work into that area.

126
00:06:22,760 --> 00:06:23,479
Speaker 1: Of your game?

127
00:06:23,960 --> 00:06:27,600
Speaker 4: If not, where have you been focusing your attention this year?

128
00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:32,200
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's definitely something that we've we've highlighted as a

129
00:06:32,200 --> 00:06:36,480
Speaker 3: place that we have to improve in. We have been

130
00:06:36,520 --> 00:06:39,920
Speaker 3: putting work, but not kind of over the top work,

131
00:06:39,960 --> 00:06:42,320
Speaker 3: and all we've been focusing on is our return. It's

132
00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:44,600
Speaker 3: not that kind of work, but there were a few,

133
00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:47,520
Speaker 3: you know, adjustments that we made. And also I feel

134
00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:50,840
Speaker 3: like this year I've been returning much better on the

135
00:06:50,920 --> 00:06:54,440
Speaker 3: faster surfaces. For some reason, it's just sort of clicked

136
00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:56,560
Speaker 3: in my head a little bit since the start of

137
00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,560
Speaker 3: the year. Honestly, again, you know, that's something that comes

138
00:06:59,560 --> 00:07:01,440
Speaker 3: to you as a tennis player just naturally. You know,

139
00:07:01,480 --> 00:07:05,120
Speaker 3: it's just some things click unexplainably, and you're able to

140
00:07:05,120 --> 00:07:07,160
Speaker 3: return a little bit better, or hit a forehand a

141
00:07:07,200 --> 00:07:09,400
Speaker 3: little bit better, or serve a little bit better, and

142
00:07:10,520 --> 00:07:14,200
Speaker 3: you know, you try and understand those feelings and you

143
00:07:14,320 --> 00:07:16,480
Speaker 3: just roll with them, honestly, And that's what that's what

144
00:07:16,520 --> 00:07:18,600
Speaker 3: I've been doing in the last few months. And I

145
00:07:18,640 --> 00:07:20,920
Speaker 3: feel like on the grass I returned quite well. I

146
00:07:20,920 --> 00:07:24,080
Speaker 3: was quite comfortable returning on the grass, and also honestly

147
00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:26,200
Speaker 3: on the clay. So for me, it's it's been a big,

148
00:07:26,560 --> 00:07:30,960
Speaker 3: big improvement and and it's something that hopefully will continue improving.

149
00:07:32,080 --> 00:07:34,880
Speaker 3: But you know, we've been working a lot on my

150
00:07:34,960 --> 00:07:37,520
Speaker 3: serve actually, that's probably been the main thing that we've

151
00:07:37,520 --> 00:07:42,560
Speaker 3: been focusing on trying trying to have a variety, variety

152
00:07:42,560 --> 00:07:44,280
Speaker 3: on my serve. You know, I'm able to serve you know,

153
00:07:44,320 --> 00:07:47,400
Speaker 3: a big two thirty kilometer an hour serve. But for

154
00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:49,600
Speaker 3: me to be able to change the pace, change the

155
00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:55,360
Speaker 3: change the direction, that's that's something that kind of you know,

156
00:07:55,400 --> 00:07:57,280
Speaker 3: it took me a while to kind of grass because

157
00:07:57,960 --> 00:08:00,000
Speaker 3: you know, when you're able to serve big, you kind

158
00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:03,080
Speaker 3: just want to continue serving beag. But it becomes quite

159
00:08:03,120 --> 00:08:05,640
Speaker 3: easier to return, believe it or not, because players get

160
00:08:05,640 --> 00:08:08,360
Speaker 3: adjusted to it and they kind of start figuring out

161
00:08:08,360 --> 00:08:10,080
Speaker 3: what you do. So if you start mixing it in

162
00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:14,880
Speaker 3: a few kicks when they least expected, then you know

163
00:08:14,920 --> 00:08:19,520
Speaker 3: your first the big bomb becomes more effective. Great insights, Alexi.

164
00:08:19,640 --> 00:08:22,440
Speaker 1: You say that you said that not much changes for

165
00:08:22,520 --> 00:08:26,560
Speaker 1: you after winning in Montreal, But what about the perspective

166
00:08:26,640 --> 00:08:29,440
Speaker 1: and I guess the confidence boost that you gain from

167
00:08:29,600 --> 00:08:32,960
Speaker 1: beating such a series of big names, and you know

168
00:08:33,000 --> 00:08:35,960
Speaker 1: you also save match points against Dimotrov in that run.

169
00:08:36,679 --> 00:08:41,840
Speaker 3: Yeah, it's definitely it's definitely helps with the confidence. But

170
00:08:42,160 --> 00:08:46,200
Speaker 3: I don't think me beating what one top ten player,

171
00:08:46,800 --> 00:08:48,760
Speaker 3: you know, is something new. You know, I've been able

172
00:08:48,800 --> 00:08:51,560
Speaker 3: to do it in the past a few times. But

173
00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:53,880
Speaker 3: for me, the biggest thing that I keep saying after

174
00:08:53,880 --> 00:08:57,880
Speaker 3: that tournament is beating three of those top ten players

175
00:08:57,960 --> 00:09:01,640
Speaker 3: and five top twenty players in one week. That kind

176
00:09:01,679 --> 00:09:05,880
Speaker 3: of consistency, it doesn't come easy and it's not something

177
00:09:05,920 --> 00:09:08,439
Speaker 3: that you know, I've been able to do in my career.

178
00:09:08,480 --> 00:09:10,240
Speaker 3: And that was kind of the first week while I

179
00:09:10,240 --> 00:09:12,560
Speaker 3: was able to put you know, a string of six

180
00:09:12,640 --> 00:09:16,760
Speaker 3: matches against high quality opponents and beat them. So for me,

181
00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,720
Speaker 3: that's that's the most pleasing thing and the most that's

182
00:09:20,720 --> 00:09:22,920
Speaker 3: the thing that builds the most confidence in me.

183
00:09:24,000 --> 00:09:28,280
Speaker 1: How much inspiration did you take from your Olympics experience.

184
00:09:28,360 --> 00:09:30,680
Speaker 3: Yeah, there's been. There was a lot of inspiration honestly,

185
00:09:30,720 --> 00:09:33,880
Speaker 3: you know, seeing other athletes, seeing other you know, the

186
00:09:33,920 --> 00:09:36,520
Speaker 3: best athletes in the world and there and their respective sports,

187
00:09:36,679 --> 00:09:40,360
Speaker 3: you know, seeing how they go about their business. You know,

188
00:09:40,400 --> 00:09:42,480
Speaker 3: it kind of gives you a liarm of inside as

189
00:09:42,520 --> 00:09:44,320
Speaker 3: to how you should be going about your business. And

190
00:09:44,840 --> 00:09:46,640
Speaker 3: you know, it just showed me that what I've been

191
00:09:46,679 --> 00:09:48,920
Speaker 3: doing was kind of the right thing. As all athletes,

192
00:09:48,960 --> 00:09:52,240
Speaker 3: you know are super focused on the nutrition, super focus

193
00:09:52,280 --> 00:09:54,200
Speaker 3: on their gym work, and you know, they go and

194
00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:56,240
Speaker 3: do their head stuff. But off the court, you know

195
00:09:56,320 --> 00:09:59,920
Speaker 3: that they're amazing human beings and you know, I think

196
00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:03,280
Speaker 3: think it's I think that just you know, highlighted the

197
00:10:03,320 --> 00:10:06,920
Speaker 3: faact that you know, what I was doing was the

198
00:10:07,000 --> 00:10:09,120
Speaker 3: right part and the right way and that I just

199
00:10:09,120 --> 00:10:10,880
Speaker 3: had to stick with it. In one of these days

200
00:10:11,400 --> 00:10:13,760
Speaker 3: it would click and you know that that's something that

201
00:10:13,960 --> 00:10:17,319
Speaker 3: you know, being in that big village seeing other athletes,

202
00:10:17,320 --> 00:10:20,280
Speaker 3: seeing how they worked. Yeah, highlight But at that.

203
00:10:21,160 --> 00:10:24,600
Speaker 1: Watching from Afar, it seemed like there's well it always

204
00:10:24,600 --> 00:10:27,559
Speaker 1: does seem like there's such a great team spirit among

205
00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,760
Speaker 1: the Australian players. Does does it help to spend time

206
00:10:30,840 --> 00:10:33,560
Speaker 1: with the likes of Layton and obviously you're friends with

207
00:10:33,600 --> 00:10:35,960
Speaker 1: Alex and other players.

208
00:10:35,800 --> 00:10:39,160
Speaker 3: Yeah, it definitely does for sure. No, I think us

209
00:10:39,200 --> 00:10:41,840
Speaker 3: as a Davis Cup squad, you know, we've made back

210
00:10:41,880 --> 00:10:45,360
Speaker 3: to back Davis Cup finals and that wouldn't come if

211
00:10:45,400 --> 00:10:49,040
Speaker 3: we didn't get along as a squad as players and

212
00:10:49,280 --> 00:10:51,640
Speaker 3: also the boys that haven't been on the Davis Cup squad,

213
00:10:51,679 --> 00:10:55,920
Speaker 3: you know, like viog Oags, you know, Rinky, you know

214
00:10:56,000 --> 00:10:59,240
Speaker 3: all of those guys. We all get along super well.

215
00:10:59,280 --> 00:11:01,480
Speaker 3: You know, we all go we try and get a

216
00:11:01,600 --> 00:11:03,440
Speaker 3: round of golf and every now and then. You know,

217
00:11:03,960 --> 00:11:06,040
Speaker 3: me and Demon have been close since we've been kids,

218
00:11:06,080 --> 00:11:08,720
Speaker 3: you know, and we've kind of been pushing each other

219
00:11:09,000 --> 00:11:13,640
Speaker 3: to higher standards and to kind of improve in our game.

220
00:11:13,720 --> 00:11:18,640
Speaker 3: And that's kind of the competitiveness that you want in

221
00:11:18,679 --> 00:11:22,520
Speaker 3: tennis and in sport. And you know, I think having

222
00:11:22,520 --> 00:11:25,439
Speaker 3: so many players inside the top hundred now seeing then

223
00:11:25,480 --> 00:11:31,720
Speaker 3: we can and helping them and kind of and practicing

224
00:11:31,720 --> 00:11:34,400
Speaker 3: together and helping each other, you know that not many

225
00:11:34,400 --> 00:11:36,200
Speaker 3: countries have this, and we're super lucky to have it,

226
00:11:36,240 --> 00:11:37,720
Speaker 3: and we definitely don't take it for granted.

227
00:11:38,080 --> 00:11:41,400
Speaker 1: And you know, obviously the odd round of golf here

228
00:11:41,440 --> 00:11:44,000
Speaker 1: and there. What else are you doing off court to

229
00:11:44,040 --> 00:11:45,920
Speaker 1: decompress away from tennis?

230
00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:52,040
Speaker 3: Honestly, A lot of it is golf. I just I

231
00:11:52,080 --> 00:11:56,800
Speaker 3: love my golfum because yeah, I to be honest, I

232
00:11:56,840 --> 00:11:59,240
Speaker 3: travel with my golf clubs to some places to be

233
00:11:59,280 --> 00:12:02,120
Speaker 3: able to play, to be afule to play golf, well

234
00:12:03,360 --> 00:12:06,760
Speaker 3: you know, uh yeah, And you know I like to

235
00:12:06,800 --> 00:12:11,160
Speaker 3: spend time with Tim, but a lot of the time,

236
00:12:11,760 --> 00:12:14,200
Speaker 3: you know, I I just really enjoyed playing golf and

237
00:12:14,200 --> 00:12:16,440
Speaker 3: and you know, spending time with my girlfriend off the court.

238
00:12:16,480 --> 00:12:18,079
Speaker 3: You know, we like to go to some plays here

239
00:12:18,120 --> 00:12:21,120
Speaker 3: and there. We'd like to go to dinner together, So

240
00:12:21,160 --> 00:12:24,960
Speaker 3: it's a it's very Yeah, I have a few things

241
00:12:24,960 --> 00:12:27,079
Speaker 3: that I like to do and sometimes when I really

242
00:12:27,240 --> 00:12:29,240
Speaker 3: like it, I like to I like to play and PlayStation.

243
00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:31,640
Speaker 3: So that's that's that's about it.

244
00:12:32,160 --> 00:12:34,920
Speaker 1: We know that you're famously close to your family. As

245
00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:38,200
Speaker 1: as you mentioned earlier, what was their reaction after your

246
00:12:38,360 --> 00:12:39,480
Speaker 1: your winning Montreal?

247
00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:44,160
Speaker 3: Surely it was amazing. I think I called them as

248
00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:46,319
Speaker 3: soon as I got into the gym and and called

249
00:12:46,320 --> 00:12:48,880
Speaker 3: my girlfriend and added my family to the to the

250
00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:53,640
Speaker 3: chat and to the call, and yeah, there were tears flowing,

251
00:12:53,720 --> 00:12:57,080
Speaker 3: there was a there was a lot of congratulations and

252
00:12:57,080 --> 00:13:00,920
Speaker 3: and uh, super proud and some time as my parents

253
00:13:02,240 --> 00:13:04,160
Speaker 3: can get a little bit ahead of themselves and say,

254
00:13:04,200 --> 00:13:06,880
Speaker 3: you know, go win the slab now, and I was thanks,

255
00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:08,439
Speaker 3: I'm trying to tell them, you know, I just take

256
00:13:08,480 --> 00:13:11,520
Speaker 3: it easy, let's enjoy this one first and then and

257
00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:15,120
Speaker 3: then we'll think about the rest. So yeah, but honestly,

258
00:13:15,760 --> 00:13:18,120
Speaker 3: everybody was just super proud, and you know, they know

259
00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:19,839
Speaker 3: that I wouldn't be able to do this without them,

260
00:13:19,880 --> 00:13:21,880
Speaker 3: and I'm eternally grateful to them.

261
00:13:22,000 --> 00:13:23,880
Speaker 4: Alexie, if you can take your mind back to the

262
00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:26,200
Speaker 4: start of the year, a lot of players, I guess

263
00:13:26,240 --> 00:13:28,920
Speaker 4: cast their goals for the year. Can you tell us

264
00:13:28,960 --> 00:13:31,160
Speaker 4: what your goals were at the beginning of twenty twenty

265
00:13:31,160 --> 00:13:33,760
Speaker 4: four and how they've changed now that you've got this

266
00:13:33,880 --> 00:13:36,000
Speaker 4: Master's one thousand title under your belt.

267
00:13:36,720 --> 00:13:38,720
Speaker 3: You know, I think in terms of goals, I don't

268
00:13:38,760 --> 00:13:42,600
Speaker 3: really set myself goals. I like to go buy the

269
00:13:43,000 --> 00:13:44,880
Speaker 3: you know, the day to day work, the goals off

270
00:13:44,920 --> 00:13:47,240
Speaker 3: the court in practice and how we and how we

271
00:13:47,280 --> 00:13:51,040
Speaker 3: practice and how we go about our business, and that

272
00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:54,280
Speaker 3: for me is the most important thing. And the ranking

273
00:13:54,320 --> 00:13:58,680
Speaker 3: and the results will naturally come if you're able to

274
00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:01,640
Speaker 3: do it consistently. So for me, it's that's a huge

275
00:14:01,679 --> 00:14:05,440
Speaker 3: part of the process, and goals is not really a

276
00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:08,240
Speaker 3: big thing for me. I really don't like setting ranking goals,

277
00:14:08,240 --> 00:14:11,160
Speaker 3: au toonament goals or any of that stuff, because for me,

278
00:14:11,200 --> 00:14:15,400
Speaker 3: it just it puts my mind. I only focus on that,

279
00:14:15,880 --> 00:14:18,079
Speaker 3: and for me, that's not the that's not the way

280
00:14:18,120 --> 00:14:18,800
Speaker 3: to go about it.

281
00:14:19,240 --> 00:14:21,600
Speaker 1: What are you most looking forward to over the next

282
00:14:21,640 --> 00:14:22,479
Speaker 1: few months.

283
00:14:23,400 --> 00:14:26,600
Speaker 3: I'm just I know it's a it's getting a little

284
00:14:26,600 --> 00:14:29,320
Speaker 3: bit old, but just the process, honestly, just the just

285
00:14:29,400 --> 00:14:32,520
Speaker 3: the constant work off the court. For me, that's that's

286
00:14:32,560 --> 00:14:35,280
Speaker 3: the most enjoyable thing, you know, going to going to

287
00:14:35,320 --> 00:14:37,800
Speaker 3: the gym, practicing on court with my team, spending some

288
00:14:37,920 --> 00:14:40,040
Speaker 3: time with my team, you know, on on and off

289
00:14:40,040 --> 00:14:42,200
Speaker 3: the court, you know, for me, that's that's the that's

290
00:14:42,200 --> 00:14:44,720
Speaker 3: the thing that I look to the most. And then

291
00:14:44,760 --> 00:14:47,600
Speaker 3: for me, you know, the confidence that I have right now.

292
00:14:47,720 --> 00:14:50,360
Speaker 3: I was telling my team the other day that, you know,

293
00:14:50,440 --> 00:14:54,400
Speaker 3: it's so amazing to be able to play tennis when

294
00:14:54,400 --> 00:14:59,280
Speaker 3: you're high on confidence, because I've I've been really low

295
00:14:59,320 --> 00:15:03,640
Speaker 3: in confidence and that's really not enjoyable at all. But

296
00:15:03,680 --> 00:15:05,640
Speaker 3: to be able to step on court and feel like

297
00:15:05,680 --> 00:15:09,400
Speaker 3: you're able to produce any shot or do anything, that's

298
00:15:09,400 --> 00:15:12,880
Speaker 3: a feeling that you try and keep forever. And that's

299
00:15:12,880 --> 00:15:14,400
Speaker 3: the feeling that I'll be trying to keep for a

300
00:15:14,520 --> 00:15:17,400
Speaker 3: very wrong time, just to play in confidence. Because you know,

301
00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:20,640
Speaker 3: these guys in the top ten, top five, you know,

302
00:15:20,720 --> 00:15:23,040
Speaker 3: I think they constantly nearly we can week out play

303
00:15:23,080 --> 00:15:26,000
Speaker 3: with confidence, and they can produce the kind of shots

304
00:15:26,000 --> 00:15:30,280
Speaker 3: and tennis that they're producing. We can weak out and

305
00:15:30,520 --> 00:15:32,800
Speaker 3: that's something you know, you take one week on Montreal,

306
00:15:32,880 --> 00:15:35,960
Speaker 3: you feel like that confidence flowing, you wanted to proceed

307
00:15:36,000 --> 00:15:39,240
Speaker 3: into the next week, and that's that's something that I'm

308
00:15:39,280 --> 00:15:42,120
Speaker 3: looking for, but to hopefully I can continue that confidence going.

309
00:15:42,480 --> 00:15:45,000
Speaker 1: Well, it sounds like you are enjoying your tennis a lot,

310
00:15:45,040 --> 00:15:47,440
Speaker 1: and we are certainly enjoying watching you as well.

311
00:15:47,760 --> 00:15:50,000
Speaker 3: Thank you very much. Yeah, it's definitely fun playing tennis

312
00:15:50,080 --> 00:15:50,480
Speaker 3: right now.

313
00:15:53,720 --> 00:15:56,720
Speaker 2: Well, Viv, that was a great check. Congratulations. I really

314
00:15:56,880 --> 00:15:59,360
Speaker 2: enjoyed the note that that interview finished on. I'm really

315
00:15:59,480 --> 00:16:03,240
Speaker 2: enjoying my tennis. You can just hear that Alexi and

316
00:16:03,280 --> 00:16:05,360
Speaker 2: all the work he's doing, the team he's got around him,

317
00:16:05,360 --> 00:16:08,160
Speaker 2: and the momentum he's built. He's really enjoying writing that wave,

318
00:16:08,200 --> 00:16:10,600
Speaker 2: and it sounds like he's very excited to see where

319
00:16:10,640 --> 00:16:13,440
Speaker 2: his career might go from here. So I think US

320
00:16:13,480 --> 00:16:14,640
Speaker 2: Open could be really interesting.

321
00:16:14,920 --> 00:16:17,640
Speaker 1: Yeah, thank you, Matt. It was really great to catch

322
00:16:17,720 --> 00:16:21,080
Speaker 1: up with Alexi and he is obviously in a really

323
00:16:21,120 --> 00:16:24,480
Speaker 1: great spot at the moment. He's enjoying his tennis. He's

324
00:16:24,480 --> 00:16:26,920
Speaker 1: feeling a real sense of belonging. I think after such

325
00:16:26,960 --> 00:16:30,040
Speaker 1: a series of great wins in Montreal, and yeah, I'm

326
00:16:30,120 --> 00:16:33,040
Speaker 1: equally excited to see what he does next. Yeah, we'll

327
00:16:33,040 --> 00:16:35,560
Speaker 1: be back next week with another episode of sit Down,

328
00:16:35,640 --> 00:16:37,400
Speaker 1: and in the meantime, you can tune into John and

329
00:16:37,480 --> 00:16:39,640
Speaker 1: the team on The Aos Show weekly on Thursday.

330
00:16:39,960 --> 00:16:41,720
Speaker 2: Details for how to contact us are in the show

331
00:16:41,720 --> 00:16:44,840
Speaker 2: notes below, and please remember to subscribe, rate, and review.

332
00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:46,080
Speaker 2: We'll see you next week, vib.

333
00:16:46,040 --> 00:16:46,680
Speaker 1: Look forward to it.

334
00:16:46,680 --> 00:16:46,920
Speaker 3: Matt