Katerina Siniakova: On Respect for Doubles, Her Early-Career Mindset Shift, & Lessons Learned

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My guest for this episode is the number one doubles player in the world.
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She is already one of the greatest doubles players of all time.
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She has 11 Grand Slam titles in women's doubles, one in mixed doubles, one Olympic gold in women's doubles, one Olympic gold in mixed doubles, and a lot more.
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She is Katerina Sinyakova.
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She was nice enough to join me from the US Open as she prepared for the singles and doubles draw a couple days after she had played in the mixed doubles tournament.
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And we chatted for about 20 minutes.
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We talked about what made her such a good doubles player, her transition early on in her career from uh focusing on singles to realizing that she could be so good at doubles and how she had to shift her mindset a little bit.
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We also discussed the mixed doubles at the US Open.
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We discussed overall respect for doubles on tour.
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She kind of opened up about that and had a really great take on that, that I certainly agreed with and appreciate her uh being able to be so transparent about it.
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Um we also discussed how to make your doubles partner play well.
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She's won 38 titles with a number of different partners, it seems like at least 20 different partners.
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Um we talked about what she focuses on with new doubles partners.
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I also asked her about her on court demeanor.
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She can get frustrated on the court.
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How does she manage that?
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How does she use that?
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Um, and also what has she learned during her career?
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How has she gone about her continued improvement and what advice would she give herself early on in her career as well?
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So, this is a really fun conversation with Katerina.
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I'm hoping we can do more in the future, and of course, be sure to watch her uh throughout the US Open as she competes in both the singles and women's doubles draw, um, as well as uh having already done the mix.
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So without further delay, enjoy this conversation with V World number one, Katerina Siniaakova.
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Hey everyone, welcome to the show.
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Today we have Katerina Siniacova on.
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Katerina, welcome.
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Hello.
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Thank you for inviting me.
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Yeah, thank you for making the time.
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We've uh been trying to set this up for a few weeks now, and you're I know you're I know you're so busy playing singles and doubles and mixed doubles and um traveling and all that.
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So I appreciate you making the time.
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Uh, I wanted to start.
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We're a few days out from the start of the singles draw at the US Open.
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Um share with us what does your day look like today?
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Uh well, definitely practicing.
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You know, I did already one practice uh for singles point and lunch, small break now, and uh second one is coming.
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So yeah, I actually got lucky.
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I was supposed to be sharing, but in the end we had just scored two of us.
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So yeah, it's just like normal tennis day, I would say, some gym practice, lunch, and repeat.
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When you're practicing uh leading up to a major like this, obviously you've got singles to um to start.
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Do you practice some of the double skills as well, or do you focus on that more um if you go out in the singles?
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Um, yeah, usually after, because um in the beginning of major like tournaments like this, the to book a court is pretty difficult if you are not, I guess, top 10 or seeded player.
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So yeah, um definitely I'm just like playing singles points, trying to as much uh hours I can, and um yeah, so it's only singles point then.
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Yeah, of course, if I'm done with singles and I have some time, you know, to maybe practice with Taylor or to do some some more with coach, and also the players are leaving, so you can kind of get the court a little bit easily because I'm not so I mean, if I'm not going early or late, I cannot book with a coach.
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So yeah, it comes later.
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Uh I want to step back a little bit.
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I want to talk about the mixed doubles um as well as a few other things with regards to the doubles tour, but uh, I want to step back and talk about you a little bit.
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Who who's had the biggest influence on you as a tennis player and then also as a doubles player?
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And it can be the the same person if you'd like.
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Like, do you mean why I played doubles or just like at all?
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I think you can answer it however you like.
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Um I mean, for me, um, I love to play doubles, but to be honest, like I never thought it's gonna be like so big for me.
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It just kind of went um in my journey, and I started playing it, I think like almost everyone does in the beginning of career.
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Um, so um I think like my definitely the players I loved when I was young was like Sharapova and Henin.
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And it was just like the dream, like I wanna be a professional tennis player.
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I didn't really think about if it's gonna be singles, doubles, you know, whatever.
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I just wanna be there and wanna be part of it.
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And uh when this happened, I mean, it always was about singles, but suddenly I started to do so well in doubles, but I had feeling like it's not, you know, it's not enough because what gives you kind of point of view that singles is everything, and this is, I don't know, just for fun.
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So I had to change point of like my view that this is very good.
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It's like you know, not everyone can do even this.
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So um I think like my family and my coach definitely helped me a lot because to change point of view and to not have like the stress from media and from the world that you know it's just doubles, it helped me so much.
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So I would say like team definitely was someone who helped me to enjoy more doubles and to be more proud of it.
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Do you feel like that change of point of view is something that most people in tennis don't have?
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I'm kind of referring like to your comments after the first mixed match that you had in the in the qualifying draw, saying that you need to do more because you're qualifying, so you clearly haven't done enough.
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It feels like almost a a disrespect towards doubles, maybe uh on tour.
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Is that something that may that you're talking about?
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Like maybe you even had that before and you've changed your point of view of that to elaborate a little bit on it.
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I think we can like collaborate with disrespect because sometimes you have feelings that those comments are like, you know, singles players can play tennis, and doubles players cannot play tennis.
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But it's like it's different.
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Of course, doubles players may be not able to play singles like proper match because you need to run more, you need to it's different.
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You play like different game, but to say like to compare it, it's not fair.
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It just they have different skills.
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So let's say we don't say that singles players cannot volley like doubles players because it's it's like it's tough to compare.
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It's like you cannot compare, I don't know, soccer and ice hockey because it's different.
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Of course, this is the same sport, but it's different angles, it's different practicing.
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Uh so um it's really like not fair to say because they are not running like whole court and they are two on the same side that they are worse players.
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No, they are just different players.
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So for me, you know, you're working hard, you do the same what singles players do.
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It doesn't mean you do less because you are two on one side, but then you're working for it, you're practicing, you build your team, and you build your ranking, and suddenly they say your ranking is not enough because we will go with this ranking.
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Imagine it would be the opposite way.
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So top singles players, and suddenly we would do tournament.
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No, you cannot get in with your ranking, it's gonna be only for doubles.
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I mean, it's it's you're working whole life.
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They someone did that.
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We have two rankings, we have single ranking and doubles ranking.
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So why you now changing it?
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Okay, so then put it together that like okay, it doesn't matter if you play singles and doubles, like in juniors, it's gonna be one ranking, but you already split it, so some players choose to do singles and doubles.
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I mean, so it's like uh we have the options, and suddenly like what we had the option, and uh now you're saying we shouldn't uh choose this option.
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So this is for me, it's like disrespectful, yeah.
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Yeah, it doesn't really make sense.
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What if they were to this doesn't have to be the US Open, it could be the WTA Tour or other majors or just tennis in general.
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If you were to make a change for mixed doubles, what would you do with it if they said Katerina, you get to make the decisions now, what would you do with mixed doubles?
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I mean, for me it was fair, like it was.
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Um, of course, let's say if we're talking about the show and it they want to make it shorter, I don't know.
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So at least do half and half.
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It's not like the whole draw is singles players, the whole like all wild cards are singles players or mix it.
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Okay, but they don't want us there.
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The problem is they don't want to promote us, of course.
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The people don't know us because they don't want to do it.
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They pick just two, three, five names, and that's it.
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And of course they want them there.
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But if we were talking about mixed doubles, so let's do half and half, but they don't want this.
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So me, I definitely would do at least chance like sign-in of best of ranking, not just like you know, singles, then don't call it mixed doubles, then call it mixed singles championships.
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It's like it doesn't make sense for me.
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So I mean I I think how it was, it was fair because even compare like the Grand Slam champions, what they had to go through, they had to win like whole five or six five matches, um, still with no one scoring, but it was proper like match.
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Now, not even you cannot enter like doubles players, but it's like show in two days, and you call yourself grand slam champion.
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I don't know.
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Yeah, I don't like it.
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It's it is weird to win a grand slam in only two days.
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Um you mentioned how they're not promoting you, promoting the doubles players.
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Um, I was curious.
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One of my questions, this was for the end, but this is a good place to slide it in.
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When you are walking around New York or some other city, how often are you stopped by people to take a photo?
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Um, I wouldn't say a lot.
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Like a lot.
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A bit.
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Um, I actually don't mind it, of course, because I can have still normal life, but a few times, you know.
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Not a big deal, I would say.
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Um so yeah.
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Yeah, it's interesting.
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That's something that's one of the comparisons I always do.
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Um, when I first started kind of covering doubles more, I remember seeing Bruno Suarez at Indian Wells, and he was in the middle of the tennis garden having a beer because he had lost earlier in the day.
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And no, nobody was coming up to him or talking to him or anything.
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And he had three majors.
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Yeah, and I was like, if that was Stan Warinka, he would be mobbed, right?
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Yeah, um, and now you're with 11 majors and you can walk around the city and a few people, so it's it's kind of a tangible way to think about like the promotion of the players, right?
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Yeah.
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Um, I want to move on to tennis a bit more.
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You've won, I believe, 38 tournaments now, and it seems like you've won those 38 tournaments with probably like 25 different doubles partners.
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How do you make your doubles partner play good?
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Oh, I don't know.
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Um I think uh I can really change my game or like suit into the game my partner has.
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Um, I'm trying to help like a lot, and I try to let them feel confident.
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So um I definitely want them to play what they like or what they are better at, and I can manage the rest.
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So I think I also have like feeling to kind of change things.
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So if something is not working, I can do other things, and that's very helpful if you can, you know, if you're not also readable for the opponents and you can switch things, and even if I'm used to play on at side and I'm like very confident, then um if I would need, I would rather go to use and let the, you know, let my partner feel much stronger and I would adjust.
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And yeah, it's really funny because I feel like in doubles it just comes naturally and it goes like so easy.
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And then when I'm playing singles and I need to do both, it suddenly disappears.
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Well, I think it's probably easy for most people to play with you as well because you're so good at doubles.
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So it's like they they don't have to make a lot of adjustments, they feel a bit more supported and covered, probably.
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When you are playing with a new partner for a new tournament, let's say like um the Asia Swing Taylor is not available and you decide to play doubles with someone, and maybe it's somebody you've never played with before.
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Do you sit down and have a conversation with them about kind of a game plan?
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Or what does that look like when you're starting out with a new partner?
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I think I would probably um do a little talk, you know, especially before the match, um, just to kind of feel the things or what they wanna do, what they wanna play.
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But I wouldn't go too deep, you know.
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As I said, I want them to feel uh comfortable and confident.
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So I think we would just send which side you're playing, and if you wanna um I show you some things or like the signals, and if you wanna meet talk more or say what you're supposed to do, or if you want my advice, and I think that would be it.
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I mean, usually those players they are good, it's not like they just come up, you know, and I need to teach them.
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Yeah, they they're playing, they know what to do, so it's more like what they used to.
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So I think I would I would do like small chat, what they want and what I want, and we will see.
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It's like really easy.
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Um, you may not remember this, but back in 2022, we uh had an interview with you and Barbara, and I had just re-listened to it this morning.
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And one of the things we asked you about was when you get frustrated on the court.
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And you said, if I want to be calm, I cannot play.
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I need to use it for the game, and it's something I'm working on.
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What have you learned since then, back in 2022, about getting frustrated on the court?
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And how do you think about kind of that balance of intensity versus frustration versus staying calm today in your matches?
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I would say definitely I'm still in process.
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You know, it's um big step, big um I would say I'm learning every day.
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Um, definitely I feel like I change point of view, so it's much easier, but still I'm gonna be the same.
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I definitely cannot be like a stone, and even talking with my coach, it's just like not enough for me.
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Everything is going down and the energy is going down.
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So uh for sure what I would like to or what I want that my partner knows that it's never on them, it's always me.
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And even if I'm like fired up, it's just like it's going out on me, and that's it.
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We are like ready steady and we continue.
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So um definitely I feel like more mature and that it's easier, but sometimes uh I can get crazy from nonsense, so it's still a process.
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Always working.
00:20:02.659 --> 00:20:08.579
Um, you I believe your first major that you won was 2018.
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Is that correct?
00:20:09.779 --> 00:20:10.259
Yes.
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So 2018, since then you've won 12 majors, two Olympic golds.
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What advice would you give yourself back in 2018 before you won that first major?
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Um definitely enjoy it more.
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Then nothing is like um slipping through the fingers, it's just like stay in the present because definitely what I feel more that now when I was young, um everything was like the match was like last thing.
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I wanted you know to be so good that I just didn't think about the future and the match was everything, but it's also important to improve as a player.
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It's not about the match, it is, but it is not in the end.
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So definitely I would like to be more present and more enjoy the process.
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What do you do to enjoy it more today?
00:21:11.299 --> 00:21:15.299
Um sometimes I feel like not really professional.
00:21:15.619 --> 00:21:31.460
I do more like I go to the CT restaurants and just like you know, um I don't stay like so much at tennis or just like staying in tennis, like that everything is around tennis.
00:21:31.619 --> 00:21:38.819
I I'm trying to do other things um to be like mentally ready as well.
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That I don't need to already hit you know five hours to tennis ball.
00:21:43.859 --> 00:21:51.619
Um I I know how to play tennis, it's more that I need to be physically ready and mentally ready.
00:21:51.779 --> 00:22:03.859
So and definitely what I wasn't used to do, like I can go out more and I can just walk in the city just you know to have no kind of normal life more.
00:22:04.500 --> 00:22:05.940
Yeah, that makes sense.
00:22:06.099 --> 00:22:10.819
Um, so a couple more questions and then I will let you go get ready for practice.
00:22:10.899 --> 00:22:12.339
Um, these are listener questions.
00:22:12.420 --> 00:22:15.859
So a few people on Instagram and Twitter had some questions.
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The first one is from Ken Skupsky, actually.
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Uh he said, what rule would you change in doubles?
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Would you change the net chord rule?
00:22:27.779 --> 00:22:32.019
Uh like net chord rule, what's that?
00:22:32.339 --> 00:22:34.180
I think he means on the serve, like let.
00:22:35.619 --> 00:22:39.059
Um I wouldn't change it actually.
00:22:39.220 --> 00:22:48.579
I don't think that we have so much LET that it needs to be like um like if we replay it, it's fine.
00:22:48.899 --> 00:22:55.379
Um I would actually love more to play normal scoring than head scoring.
00:22:55.460 --> 00:23:01.779
So I would do probably two normal sets and super tie break than to play this no ed scoring.
00:23:02.740 --> 00:23:03.619
Got it.
00:23:04.019 --> 00:23:06.980
Um what is your double superpower?
00:23:08.500 --> 00:23:11.220
Oh, I think I would say reflexes.
00:23:11.700 --> 00:23:15.539
Uh I think uh I'm really good at it and I'm not afraid.
00:23:15.700 --> 00:23:20.019
And yeah, it's really good if you stay close to close to the net.
00:23:20.740 --> 00:23:23.299
I was gonna say your backhand from the ad chord.
00:23:23.859 --> 00:23:24.259
Nice.
00:23:24.420 --> 00:23:25.460
So I have one more.
00:23:25.779 --> 00:23:27.139
Maybe that maybe you have two of them.
00:23:27.220 --> 00:23:28.659
I'm sure you have at least two.
00:23:28.819 --> 00:23:28.980
Okay.
00:23:29.379 --> 00:23:35.059
Uh last question: what is your least favorite Grand Slam and why?
00:23:37.539 --> 00:23:41.139
Um I would say actually US Opening.
00:23:42.099 --> 00:23:52.420
Um so I would say because it's very busy, but not like uh not point of view like fans.
00:23:52.500 --> 00:24:10.019
The fans are incredible, I would I would say, and it's always busy, and even smokers are like good atmosphere, but kind of uh the way of traveling and to need to be here, everything is I don't know, like a little bit of struggle for me.
00:24:11.059 --> 00:24:25.379
The journey from or journey, the trip from Manhattan to come here, and then if you like playing 11, or even if I wanna have yearly practice, I'm still coming back to enjoy my afternoon of like four or five.
00:24:25.539 --> 00:24:29.299
So this this part is still just difficult for me.
00:24:29.539 --> 00:24:38.339
Even like practicing in park and then playing match on diff, like every court feels different for me.
00:24:38.500 --> 00:24:43.700
So yeah, I just it's I guess it's US open.
00:24:44.019 --> 00:25:09.379
Yeah, yeah, they're all they're all great, but I'm kind of with you on the the commuting back and forth from Manhattan is yeah, really this is like very tough, and then it's uh also tough to do the schedule because sometimes you go like 20 minutes and the other day you go an hour and you book the car the same way, but suddenly you cannot warm up the same way because everything is slower.
00:25:09.700 --> 00:25:10.980
But yeah.
00:25:11.299 --> 00:25:12.259
So awesome.
00:25:12.500 --> 00:25:14.980
Well, Katarina, thank you so much for coming on.
00:25:15.059 --> 00:25:15.779
I really appreciate it.
00:25:15.940 --> 00:25:19.700
Hopefully, we can do it again in the future, and best of luck next week.
00:25:20.099 --> 00:25:20.659
Perfect.
00:25:20.819 --> 00:25:22.019
Thank you so much.