Melbourne, Australia | It was a “faster, stronger” Leylah Fernandez who took to the field in Melbourne on Tuesday to take on Alizé Cornet. The result of his last weeks of training alongside his new agent Julian Alonso.
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Hard work under the Florida sun that served the little left-hander well in this first-round straight-set win, her first ever here, in Melbourne, in four appearances.
But when she sped up her shots and serve, it was all about the importance of the mental aspect of tennis, which the 20-year-old Quebecois addressed at a press conference.
One would have thought that international journalists would have lost interest in the young racquet following the more difficult results following his stress fracture of his foot at Roland-Garros.
Well, no, a couple of them were in the huge Melbourne Park conference room, which looks like a cinema, on Tuesday. The New York Times in particular was there.
As usual, Leylah took the time to reply in a calm tone, in both English and French. She also often does it in Spanish when Spanish-speaking writers are on site.
75% of his game
And on Tuesday, Fernandez seemed ready to philosophize.
No, she didn’t quote Les Boys’ Bob and his famous “mental toughness” when talking about the psychological aspect of his game.
But if she always says she wants to “improve her speed and the intelligence of her game, not always hitting the court”, it turns out that for La Valloise the mental aspect of tennis counts for 75%.
It was her father Jorge, her head coach for years, who instilled that mentality in her, she noted.
“He taught me that, more than technique [M. Fernandez a plutôt joué et entraîné au soccer avant]He featured the 40th player in the world. You know, tennis is tough. You are alone in the field. Often you don’t have your coach with you or you can’t talk to him about points.
“You have to find your own solutions, be your biggest cheerleader, be your biggest fan. »
emotions intact
That’s what the Quebecer had to do on Tuesday against Cornet, 34th in the world. At 32, the Frenchwoman – a friend of Fernandez’s by the way – is now an old hand on the race track.
The left-hander quickly fell 2-0 down in the first set and couldn’t aim between the lines.
“When the score was 3-1, I found the solution to change the speed of the game. I’m glad I stayed patient and that things didn’t jostle in my head, that my emotions stayed intact. »
“I want to die”
This aspect of the sport is particularly highlighted in the Netflix-produced Bulle de Brise series, released just before the start of the Australian Open.
Spain’s Paula Badosa, who finished second in the world last year, spoke in particular about her difficulties dealing with the pressure.
“When I play well, I feel at home on the pitch,” she told the WTA website. But I can go from that feeling to wanting to say, “Get me out of here, I want to die.” »
An inspiration for everyone
Leylah hasn’t seen Break Point yet. However, she is aware that this stress, this pressure, is not limited to the sport that she practices.
She mentioned her older sister, Jodeci, who wanted to be a dentist but didn’t have the required grades to enter this program. Or some of his friends who are still in school, “trying to figure out what they want to do in life.”
“It’s hard because you don’t know what’s going to happen. So I think the Netflix series […] allows young athletes but also young students to see that we are going through these situations and they will not feel alone.
“That way they don’t feel defeated. You will see that they can pull through too. »
philosopher, they say.
“I have to accept that she will attack me”
Leylah Fernandez actually needs to be “her own cheerleader” on the court against Melbourne fourth seed Caroline Garcia on Wednesday. Because Garcia is currently one of the most prominent players.
At 29, it has certainly taken the talented Frenchwoman longer than expected to reach her full potential. But in recent months, thanks to her intelligent and powerful tennis, she won the season-ending Masters title and played in the semifinals at the United States Open.
Results that allowed her to climb the ladder of women’s rankings at breakneck speed and achieve her career best rank.
“I guess I just have to accept that she’s going to attack me!” the Quebecer answered frankly when asked about the strategy he should use against Garcia.
“She is very offensive, she will take the ball very, very early. It won’t be easy, she admitted. I have to adapt to his speed and adjust my game accordingly. »
Garcia will also have to adapt
Garcia has trained with Fernandez in the past but it’s been a while, for her part she pointed out fourth place on Tuesday ahead of the many journalists from “France” who surrounded her.
In French tennis in search of champions, the likeable athlete is the taste of the hour.
“She’s left-handed, so she needs to be adjusted. She often uses the outbound service, which we’re less used to,” Garcia said, before recalling that his coach Juan Pablo Guzman is a left leg himself.
“In the end, it’s true that I don’t know her too well,” she added, but she’s played well in Grand Slams, particularly the US Open. [2021]. And if she beats Alizé [Cornet], which means she’s pretty solid too, because we all know Alizé’s strengths in big tournaments. »
A beautiful poster
One thing is for sure, and even Garcia says so: it’s a good poster for a second round. The game will be played in Quebec on Wednesday evenings or even overnight from Wednesday to Thursday.
It will arguably stand on one of Melbourne Park’s most important sites. For his first game, Garcia had been booked due to his fourth seed status at Rod Laver Arena, the largest stadium on site.
Live from Melbourne Park
The scorching heat forced Australian Open organizers to suspend matches on pitches without a retractable roof for much of the afternoon on Matchday 2. Melbourne has an “excessive heat” protocol that had to be put in place, particularly because of the mercury exceeding 35 degrees. The good news is that only 21 degrees was forecast for the start of the second round matches on Tuesday. The bad news is that rain was expected…enough to give the organizers even more headaches.
FELL ON YOUR HEAD ON A SCOOTER WITHOUT A HELMET?
Like most major cities around the world, Melbourne has electric scooters available for hire to speed up travel. These come with a helmet which is not optional. And even though Nick Kyrgios is Australian, he didn’t abide by the rule. The 19th seedling to be withdrawn from the Australian Open because of a knee injury was photographed on a scooter without a helmet… and with a passenger (who appeared to be his girlfriend, Costeen Hatzi). “Tennis’ terrible child” could be fined nearly $230 for the first offense and about $185 for the second, according to The Guardian.
CHAMPAGNE, PLEASE!
We told you on Tuesday that gin is popular at Melbourne Park. But like all the biggest tennis tournaments in the world, it’s also possible to have a glass of champagne here. Because what would tennis be without a bit of luxury? At the Australian Open you can sit on a covered terrace. It is the Piper-Heidsieck that is offered for sale on the website as she is also one of the sponsors of the event. In Quebec, 750ml retails at $64.75. In the first major tournament of the season, a trophy will cost you $20.