Dream match-ups, fond memories and renewed confidence dominated the conversation as Australian players spoke to media ahead of Wimbledon. Maya Joint looked ahead to her Centre Court showdown with Serena Williams, Alex de Minaur reflected on his special relationship with the All England Club, while others among the 13-strong Aussie contingent shared the experiences shaping their 2026 campaigns.
“I've been fortunate enough to be here throughout the year and I've been here when the tournament is not on so I can see kind of the grounds empty and how it was all looking. But just to be here at the tournament walking around the grounds when there's no one here, it's pretty iconic and special.” - ALEX DE MINAUR, who has a home nearby in London, has a unique experience of the famous All England Club.
“I never thought I'd actually play her. I've never actually seen her in person. … [she’s] just a legend of the game. I've played a couple of big names on big stages before, so I just take experience from those matches and learn from the mistakes I made there.” – MAYA JOINT is excited to face seven-time champion Serena Williams on Centre Court on Tuesday.
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“I spent a lot of time playing on grass growing up, so it's always been a surface that I've enjoyed playing on. That doesn't necessarily mean that I have great results all the time on it. But I think just with my game style, the surface does complement [it]. I'm just able to find myself in good positions in some matches.” – TALIA GIBSON hopes the skills developed on the grass courts of Perth’s Blue Gum Tennis Club as a junior translate to a deep run at Wimbledon.
“In tennis, every single week or every single match, even one shot sometimes can change the whole perspective. That why they call it a beautiful sport for some reason, because at the same time, you can actually lose it – even though you feel good, you just hit one really bad frame and you start to question what's going on. [But] this is the beauty of our game.” – DARIA KASATKINA appreciates the theatre created by the sport’s unpredictable nature.
“I want to go back to just enjoying [my tennis] and honestly the last three days have been good. I've been enjoying everything. I've been coming off the court and I've been super happy and proud of the work that I was doing and how I was playing. And I haven't really had that feeling in a while.” – As he works to rediscover winning form, ALEXEI POPYRIN is also rediscovering his love for simply competing.
“It was probably the coolest thing. I don't think anything in my career will top that unless I win a Slam. But just the uniqueness of how it was. Looking back, the more I think time passes, the more I see it as an even cooler thing.” – As Joint prepares for a showdown with Williams, AJLA TOMLJANOVIC recalls her elimination of the then-retiring superstar at the 2022 US Open.
“It's been my most successful Slam … I've won my first round each of the last three years I've played here. And, you know, I played [Carlos] Alcaraz two years ago on Court 1, played [Jannik] Sinner on Centre Court last year. So yeah, it's been a good place for me in recent times. I’ll try to use those memories and experiences in this match.” – ALEKSANDAR VUKIC who exited to the eventual champion in his past two Wimbledon campaigns, is drawing on positive memories ahead of his first-round meeting with Jenson Brooksby.
“I expect he’s going to hit some aces, some flairy shots and probably some weird stuff in between. [He’s] a very tricky opponent - very tough when he’s on fire, so you’ve got to kind of weather the storm and I’ve got to take care of my serve and see what happens.” – THANASI KOKKINAKIS believes anything is possible when he faces No.10 seed Alexander Bublik in his Wimbledon return.
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