Canberra, Australia, 24 March 2023 | tennis.com.au

It has been a memorable week for Priscilla Hon. The 24-year-old from Brisbane won her biggest ITF singles title in five years and also had the opportunity to hit with Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese at The Lodge while competing in Canberra.

The world No.158 is well aware though that such highs are hard to sustain, having battled through several injury setbacks in her career.

Yet the persistent Hon, Australia’s fifth-ranked woman, is proudly demonstrating why you should never stop chasing your dreams.

Hon reflects on her biggest career lessons and provides an insight into her practice and pre-match routines in our Training Tips series …

Do you have a preferred practice time?

I’m Aussie so we like the mornings. I love waking up and going to train first thing. I feel like in the afternoon I get pretty tired and want to nap, so I like to get everything done in the morning.

Do you like to follow a set routine on the practice court?

There will be at least two or three days a week where I’ll do three hours on court, then the other days are more fitness focused.

What is your favourite part of training?

I actually don’t mind the fitness, it kind of changes it up a little bit.

What is your least favourite part of training?

One of the most hated drills I had for a while, which I did from a young age, was 100 balls down the middle. We wouldn’t be able to move on until we finished that, which was something I struggled with for a while. So it’s always been one I don’t enjoy.

100 years of @TennisCanberra 🎉 🙌 🎾

To celebrate, Aussies @pribo98, @jaimeef17 and Olivia Gadecki joined Prime Minister @AlboMP for a hit on the Lodge's historic court.

📸 Images supplied by the Prime Ministers Office pic.twitter.com/y6pgvoeaTy

— TennisAustralia (@TennisAustralia) March 21, 2023

Do you remember the first professional player you had an opportunity to practice with?

I don’t know the first one, but I do remember hitting with Kaia Kanepi every day when she won the Brisbane International (in 2012).

Is there a player, past or present, that you wish you had the chance to train with?

I’ve always looked up to Justine Henin when I was growing up, so I’d say her.

Do you follow any pre-match superstitions?

I feel like tennis is the most unpredictable sport. You don’t know when you’ll play, it could be in two minutes or an hour. So, I don’t like to have superstitions as things can go wrong at any time and I don’t want that to affect me.

What does your pre-match routine look like then?

You need to eat well and make sure you are fuelled for your match. It is also nice to get some alone time just before you go on.

https://twitter.com/TennisAustralia/status/1637609842084020225?s=20

What advice would you give to an aspiring player to maximise a training session?

You just need to be clear on what you need to work on. You need to work on your weaknesses obviously, but also remember to work on your strengths.

What is the best lesson that tennis has taught you about life?

I’ve been travelling overseas since I was 12, so I feel like I’ve had to grow up pretty quickly. I was doing my own washing at 12 years old – I don’t think there’s that many kids out there that learn that. I’ve also done a lot of trips alone, so it’s important to be aware of your surroundings at all times.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received in your career?

It’s not over until it’s over.

Read more in our Training Tips series:
> Alex Bolt
> Lizette Cabrera
> Jaimee Fourlis
> Storm Hunter
> Maddison Inglis
> Jason Kubler
> John Peers
> Max Purcell
> Luke Saville
> Astra Sharma
> John-Patrick Smith
> Aleksandar Vukic

Book online, play today: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!