Australian Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus shares why she is a big tennis fan in our Celeb Match sequence.
Brisbane, Australia, 12 September 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Ariarne Titmus is an Australian swimming champion.
The 24-year-old received 4 medals on the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Video games, together with gold within the 200-metre freestyle and 400-metre freestyle occasions. She additionally received silver within the 800-metre freestyle occasion and a bronze within the 200-metre freestyle relay.
Titmus claimed one other 4 medals on the Paris 2024 Olympic Video games, defending her 400-metre freestyle title and successful gold within the 200-metre freestyle relay. She additionally claimed silver medals within the 200-metre freestyle and 800-metre freestyle occasions.
Now certainly one of Australia’s most achieved Olympians, the world report holder is an avid tennis fan too.
Titmus, who grew up in Tasmania and now lives in Queensland, was thrilled when Rafael Nadal made his aggressive return on the Brisbane Worldwide earlier this 12 months and attended all of his matches.
The swimming famous person talks about her love for tennis, and particularly the Spanish champion, in our Celeb Match sequence …
Inform us about your tennis expertise. Have you ever performed earlier than?
I’ve a joke. To get an excellent grade in PE (Bodily Schooling) in Yr 12, I needed to go a tennis time period and I’m fairly positive my trainer gave me a C simply because he favored me, not due to my tennis means. I’m very un-coordinated and positively not made for land, however I like watching tennis.
What’s your earliest tennis reminiscence?
My household may be very sport-orientated and I grew up watching the Australian Open on TV. I turned obsessive about Rafa once I was youthful. His struggle and willpower is one thing that I aspire to have. Regardless that he’s not a swimmer, he’s positively my sporting idol. Having somebody like him to observe, it makes you extra in tune with the game.
What’s your favorite tennis reminiscence?
I’d say my favorite tennis reminiscence is assembly Rafa on the Australian Open in 2022. I acquired to sit down in his participant’s field together with his household and his group. That was simply an unreal expertise. Have you learnt what the very best half about it was? I realised he and his household are identical to me. They’re very down-to-earth individuals who have labored exhausting to get the place they’re. Him and I share widespread targets in our careers too, in order that was very humbling to see.
Are there another tennis gamers you’d most like to fulfill?
Roger Federer can also be somebody who’s a legend of tennis. He had such ability and charm when he performed. On the ladies’s facet, I really suppose Aryna Sabalenka in the mean time may be very highly effective and the best way she performs the sport is sort of aggressive, which I like. She appears to be like like she fully backs herself on the courtroom, so I love that.
Do you bear in mind the primary skilled tennis match you noticed stay?
I’m fairly positive it was on the Brisbane Worldwide in 2017. I’d have been 17 and bear in mind seeing Milos Raonic, the tall Canadian man, play Kei Nishikori. That was my first stay tennis match.
As knowledgeable athlete, what impresses you most when watching tennis?
Tennis is clearly a bodily demanding sport, however you even have to pay attention for such a protracted time period. In case you let your thoughts wander, that’s when you possibly can let the match slip. So it’s not about your bodily means, it’s about protecting it collectively mentally. I believe these gamers that may management their feelings the very best and have the very best perception in themselves are those which might be capable of carry out. So I actually admire that these athletes can keep centered for such a protracted time period. My longest race lasts eight minutes. They are often on the market typically for 4 or 5 hours, so that actually impresses me.
Lastly, are you able to please end this sentence for us:
Tennis is enjoyable as a result of … You’ll be able to go and watch it with your pals.
> Learn extra interviews from our Celeb Match sequence
Discover your option to play: Go to play.tennis.com.au to get out on courtroom and have some enjoyable!