In her “Train with the Pros” series, Olivia Gardecki details the importance of enjoying the moment and staying focused on the practice range.
Brisbane, Australia, September 20, 2024 | Jackson Mansell
Olivia Gardecki soared to incredible new heights in 2024.
The 22-year-old from Gold Coast won her first WTA doubles title in March and played in her first WTA singles final last week. The performance has helped Gadecki reach new career-high rankings of world No. 64 in doubles and No. 88 in singles.
This week it was Gadecki. She is the new highest-ranked Australian women’s singles player and recently made her Olympic debut.
The rising star shares his training routine and some valuable advice with us. Train with a pro series.
Do you have a preferred time to practice?
My favorite time of day is probably morning. Actually, the funny thing is, I wasn’t originally a morning person, but now I like to wake up really early and start my day early. I think it’s good to do something really early in the day. I really like to practice between 8 and 9 in the morning because the sun isn’t that strong at that time.
On average, how many hours a week do you spend at the practice range?
It was probably about 20 hours on the court.
Is there a part of the game that you’d like to work on that you like the most?
I enjoy practicing Bali. I also love hitting through the center. There is nothing better than hitting through the center cleanly.
Do you remember a training session that was particularly nerve-wracking?
When I played with Ash Barty, she was always warm and welcoming, but I was always pretty tight, so once I got used to it, it was fine, but the practice was pretty nerve-racking.
Who is your favorite player to practice with while on tour?
We’re really lucky in Brisbane because we have a really good group of girls. Pri (Priscilla Hon), Lizette (Cabrera), Kim (Birrell) and Kaylah (McPhee) are amazing. We all really enjoy practicing together, so we’re really lucky to have each other.
Are there any players you would like to practice with on tour?
(Victoria) I would say Azarenka. I really like the way she practices. I’ve seen her a lot and she’s serious but also fun. She hits the ball really cleanly and I think she can get a good rhythm out of it. I’d like to practice with her.
What advice would you give to aspiring athletes looking to get the most out of their training sessions?
The best advice I can give you is to stay present. I think it’s really important. Time goes by so quickly. You have to be really open to enjoying the moment and learning. Another way is to be patient. Little pieces of the puzzle will fall into place over time. Be positive. Eventually, everything will fall into place. It won’t happen overnight, but it will happen.
Finally, if you had 5 minutes left in your training session and could do whatever you wanted, what would you choose?
I definitely need to work on my serve. It’s a key aspect of my game. There’s nothing better than hitting a few targets before the session ends. I had a pretty average session, but if I could finish it like that, I’d be happy.
> Read more: In the “Train with the Pros” series
Find out how to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au Get out there and have fun!
