Take a behind the scenes look into the action at the 2025 BNP Paribas Open.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Okay, ready? Go for it.
00:12Nice.
00:14When you did that interview, you ended up getting away.
00:16Yeah.
00:17You said it's going to be me.
00:19People are so energetic here.
00:22Like extra, extra energy.
00:27Wish I had that extra energy.
00:29Yeah, that is...
00:30That one.
00:33It's like a dog.
00:37You are mouthy. Holy crap.
00:57Okay, let's go.
00:59Perfect, thank you.
01:02Hey guys.
01:03How are you doing?
01:04Hey, hey.
01:05Great, thanks. How are you?
01:06I'll put those in there.
01:08Hello, hello.
01:09I'm good, how are you?
01:10Very well, thank you.
01:11When did you get here?
01:12Oh, Sunday.
01:13Okay, okay.
01:14A little bit.
01:15Okay.
01:16From Dubai.
01:17Oh my God, from Dubai.
01:18Yeah.
01:19Not even just from London?
01:20No, no, no.
01:21Brutal.
01:22When did you get here?
01:23Like Wednesday.
01:24I can't even complain about it now.
01:26I mean, I can still, of course, but...
01:29It's a place I love coming back to.
01:30It's one of the most relaxed places.
01:32It's beautiful scenery every day that I wake up.
01:35It doesn't even look real.
01:36It's quite a spectacle for sure.
01:40Alex has been on the golf course quite a bit,
01:42but I haven't made it out there yet.
01:44I'm sure there's still time for that,
01:45but yeah, we do like to kind of change things up a little bit here.
01:50Hey.
01:51Hey.
01:53Oh, you're fine.
01:55This one's always my favourite one.
01:57Just got like a little one of these and off we go.
01:59Yeah.
02:01Yeah.
02:02Oh, tree.
02:04No, I definitely don't.
02:06Yeah, thank you.
02:08Yeah, that is...
02:09That one.
02:14Thanks.
02:16They're everywhere.
02:17Was that from somewhere?
02:19Oh, that was it.
02:21That was it.
02:23Yeah, you don't have to...
02:24Yeah.
02:25Okay.
02:28Nice to meet you.
02:29Okay, we only have three minutes.
02:30Can we go to the corner?
02:31Yeah, sure.
02:47I love...
02:52So good.
02:58Okay, ready?
02:59Go for it.
03:05So cool.
03:11Okay.
03:12Hello.
03:14Nice to meet you.
03:16Come down here.
03:20Hello.
03:22Nice to meet you.
03:23Alex.
03:24Nice to meet you.
03:29Nice.
03:31Love it.
03:33Alright.
03:34I'm right here.
03:36Now I'm going to catch you from here as well.
03:40Nice.
03:42Beautiful.
03:47Yeah, I like that right there.
03:49Sorry.
03:51You're good.
03:52Nice.
03:54Yay.
04:11Nice.
04:15Alright.
04:19Nice.
04:35Hi, I'm hanging out with Basil.
04:39Right now on the lawn here at Indian Wells.
04:43This is Juliana Almos's dog.
04:46And he's decided to make an appearance today.
04:48So this is his debut.
04:51Austin was great.
04:52Such a really fun week.
04:54First time ever being there.
04:55It was a lot of fun.
04:56A lot of really good fans.
05:00That is so cute.
05:01Basil.
05:04He likes the camera.
05:06It was a lot of fun.
05:07It was a really fun week.
05:09Obviously always better when you win a title.
05:10But the fans were really cool.
05:13Yeah, and I'm excited to hopefully go back next year.
05:16Playing with Ashlyn Kruger.
05:18We're about to go warm up before our doubles match later today.
05:22Yeah, excited to get the tournament underway.
05:25She just won last night as well.
05:27And I'll play tomorrow.
05:29You are mouthy.
05:30Holy crap.
05:35Days like this, it's really nice.
05:36Obviously the backdrop is amazing.
05:38The fact that we have this nice lawn here to warm up.
05:41Be outside.
05:42Have a lot of space.
05:43I think it's always the best.
05:45That and the fans.
05:46The fans are always great for singles and doubles.
05:48Which makes it really exciting.
06:07I'm excited.
06:19I played last week.
06:21Which to be honest was a bit of a bonus.
06:23We weren't planning on playing there.
06:25Just my rehab was going really, really well.
06:27So we were like, okay, why not?
06:28I'm kind of ready to get out on the doubles court.
06:31But yeah, being here at Indian Wells.
06:34Honestly, it was a dream for me.
06:35After I had surgery, my surgeon said it'd be at least 12 months.
06:41And I was like, no.
06:42Indian Wells is definitely, that was about 10 to 11 months.
06:45I was like, okay, that's the goal.
06:47And I had really good memories here last year.
06:49Making the final of the doubles and winning the mixed exhibition as well.
06:53So it was a lot of fun and good memories.
06:55So I was like, I have to come back to Indian Wells in 2025.
06:58So to be here is just, yeah, really, really exciting.
07:02And I'm super happy to have my team here as well.
07:05Who spent almost every day with me in rehab.
07:08When I couldn't walk and I had the scooter to get around.
07:11And yeah, it was limping and learning to walk again.
07:15Learning to jump, learning to run.
07:16They were there through every single milestone.
07:18So it's just, yeah, a bit of a celebration for us to be here this week.
07:23I was in Melbourne.
07:24So yeah, my surgeon was there.
07:26And I've been there for the last 10 years in Melbourne.
07:29It's home to me.
07:30So I was, yeah, at home, which was always, it's always nice to be home.
07:34But the first few months were really, really hard.
07:36I couldn't put any weight on my leg at all for the first eight weeks.
07:40So it was quite hard to get around.
07:42And a lot of time, you know, sitting on the couch.
07:45Doing other things.
07:46Reading a lot.
07:48Doing Lego.
07:49A lot of my friends, some tennis friends bought me like Lego and knitting stuff.
07:52So I had a few hobbies to keep me busy.
07:54But yeah, the first probably three months were really, really hard.
07:57It felt very slow.
07:59Coming back to playing tennis honestly felt like it was a huge mountain to climb.
08:03I didn't at times feel like I could get back to it, to be honest.
08:06Just with how I was feeling and struggling to walk 10 metres.
08:10I was in a lot of pain.
08:11And, yeah, to be on court felt, yeah, really far away.
08:16But, yeah, to be here now just feels amazing, to be honest.
08:21And, yeah, just the start of a new chapter for me.
08:24To be back and trying to problem solve on the court.
08:27It's about playing matches again.
08:29Trying to get better as a player and not so much about feeling like I'm injured.
08:33You know, just going out and enjoying performing.
08:36And, yeah, trying to win some matches.
08:38Yeah, so I'm playing with Caroline Dullahy.
08:41And we're really, really good friends.
08:43We've been long time friends for a few years.
08:46And, yeah, she was someone that I really wanted to play with
08:49because I just really wanted to have fun
08:50and have someone next to me that was super excited for me to come back as well.
08:54And, again, it's not so much about the result.
08:56It's about the journey and being, you know, with the people that have been in your team
08:59and the support I've had from her over many years.
09:03It's just really nice to be able to play alongside a really good friend.
09:06And, yeah, I'm super excited.
09:08So we're going to play here.
09:10And just to have everyone around, you know, I felt really lucky.
09:13I had a lot of support when I was injured.
09:15A lot of players reaching out and coaches, WTA staff,
09:18and people just, yeah, checking in and everything.
09:21So it was really nice.
09:22I felt a lot of love and support.
09:24And to see everyone here, it's really nice.
09:26I think Indian Wells is the perfect environment for that
09:29because we have this, like, great grass area.
09:31A lot of games are happening.
09:33You can do all different types of warm-ups.
09:35You have a lot of space.
09:36And, yeah, it's just a really fun and relaxed environment.
09:39And I think that's just the perfect place for me to make my return, to be honest.
09:43For now, we're just focusing on enjoying being here,
09:46getting out on the doubles court,
09:47trying to, yeah, perform, problem-solve,
09:49and, yeah, get some matches under my belt
09:51and hopefully singles in a couple months.
09:55Let's go.
10:07I also have Sky Joe.
10:08Ah, yes?
10:09I should have taken it.
10:10Like the normal one?
10:12Yeah, like the normal, normal one.
10:14I should have taken it,
10:15but I knew that Conchita, she would be a pain in the ass.
10:18I don't understand.
10:19Let's just play, you know?
10:20Yes, yes, yes.
10:21Three, two, one, switch.
10:25Four, three, two, one.
10:27It's like a dog.
10:31Push me out.
10:32Five, four, three, two, one.
10:34I need only the first, the right one.
10:37Twice.
10:42Okay, to come back.
10:43Excellent.
10:49Now they're going to hear me breathing with the microphone.
10:53They're going to hear me breathing after second exercise.
10:59Okay, left.
11:03To come back, jump with two legs.
11:12Up, up, up, up, up, up, up, up.
11:15Left again.
11:17Side steps?
11:18Yes, side steps.
11:22That's it.
11:31Okay, stop before the camera.
11:35I'm not sure.
11:37Please.
11:38Please.
11:43I'm just going to pass, okay?
11:45Okay, yeah, but stop.
11:47After, you need to stop.
11:48You need to decelerate and stop.
11:50Okay.
11:52Okay.
12:07Gracias.
12:10Would you behave?
12:16Who is that?
12:17She asked him.
12:21Are we going to go to San Diego?
12:24You want to?
12:25No, I mean, the court is in San Diego or what?
12:28But for a second I was happy.
12:31He wants to go to San Diego.
12:33I'm good.
12:34We can go.
12:36And it's like, what, two hours from here?
12:39You want to go this way?
12:40Why not?
12:41Yeah.
12:42You got your win.
12:44When you did that interview, you ended up getting your win.
12:46Yeah.
12:47You said it's going to be me.
12:49People are so energetic here.
12:52Like extra, extra energy.
12:58Wish I have extra energy.
13:17Is it her first practice as well?
13:19Yes.
13:20Okay.
13:33Ciao, ciao, ciao.
13:34Ciao, ciao.
13:42I thought you were going to give me some sh** because I'm late.
13:49You're really not going to say anything now?
14:04No.
14:35Hey.
14:44Balls also fly a little bit here, so finish your shot.
14:48Like you're here, I finish.
14:51You know, like here, I finish.
14:53Sometimes you're here and you go back a little bit before you finish.
14:59Okay.
15:00And also, can I please ask you to, if you talk, to be on that side.
15:04No jokes.
15:11Nice.
15:20Sorry.
15:30Sorry.
15:46Now she's the rich friend.
15:50She knows which tournament to win.
15:52Zero tax.
15:55That's exactly what I thought about.
16:00Anyway, all you got was the Lego.
16:02Yeah, but I mean it cost 90 euros for the minute.
16:12Expect nothing, get the maximum.
16:23Feel what?
16:26No, actually it was not too bad.
16:28Yesterday we pushed till 11 and woke up like at 6.
16:33And you?
16:35I fell asleep at 11.
16:37I woke up at 7.50.
16:40With the alarm, no.
16:44She can sleep 15 hours.
16:46Oh, I would love to.
16:48If it's dark in the room and no one wakes me up, I can go.
16:54I cannot sleep with the...
16:56Yeah, I cannot.
16:58I will wake up, but feeling so bad.
17:01I have to wake up with the sunlight.
17:17I like the attention.
17:18The first few shots it felt like it was a rock.
17:21Now it's okay.
17:24But the ball flies and I feel like every time it should go in,
17:28but every time it's the same like this long.
17:33I feel like the size of the ball is smaller.
17:37Yeah.
17:40Yeah.
17:52No, what is this?
17:58I'm focusing on everything.
18:03On every finger.
18:06Okay.
18:08Okay.
18:11Okay.
18:13Sorry.
18:24Okay.
18:27Okay.
18:37I woke up today and I was like, what?
18:39I just beat Naomi.
18:42I played her in Australia.
18:43It was different because for me, of course, she's like one of my idols.
18:47So when I saw her for the first time in Australia,
18:49I was going to compete.
18:50We also played in a stadium.
18:52I was more nervous and I didn't know what to expect.
18:54I was just like, I'm just going to enjoy and see what happens.
18:57This time I was like, I think I can win this.
18:59I just went out there to enjoy, of course,
19:01but like to fight for every point and to stick to my plan.
19:05It was pretty cool because everything was working out.
19:07She was like trying to hit the ball, you know,
19:09because she's like so good and she hits like to the corner.
19:11I was just running side to side and trying to catch one more ball in
19:14and it worked out.
19:15So it was pretty cool.
19:17It's nice to have this type of victories because it gives you confidence,
19:19but it's about just focus on the next one because I still have a lot to go.