New generation inspired not burdened by home pressure at Australian Open

Billie Jean King, the former world No.1 and winner of 39 grand slam titles, likes to say: “Pressure is a privilege.” It is the title of the American’s book and one that perhaps all Australian players might do well to get a copy of.

It is 40 years since the last home champion at the Australian Open, when Chris O’Neil won the women’s singles, and 42 years since their last male winner, Mark Edmondson. In the intervening four decades, the likes of Wendy Turnbull, Pat Cash, Lleyton Hewitt and Pat Rafter have all gone close but for many, the desire to win the title has become almost suffocating.

Watching Sam Stosur tense up almost every time she walks through the gates of Melbourne Park is the height of frustration for home fans. Good enough to be a grand slam winner at the US Open in 2011, when she beat Serena Williams, the focus of a nation seems to weigh heavy on her shoulders, just as it did for France’s Amelie Mauresmo at the French Open. In 16 attempts, Stosur has never made it past the fourth round and at times, it was better to watch her matches through the fingers of one hand. As she said a few years ago: “I put far too much pressure on myself in the Aussie summer because I really, really wanted to do well. You only get the opportunity to play at home for a few weeks and I probably built it up too big and didn’t handle the occasions on court very well at all.”

But perhaps the next generation are handling it better and some actively seem to enjoy it. Nick Kyrgios, the best hope in the men’s event, says having Hewitt still around, as Davis Cup captain and an occasional player, takes some of the pressure off the leading men.

“As long as he keeps playing, he’s kind of the legend that we’ve got,” he said. “Obviously we have a rich history in Australia of past champions and past legends. I’m doing my best to follow in their footsteps but it’s good to see we’ve got a good crop of guys coming up now who are making their mark.”

Before Edmondson, Australian men had won the title in five of the previous six years. In the 1960s, Australian men won 32 of the 40 grand slam titles on offer. On the women’s side, Margaret Court won 64 grand slam titles in all, including a record 24 singles victories. The generations that followed suffered by comparison but Ashleigh Barty, the country’s No1 and a woman now ranked inside the top 20, believes it is an inspiration not a burden.

“We’re extremely fortunate to have such legends of the game from Australia and learn from them,” she said. “On the women’s side even having a really close relationship with our Fed Cup captain, Alicia Molik, she’s been through everything you can as a tennis player. Even just getting a text message from her, seeing her in the weeks before or day before matches, it’s extra special to have that support from such legends of Australian tennis.”

Media demands are understandably greater in a home grand slam and distractions can be everywhere, if players let them. “I do a lot of media but I try to stay off Twitter a lot before I play,” Kyrgios said. “I guess a couple of years ago, I’d be very into it, I’d be on social media a lot. I feel like I’m getting better with it. Now I do room service most times and I like to go out and have dinner with family or my girlfriend.”

And what of the crowd, who want their men and women to win so badly. “It’s the best feeling ever, the adrenalin, the extra boost, the support you get from the very passionate Australian Open crowd is amazing,” Barty said. “It really is the best way to start the year. Hopefully we can play well, to feel a little better. I’d love to play well for myself and my team but the public and the fans as well.”

And Daria Gavrilova, another Australian who plays better in Melbourne than anywhere else, said before her second-round defeat to Belgian Elise Mertens on Wednesday night she didn’t even know what pressure really meant. “I just look at it as they [the crowd] want the best for me, and I want it as much. I feel like I can put pressure on myself by [feeling] that, but I feel like I’m just going to go out there and compete really hard, hopefully not disappoint anyone.”(Agencies)