Maddison Inglis: “It’s really important to just give everything that you’ve got” | 21 April, 2023 | All News | News and Features | News and Events

A resurgent Maddison Inglis, one of Australia’s leading female players, recently captured her first professional singles title in more than three years.

The 25-year-old from Perth, who made the Australian Open 2022 third round in a career-best run and has been ranked as high as world No.112, claimed her sixth career ITF singles title last week.

Inglis impressively scored five straight-sets victories, and defeated three of the top five seeds, during her title-winning run in Japan.

Inglis, who is currently ranked No.297, provides an insight into her practice habits in our Training Tips series …

What time of day do you prefer to practice?

I’m definitely a mid-morning kind of person, 10am or 11am is when I like to hit. I’d do a couple of hours on-court, then do gym in the afternoon.

Is that a routine you always try to follow?

If I’m doing a training week, then for sure that is what I like to do. It’s different in tournaments, because you want to hit when you’re going to play, but you often just have to take what you can get when it comes to available courts. But definitely if I could choose, then mid-morning is when I’m at my best.

How many hours, on average, would you practice a week?

I would say two hours a day on court hitting, six days a week. I love gym, so I try to do a bit in the gym every day except Sunday. I’d spend at least an hour in the gym each day, so six hours a week on average. Sunday is my chilled day.

Why is it important to give yourself a day off?

For me it is so important. I use that day to recover both physically and mentally. Training weeks are so tough, so I think it’s always good to have a day where you can get away from tennis. I love spending time with my family too and I think Sundays are really important for that. Going to the beach, getting in the water, or going to a nice cafe just refreshes you and then you’re ready to go the next week.

What is your favourite part of training?

I love gym, I really, really do. I love how I feel after, I love feeling strong and fit.

What is your least favourite part of training?

Conditioning. I hate running. I feel good after, but I don’t like it. There are a lot of benefits from running, which is what I always tell myself when I’m trying to get through it. But it’s always tough.

Do you prefer practice sessions to consist of repetition or competition?

It’s so important to do both, but I definitely prefer competitive sessions. I feel like I get more intense and into it when it is competitive. If we are doing a drill I often say, ‘can we play points with this drill?’ For me that works better.

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

Honestly, I don’t know. It would have been someone in Perth, maybe it was Jess Moore. I do remember her hitting with some of us girls a little bit when she was playing on the professional tour and we were still really young. I remember trying to match her intensity and it was tough. She would give it her all in practice and that was definitely an eye-opener for me.

Is there a practice session that stands out as your most memorable?

I love training in Brisbane and every time I got to hit with Ash Barty was super exciting. I always looked forward to that. It was so cool to hit with her and feel her ball. I always felt like I had to lift to give her a good session, so it felt like I was at my best when I hit with her.

Is there anyone on tour that you haven’t practiced with yet, but would love the opportunity to do so?

That’s actually something that I haven’t thought about. It would be cool to feel the ball of Serena (Williams), because I never played against her, and it would be great to see how she trains. Coco Gauff is another one who is so strong and fit. I just think it would be interesting to feel their shots.

If you could choose anyone from tennis history to practice with, who would it be?

Honestly, I don’t know. I’ve been lucky enough to hit with a few of my idols, like Sam Stosur and Ash (Barty). I would probably say them, even though I’ve already hit with them.

What advice would you share to aspiring tennis players on how to get the most from a practice session?

I would say from a young age you definitely want to enjoy it, otherwise you’re not going to get the best out of yourself. I also think it’s really important to just give everything that you’ve got on that day to the session. Turning up every day and then giving your best is the most important thing and how you’re going to get to be a better tennis player. That’s what I would definitely tell my younger self for sure.

Are there lessons you’ve learned about practice that you wish you knew when you were younger?

Sometimes I would be like ‘ugh, I’ve got to go to training again’. I wish I could have enjoyed it more and didn’t look at it as such a negative thing to train all of the time. I wish I gave my all every single day, as there were days where I would use excuses like ‘I’m tired’ and I didn’t give everything that I had that day. That never makes you feel good.

Finally, if you had five minutes left in a practice session and could choose to do anything, what would you do?

I love this game called dingles. It’s a fun game that four people can play. It starts with four people hitting cross-court, then as soon as one cross-court rally ends you yell out ‘dingles’ and it’s open. Everyone plays the ball that is still going, so it turns into doubles. I love it, so that’s how I’d choose to end a session.