Melbourne, VIC, Australia, 7 Might 2025 | Matt Trollope
This time final 12 months, Maya Joint was exterior the highest 200 and taking part in matches on the ITF circuit.
Now, she’s a top-80 participant competing repeatedly on the WTA Tour, having just lately represented Australia on the Billie Jean King Cup, and shortly to make her Roland Garros debut.
MORE: Massive Aussie contingent set for Roland Garros
Already this 12 months she has performed earlier than a full home at Pat Rafter Area underneath lights in opposition to Victoria Azarenka in Brisbane, in opposition to top-five star Jessica Pegula on one of many Australian Open’s largest present courts at John Cain Area, and a number of other different massive matches in opposition to prime gamers.
It’s a meteoric rise that has left {the teenager} sightly shocked.
“It’s positively a ‘that is ridiculous’ sort of second, the place I didn’t actually really feel like I used to be speculated to be there, sort of?” Joint stated of the Azarenka match on this week’s episode of The Sit-Down, her first podcast interview.
“It simply felt actually bizarre, me being there. Or taking part in in opposition to Pegula on John Cain… strolling out onto that court docket I felt, oh boy. I used to be like, ‘I’m not successful this match’. That’s what I used to be considering.
“I’ve needed to work quite a bit with my psychological coach about simply sort of taking part in these matches, as a result of extra of these matches have occurred, the place I’m taking part in, like, a reputation. And I simply must play the ball that’s coming at me, and never the individual.
PODCAST: Maya Joint on The Sit-Down
“However it’s a really totally different expertise to a few months in the past, a 12 months in the past, so it’s simply been a really loopy transition, however tremendous thrilling.
“It’s been so cool having the ability to stroll out on the levels with all these individuals and play in opposition to these individuals, simply those who I’ve watched on tv after which realising, ‘oh, somebody is likely to be watching me on tv, that is actually bizarre’ (laughter).”
Originally of 2024 Joint was ranked 684th, earlier than embarking on a season that noticed her win greater than 60 matches, seize two titles from 4 match finals and finish the 12 months at world No.119.
Except for Naomi Osaka, no participant rose extra rating locations than Joint to finish 2024 contained in the top-200. However there was little celebration.
“We didn’t do something,” Joint laughed. “I believe after I received into the highest 100 in Merida, we went and received ice-cream. However we do this anyway.
“We had been conscious of it [the ranking rise] however we didn’t actually do something. Possibly I didn’t fairly imagine it on the time, nevertheless it was simply… it’s bizarre to have fun one thing that, like, you’re not completed but.”
So what does it imply to be “completed”?
“I imply I suppose if you’re completed with tennis, or if you get to No.1, I suppose then you definately’ve sort of completed it. Then you’ll be able to have fun,” she replied.
“Any milestone within the prime 100 is de facto particular. Prime 50, prime 40, prime 30, something is only a loopy achievement. I believe it’s necessary to have fun if you do it, however not let it take focus away from… like, you’ve not reached the aim but.”
Throughout 2024, Joint confronted 5 top-100 ranked gamers. Within the first two months of 2025 alone, she had already confronted 10 top-100 opponents.
Not solely that, however she has crushed a number of of them, and shortly.
She routed No.4 seed Magda Linette – the Australian Open 2023 semifinalist – 6-1 6-1 to succeed in the quarterfinals in Hobart, the place she allowed AO 2020 champion Sofia Kenin simply 4 video games.
REWIND: Rising Aussie star Maya Joint storms into Hobart semis
In Mexico, her 6-1 6-2 domination of Twentieth-ranked Donna Vekic despatched her into the WTA 500 Merida quarterfinals, and into the highest 100 herself.
“I’m undecided I can,” Joint laughed when requested if she might clarify these one-sided scorelines.
“I imply, I performed actually, very well, these matches. All the pieces simply kinda labored; I hit the ball the place I wished it to go, and it just about at all times went in, and people matches aren’t going to occur day by day, sadly.
“I believe I used to be simply tremendous excited to be within the place that I used to be on the time. I used to be in Hobart, which I’d by no means been to earlier than, and it was such a wonderful setting with the mountains within the background and simply taking part in in Australia with the group on my facet. It was so wonderful. And having the Australian Open forward of me and simply being actually excited to go there after.
“Then I used to be in Merida, Mexico and once more the group had been on my facet, it was great. And I used to be actually taking part in properly and simply having fun with what I used to be doing.
“I noticed who I used to be taking part in earlier than the match and I used to be like, ‘yeah, properly, no strain, see what occurs’.”
Actually, Joint revealed that this was her mentality each time she faces a “identify”.
“It’s a extremely enjoyable expertise to be out on the court docket and simply see what I can do, just about,” she defined.
“It’s at all times thrilling to go to a brand new place, as a result of I had by no means been to any of these tournaments earlier than, by no means performed these degree of tournaments earlier than, so it’s simply tremendous thrilling to understand that I’m there, and that I’m taking part in them.
“It’s simply so enjoyable to have the ability to play in opposition to these varieties of individuals and have these high-level matches.”
Hearken to the total episode of The Sit-Down, a weekly podcast launched every Monday that includes an in-depth interview with a notable tennis identification. Subscribe to The Sit-Down in your favorite podcast participant.
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