Doubles star Matt Ebden has loads of nice apply tales to share in our “Practice with the Execs” sequence.
Perth, Australia, 16 August 2024 | Jackson Mansell
At age 36, the enduring Matt Ebden is reaching new heights in his profession.
The Perth athlete received the Australian Open 2024 males’s doubles title alongside Indian Rohan Bopanna and shortly after rose to world No.1 within the ATP Tour doubles rankings.
The unforgettable yr grew to become even higher when Ebden teamed up with compatriot John Friends in Paris to scoop Australia’s first Olympic tennis gold medal since 1996.
The inspiring Ebden shares recommendation and recollects a few of his favorite apply reminiscences in our Practice with the Execs sequence.
Do you will have a favorite time of day to apply?
Nothing too early, until I’m at house so I have to get apply out of the best way so I can go to the seashore or spend the day with my little child boy who is 2 years outdated. Generally, not too early is right. I like to have the ability to get up, have a pleasant espresso and breakfast or brunch with my household then apply late morning or early afternoon.
Do your coaching classes look totally different now you might be specializing in doubles?
With doubles I don’t want to coach as lengthy, it’s not a lot about endurance and working to have the ability to final 5 units at Grand Slams. The main focus is extra on energy, in addition to quick and sharp factors. Serving and explosive energy turns into much more essential.
Do you will have a favorite a part of your recreation to work on?
My serve and my forehand, in addition to my web recreation and attacking actions, was what I primarily based my recreation round once I was taking part in singles. Now with doubles, it’s in all probability simply my serve. It’s so essential in doubles.
Do you will have a least favorite a part of your recreation to work on?
I really can’t consider one. I take pleasure in attempting to grasp the artwork of tennis, so I like practising all kinds of various photographs and techniques.
Are you able to recall the primary skilled participant you had the chance to apply with?
I don’t know if it was the primary one ever, however the greatest one which involves thoughts is Lleyton Hewitt. I completed highschool in Perth once I was 17 and the Hopman Cup was all the time there. He was world No.1 on the time, and I used to be simply beginning on my journey, so I used to be a hitting associate on the occasion. He might see I used to be eager to coach the home down, so he requested me to heat him up for all of his matches. That was my first foray into hitting with a world-class athlete. The depth of Lleyton and Rochey (coach Tony Roche) on the courtroom is one thing I bear in mind effectively. There was no respiration room. In case you missed one or there was a winner, Rochey would already be feeding the subsequent ball in.
Who’ve been your favorite hitting companions on tour?
There’s been rather a lot over the previous 15 years. Hitting with Roger Federer was all the time extremely particular. I bought to heat him up on the Australian Open once I was actually younger after which once I was prime 50 and nearer to his degree, we practised collectively rather a lot. We each performed Hopman Cup in Perth a number of years in the past and spent every week coaching and taking part in apply units. It’s unimaginable what he can do with the ball, so it was all the time a pleasure to be on the courtroom with him and it impressed you to actually raise your self. For the time being, I apply rather a lot with my doubles associate, Rohan Bopanna. We apply collectively almost each day after we’re at tournaments.
Are you able to recall any coaching classes whenever you had been notably nervous?
The primary time I used to be known as as much as heat up Roger, was for his semifinal towards Jo-Wilfried Tsonga on the Aussie Open (in 2010). I bear in mind strolling on the courtroom and considering ‘oh, I higher hit the ball effectively’.
Is there anybody on tour you’d most wish to have the chance to hit towards?
Novak Djokovic. I’ve performed a number of instances towards Andy Murray and Rafael Nadal. Roger, I’ve clearly practiced with rather a lot and performed him a number of instances too. So, I’ve bought to know these three large guys rather well and play them in singles. However I’ve by no means performed Novak in singles, we by no means crossed one another in a draw. I used to be meant to play him in doubles on the Paris Masters on the finish of 2023, however they needed to withdraw from our second-round match as his associate had a wrist harm. Then on the United Cup in Perth in January, we had been meant to play him within the blended doubles. However he didn’t find yourself taking part in as we’d already received the tie.
Is there anybody from tennis historical past that you just’d most wish to apply with?
I’d undoubtedly wish to hit some balls with Andre Agassi. He was my favorite participant rising up and I modelled my two-handed backhand like him. I appreciated the best way he performed and his story. Again within the 90s, I had a black-and-yellow Head tennis racquet like him. Once I received the Australian Open blended doubles title in 2013, he really offered us with the trophy. In order that was a pleasant second.
What recommendation would you share with an aspiring participant desirous to maximise their coaching classes?
It’s a must to discover enjoyable and pleasure within the means of enhancing or working in your recreation together with your coach. Individuals may suppose that tennis is simply forehands and backhands – however there’s a lot to work on. There are serves, second serves, second serve returns. There are slices, volleys, motion. There’s offense and protection. There are a whole bunch of variables within the photographs we play, so that you’ve bought to be keen to work on every little thing.
Lastly, when you had 5 minutes remaining in a apply session and will do something you want, what would you select?
In all probability some reflex volleys. The final couple of years since transitioning from singles to doubles, the reflex volleys have turn out to be extremely essential.
> READ MORE: From our “Practice with the professionals” sequence
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