- 2 years ago
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00:00 Thank you, Auns, for talking to the Khalid's Times.
00:03 It's a real honor to be able to have this interview with you
00:06 and all the best wishes, first of all, for the Australian Open.
00:10 Auns, if you can tell us, like, what's your preparation like now?
00:17 Because you haven't played a warm up event as such
00:21 going into the first Grand Slam of the season.
00:24 So in terms of your fitness, form, rhythm, how are you feeling?
00:29 It was just a choice not to play any tournaments before.
00:37 I'm not injured or anything.
00:38 And just maybe a new strategy that I'm trying for the Australian Open.
00:42 It just gives me more energy to play at the Open
00:45 and get ready for the rest of the season.
00:49 You know, I am feeling good about it.
00:50 I had a week of practice with different players,
00:53 which is very good.
00:55 And I'm happy about it.
00:56 So looking forward to play my first match here.
00:57 And Abu Dhabi Open is a new tournament now.
01:02 It's in second season WTA event,
01:06 premier WTA event in the region.
01:08 You have always spoken about how Dubai has been very helpful to you
01:13 at the start of your career,
01:15 and you wanted to play on your merit in Dubai.
01:18 So from that to now, what we have seen is quite,
01:23 I mean, I don't have any words for it now, actually.
01:26 So just tell us about, you know, your expectations
01:31 and your emotions about being part of a new premier tournament in the UAE.
01:37 Honestly, I love playing in UAE.
01:42 I love playing in the Middle East.
01:44 It's tournaments that I look forward to because I feel connected,
01:49 you know, with the crowd there.
01:50 I feel like at home.
01:51 And trust me, if there is 500 tournaments a year,
01:56 I would definitely play there every time I choose to play there.
01:59 I just enjoy myself and enjoy the crowd a lot.
02:03 I feel very comfortable.
02:05 And, you know, when I saw the tournament in there,
02:08 I couldn't obviously make it last year and I was pretty upset about it.
02:13 You know, I had some health issues and I think was one of the toughest
02:18 tournaments that I would miss, you know.
02:21 So I'm very happy that I could play this year.
02:23 Looking forward to come to Abu Dhabi and play the Mubadala tournament.
02:28 It's one of the tournaments that I really like.
02:33 And you have been quite a regular in Dubai as well.
02:37 But I remember, I mean, in 2019, when you had a good run
02:41 because of a soldier injury, you had to like,
02:45 couldn't finish a match the way you wanted against Settlona.
02:50 And that's the time when we spoke to you.
02:54 So I remember that time you were ranking was about 50 or 55 or something.
02:59 So in these five years, this transformation from the age of 24 to 29,
03:05 which is unbelievable, actually.
03:07 So what do you think has been the secret to this amazing transformation
03:12 in the last three, four years?
03:14 It's a lot of things, you know, just one thing, obviously.
03:20 I know myself better on the court.
03:22 I'm trying to work on specific things that would allow me personally
03:28 to be a better player on the court.
03:31 I have learned a lot from the past years that maybe I have been injured in
03:35 or losing in first rounds and made me a different player, you know.
03:40 And now I feel, you know, much better on the court.
03:44 I feel more comfort and I feel like the process is helping me a lot.
03:49 I have a great team behind me that have been helping me for a long time.
03:53 I think that the hard work of every day, it's showing, you know,
03:57 and being more and more consistent, that helped me also be the player that I am today.
04:06 On a Grand Slam title, a Grand Slam victory,
04:10 we all know how much it would mean to you and you have spoken about it as well.
04:15 So you have already come so close three times in a history-making performance, actually.
04:22 So getting there and actually eventually cleansing it,
04:25 if you go to the fourth final again,
04:29 what would be the key, actually, a change, a key tactics, maybe in your fourth attempt?
04:35 Do you think it's something technical or mental?
04:38 How do you describe it?
04:41 I feel like there's a lot of things at the same time.
04:44 I'm definitely learning a lot from the Grand Slam experience, especially the finals.
04:50 There is a lot of things that could click any time.
04:52 You know, I do believe it's not just one thing,
04:57 but a lot of things that I'm working on right now.
05:00 I'm becoming a much better player, understanding myself better,
05:04 especially during these finals.
05:06 I'll try to find more joy on the court, less pressure during the finals.
05:12 We'll try to play a final like it's a semi or a quarterfinal.
05:15 You know, it's definitely something that I'm working on mentally, physically.
05:23 A lot of technical stuff that I'm working on as well.
05:26 I feel like I'm becoming a more confident player on the court,
05:29 and that will definitely help me get over this Grand Slam finals.
05:37 I don't know if you have noticed this,
05:38 but some of the biggest names like Ivan Landel, Andy Murray in the history of tennis,
05:45 they lost a lot of finals before they won their first.
05:48 So is it like an inspiring story to never give up from people like them?
05:53 Definitely.
05:55 Honored to be part of that list, you know, of so many like Kim, Halep as well.
06:01 They're amazing champions, and I think they have done a lot.
06:07 Every player has their own process.
06:10 I'm definitely not giving up.
06:13 It's not part of my nature, so I want to keep going.
06:16 It's something that I want to do not just for myself,
06:20 but for also my region, my country.
06:24 And talking about inspirations,
06:27 I mean, there are few bigger inspirations from the African and Arab region than yourself now,
06:33 and people like Mo Salah.
06:35 So you have inspired so many young athletes,
06:39 and I have spoken to a lot of Arab athletes recently,
06:42 and they're not just tennis players.
06:44 They're athletes from all spheres of sport.
06:47 So how does it feel to be inspiring so many young kids
06:50 to be better at the sport they're playing from this region?
06:54 It's definitely my honor, you know.
06:56 It's something I feel like was missing a bit in our region,
07:03 because we see different players, but not from the same region,
07:08 from the same country, that would question,
07:11 you know, the athlete would question us,
07:12 like maybe we don't have the same condition.
07:14 That's why the other players made it.
07:16 So my story, I think most of people know,
07:21 and most people see that I didn't practice in Europe when I was younger.
07:27 I always played in Tunisia,
07:29 and that proves that you can make it even if you are from any country.
07:35 It's about believing in yourself,
07:36 and that's always the message I try to send.
07:39 And hopefully we can inspire more and more athletes from,
07:45 you know, Africa, Middle East, Tunisia, every country.
07:51 My final question, I want to ask you, Ons, very respectfully,
07:55 because you're very emotional about this.
07:58 I know that, but being a sportsman, sportsperson,
08:04 you may want to, I mean, if you want to answer this,
08:06 but I'm very respectful about this.
08:08 You have made a very emotional appeal for the suffering people of Gaza.
08:13 So it's a new year now.
08:14 There seems to be no end to this conflict.
08:18 Do you have a new year, new peace, hope and message for the people of Gaza?
08:25 I've been growing up seeing this conflict since I was younger,
08:27 you know, it's heartbreaking and obviously not just every year,
08:32 but honestly, every second I wish for peace.
08:34 I pray for people in Gaza to live in peace.
08:41 It's very sad.
08:42 And, you know, I try now, I try to help as much as I can with medical aid,
08:49 with food, with resources that maybe they don't have there,
08:53 with whatever I can.
08:54 And obviously I wish peace in the region.
08:58 And hopefully this will end because it's really heartbreaking.
09:03 And how fulfilling it is to be in a position to be able to help people
09:09 in the time of such crisis?
09:12 You know, I try to help, but I feel like it's always not enough.
09:15 But, you know, I always do my maximum.
09:18 I cannot even imagine what they're living there.
09:20 It's very tough and it's not something that just happened this year.
09:24 It's been 75 years of hell, I should say.
09:28 And, you know, the maximum I'll help, the maximum I'll try to tell people to help.
09:36 You know, I feel like I'm doing something, you know,
09:39 but nothing I could do would help enough, I feel.
09:45 Thank you so much, Once, for your time.
09:47 It's a real honor.
09:48 And we wish you all the best and we'll be cheering and rooting for you.
09:52 I'll send you my picture and you can put it in the brochure.
09:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]