I obviously wanted to do more in Australia and felt like I was playing good stuff but, at the same time, I have to be realistic and understand that I’m just finding my feet. I’ve just got a new coach and we’re still working things out. I’m having to be patient, which isn’t my biggest virtue. In a way, I’m surprised I already did well in one of the tournaments [the Ostrava Open] because when you change coaches, you’re still very much walking on egg shells and working things out. I’m really pleased with the start of my season and feel like I’m building momentum again which is really important.

I do physically want to get after it during these next couple of weeks. I’ve been working extremely hard between Indian Wells and Miami and I actually got a bit sick in Indian Wells – it didn’t quite like me there – but I have bounced back and been training really well. My first goal for this week is to get myself in a place that I’m ready to go and be physical out there again, as it’s such a big part of my game.

In terms of the next few months, I’ve got a lot of tournaments to play. I’ve got a full clay season to come, and that’s somewhere I feel like I can improve and have been improving each year. It’s not a surface I’m that comfortable on so I want to take it steady and focus on the hard court this week and then get myself in the best position for the clay court and make an impact there.

It’s a very valid conversation because it’s something I have struggled with in the past. At the end of last year, I felt like I was on a hamster wheel; I had a few days at home, literally, and I spent them running around for other people, so it’s been a lot. But that’s one of the biggest things in life: you have to balance everything and make sure you’re getting enough time for yourself.

I try to get a lot of my training done early so it doesn’t take up the whole day; I tend to get a little bit of time in the afternoon to be human and go to the beach, go to the shops and do some recovery. Even late last night, I did an ice bath and a jacuzzi just to look after my body and my mind as well.

They do coincide but I am not the most adventurous; I’m someone who’s a little bit more staple and classic. On the court, I try to be the best example I can be for other people and remain as classy as possible. We all have moments when we can be human but my goal when I’m on the court in front of a lot of people is to remain my best self. When it comes to fashion, I find myself in the same era where I’m looking for some basics; [for example] I love a suit and an oversized blazer. Once in a while I like to shake it up, but I’m mainly just a classic girl.

I could be here for a while. A lot of ladies are into their skincare routine on tour, especially because we get the opportunity to travel to a lot of places and have access to a lot of [brands]. When everyone goes to Korea and Asia, there’s always a lot of [skincare and makeup] brought back. We travel a lot, we’re in planes so we’re dehydrated and our skin is important to look after so I do have some staples such as Shiseido Anessa SPF – it works just as well as a primer as it does an SPF – and then on a daily basis I could be using anything from Sarah Chapman, The Skin Diary and Medicube.

It’s really difficult to give you one because I’ve been inspired by many players. Growing up, I looked up to Maria Sharapova and Serena Williams, partly because of fashion and partly because of the way they held themselves. They were fierce competitors and likeable. I also got inspired by a lot of the British girls. I was very inspired watching Johanna Konta and Heather Watson at the Billie Jean King Cup.

And, of course, Andy Murray; I think everyone’s got a story about him but he is just an icon. It’s tough to not want to be like him. We trained in the same building so naturally we’d see each other around a lot, and for a long time I was [starstruck] by him. You could feel the aura he had in the building. The fact we were young kids watching him on the balcony at the National Tennis Centre is a privilege.

I’m pretty consistent. I keep my food the same and I like to have a nap and listen to music before, but it all depends what time you’re playing. Even if I’m first on, unless it’s 10am and there’s no time to do my rituals, I take my time. When I go to change after my warm-up, I like to take a few minutes for myself and do my hair and face to make sure I’m ready to go in all aspects. There’s always an element of ‘if you look good, then you’re going to feel good and you’re going to play good’.

With music, I mix it up. A member of my coaching team [introduced me] to a song called Lion by Damian, which builds me up to be ready for the match and seems to be a bit of a superstition now. I don’t play it before every match but I did in San Diego at the tournament I won [in 2024] and I played it in Ostrava almost everyday, so there is something in it. If it keeps on working, I will be listening to it more and more. I also listen to Bad Bunny; he’s very in right now and his music is great; my other half [de Minaur] speaks Spanish so I knew of him before [the Superbowl] but I do like his music.

I can’t describe to you in words how incredible that tournament is. I never do it justice, it’s so iconic for many reasons. It has a huge history in my own life as I played my first Slam there and got given opportunities there which was incredible. As a kid, you dream of playing Wimbledon – and a lot of my dreams came true there. I have bigger dreams there as well which I want to accomplish.

When you walk in the grounds, you feel the presence, history and the effort that has gone into the tournament. It’s literally perfect; there’s not a piece of litter, the garden is amazing and the grass looks like it’s been made by AI. It’s insane. We all wear white clothing and I love that. As I said before about my style, it fits very similarly because it’s traditional. Wimbledon has been a huge part of my upbringing and it just means so much to me.

I am the biggest driver of all drivers. When someone offers to drive me, so I can be a passenger princess, I decline every time. I love driving and I hate just sitting in a car waiting, and driving helps me switch off. One of the biggest things about the Lexus RZ all-electric car is that I have the opportunity to drive up north, go and see my family and have a couple of hours to myself. I would take that any day of the week. I’m so comfortable and can think clearly, and the Lexus definitely allows me to do that because it’s so luxurious.

I try to be in the UK as much as I possibly can and it’s important for me to go home and see my family as I’m very attached to them. I have so many great people around me and I have to balance my life; my other half [de Minaur] is in Monaco so I spend a lot of time there but, ultimately, I spend more time in the UK than anywhere else. It’s my home, where I grew up and where my family are. It’s like a reset for me; I think it’s so important to get some time at home.

It depends what the weather is like. If it’s cold, I will be at home with the fire on. I just love being cosy and homey; I don’t get much of that on the road so if I get the chance to be at home in my house, I will take it. If it’s sunny, I could end up at the vintage car show in Wimbledon, which is on the first Sunday of every month. On those days, if Alex is with me, we will definitely go there. I never used to be into cars but I always appreciated them, and I got into it a lot more with Alex because he loves them. Then we’ll go to Wimbledon Village afterwards. If we can get out of London, we might just take the Lexus and visit the English countryside, somewhere like the Cotswolds, or just go for a drive.

There’s so many great spots in London and I get overwhelmed when I think about where I could go; I love Borough Market. If I didn’t play tennis, I’d like to live in that area as it has such a good vibe and great food.