The Sit-Down

A year ago, Ignacio Buse was outside the world’s top 100. Now ranked inside the top 30 with two ATP titles to his name, the 22-year-old is giving Peruvian fans plenty to celebrate. Only the second man from his country to win a tour-level hard-court title and the third to reach the ATP’s top 30, Buse joined Matt in Beijing during his first visit to China. The Lima-born rising star reflects on his breakthrough season, the growing attention and what his success means back home. He also shares how his tennis journey began and looks to the future as an Australian Open main-draw debut awaits in 2027.
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After a professional playing career that took her into the world’s top 40, Nicole Pratt was determined to give back to the sport that had given her so much. In the second instalment of a two-part interview, Pratt tells Viv and Matt why coaching was a natural next step. Having guided the likes of Casey Dellacqua and Daria Saville – and now Kimberly Birrell and Storm Hunter – she reflects on how those professional relationships developed into lasting friendships. That camaraderie extends to her role as coach of the Australian Billie Jean King Cup team, where Pratt is passionate about building a high-performance culture founded on respect, honesty, trust, authenticity and professionalism. She also discusses the nuances of coaching male and female players and – in an emotional moment – reflects on how tennis has shaped her life.
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Ranked outside the top 100 in 2025, Kamil Majchrzak has charged into the world’s top 50 in the best season of his tennis career. The biggest breakthrough came in s-Hertogenbosch when the Polish player claimed a first ATP singles title at age 30. In an unforgettable run, he claimed upset wins over players including Felix Auger-Aliassime, Daniil Medvedev and Alex de Minaur. With Majchrzak in Brisbane for the Davis Cup World Group 1 tie, Tennis Australia writer Liam Petterson took the opportunity to learn more about Majchrzak’s remarkable rise, the inspiration behind it – and how a tennis career that has taken him around the world almost began by chance.
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Nicole Pratt’s tennis journey began on a homemade court in country Queensland, complete with a hitting wall, built by her dad with a bulldozer. From those beginnings came an Australian Open junior champion, top-40 player and WTA champion. In Part 1 of twin episodes of The Sit-Down, Pratt joins Viv and Matt to revisit her fascinating playing journey. She recalls her early experiences at the AIS, winning the Australian Open girls’ title and making a dramatic technical change soon afterwards. There are also memories of facing Serena Williams on her US Open debut, competing against so many greats of the game, and why winning her first WTA title proved a bittersweet milestone. Pratt also reflects on finding some of her best tennis later in her career, the qualities that sustained her and the evolution that would eventually shape her next chapter as a coach to the Australian Billie Jean King Cup team and current players Kimberly Birrell and Storm Hunter.
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Host handles:
@Viv_Christie
@MattyAT
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The Sit-Down is on location in Brisbane, where producer Rhys de Deugd is joined by Australian coach Mark Draper at Pat Rafter Arena. The timing was perfect, given the two players Draper currently works with – Rinky Hijikata and Adam Walton – were both selected in the Australian Davis Cup team that defeated Poland. A Tennis Australia National Academy coach for 15 years, Draper loves being able to give back to players trying to get the best out of themselves, knowing from experience how difficult it is to make it at the highest level. His own playing career reached a high point in 1998, when he qualified for the Australian Open and Wimbledon and climbed to world No.152, around the same time younger brother Scott was enjoying some of his best results on the ATP Tour. Growing up in Brisbane, Draper’s development was shaped by Australian tennis legend Mal Anderson, whose influence also helped inform his approach to coaching. It’s a philosophy Draper describes as evolving into “talking a little less, listening more, and letting the player take control of their careers”.
AusOpen.com
iHeart
Apple Podcasts
Spotify
Host handles:
@Viv_Christie
@MattyAT
@Rhysdedeugd
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.