Peter Johnston

You know, if you're grinding it out, you know, if you're in between say 80 and 200, you're one of the, in the big, in a world global game, you're pretty good, but it can be a grind.

And, uh, that's the pressure point at the moment in the sport.

I know we've spoken about this before.

It doesn't feel right.

And because there are a lot of Australians that are sitting between say 80 and 200 in the world that.

do it really tough just to be a professional athlete.

And that doesn't feel right considering they're in the top 200 in the world in a sport that's played by so many that it's like that.

But if it's not, you know, Tennis Australia funding, sponsorship, that sort of thing, it's hard to, I mean, golf's a bit the same, but it's hard to make a living.

It is.

And it's also, you know, especially for Australians, like what the clay court season shows is,

australians you have to be away you have to play a lot of time on clay it's just the it's the one that unearths any weaknesses you have and so you've got to spend the time that costs money in australia and or for australians and then the other side of the coin why do you really is those tournaments have to find a way to be monetized those lower level tournaments how do you get more money into them because their businesses as well and yeah

I do think that the unlocking potentially of more Grand Slam funding that's spread throughout the sport, throughout the year, could be a key driver of some change.

Especially for Australians, it's really hard.

Yes, and you know all about it as a tournament director and playing on the other side of the fence as well.

You've got a great perspective on things.

Jono, before we let you go, I've got to ask you about Serena Williams coming back and what that means for the sport, what it means for Wimbledon, but just the sport in general, again, particularly with you putting on your tournament director hat, what it potentially means to the sport.

Well, it's all about the storytelling, isn't it?

Yeah.

And, you know, I think this just, at this time of year, with the grass, and the focus that Wimbledon has in the lead-up, it becomes a massive new dimension to it.

Good on her.