AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 11, 2025

Jodie Burrage

Press Conference

An interview with:

JODIE BURRAGE

THE MODERATOR: Jodie, welcome to Melbourne. Good start to the year in Auckland. How has your preparation been since then?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, Auckland was a bit of a crazy week, but we take it. Yeah, then obviously rush to Adelaide. Had a good match against Leylah.

Yeah, the last week has just been prep for this week. Feeling good. Excited to be here, excited to be back. It's been really nice, you know, being back in this sort of environment. So, yeah, looking forward to it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Spoke to Laura Robson, and she said every time she sees you, you have a massive smile on your face. How exciting is it to be back at this stage after what you went through last year?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, last year was really, really tough. I think out of all of my injuries, I think obviously the six-month one was a long time. And I'm really appreciating being back in this sort of environment now.

I started, you know, the back end of last year with a lot of ITF events, and I still need to play those events, for sure. But then coming here, I said to Ben when I got here, I was, like, this is where you want to be. Even things like getting picked up from the airport, like, by official vehicles, I was, like, this is where I want to be (smiling).

So the motivation is high. You know, I love Australia. I love the sun. She knows that, as well. That's probably why she's saying it.

But, yeah, I'm just enjoying being here, and taking each moment in.

Q. Most people aren't familiar with it, but could you give us a rundown of everything that's happened since Australian Open last year and the circumstances around injuries?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, so after Aussie last year, went to Linz and had a great week in Linz. Quallied to make quarters of that 500. Then flew to San Diego, and literally first practice out there, half hour in, hit one backhand, and the subsheath holding down the tendon in my wrist just went.

Initially told it would be a ten-day thing, stayed out for Indian Wells. I mean, my guys back home were saying a lot longer than that, but the doc out there was telling me ten days. So obviously I wanted to hear that than the other part.

But then, yeah, spoke to a few surgeons. Yeah, obviously, yeah, wrist surgery, which was tough to make that decision. Obviously had four surgeries now. Just mad, still saying it.

Then coming back really well. Surgery went great. They told me four to six months. I was going to do it in like three-and-a-half months. Then two days before I was supposed to fly to French Open did my ankle in the clay playing with Boults. Fortunately didn't need another surgery, but one ligament completely ruptured. Retinaculum slightly higher up torn off the bone. He said no surgery but ten weeks.

So that obviously puts me straight back to six months, which was really hard. Even now there is still a lot of emotion from that time that I have probably not dealt with. But, hey, we're here. We survived. We got through.

You know, very lucky to have family, friends around me to help me through that. Yeah, that's why I'm just so happy to be back here.

Q. How are your wrist and ankle now?

JODIE BURRAGE: They're good. Really, really good. My wrist has been a little bit sore, but I was actually using the wrong strings for the last two weeks. So that's probably why (smiling).

But it's fine. Actually, this week I have really sorted it out. Yeah, my ankle, obviously having two surgeries and this third injury is always going to be a bit shitty.

But it's fine, and I'm feeling good on court. I'm moving good. I'm trusting my body. So, yeah, no complaints.

Q. You spoke a couple years ago about previously having thought about quitting the sport. Was it that bad again last year? Were those sort of thoughts in your mind?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, yeah. And even when I was back playing, to be honest, like I said, I was playing a lot of ITF events, and even basically until Slovakia, where I made final, and then I won Dubai, that week before I was at NTC training. And Colin Beecher, who has helped me throughout, and kind of said to him, well, yeah, I was basically crying mid-session saying I don't know how much more fight I've got.

You know, I fought so hard to get back to a position where I could even play the sport, and then I was winning matches, obviously those ITF events, making semis and stuff, but it's not where I wanted to be and wasn't happy with how I was playing. I didn't know how much, yeah, more fight I had. It takes a lot.

Yeah, but that's the funny thing about tennis. Literally five days later, you know, start in Slovakia, make final, and then I win the biggest title of my career in Dubai.

It's very up and down. It was hard. Those six months were really, really hard, but...

Q. What kept you going at that point?

JODIE BURRAGE: It's a good question. I love this sport. For some reason, I love this crazy sport (smiling). That's what kept my going.

You know, the fight, being here, working hard, working towards something. I feel like I've got so much more to give in this sport.

I feel like my level is only just surfacing. You know, that year I was at a career high when my wrist happened. The last few weeks I'm starting to see that level that I want to get back to. And then I can see myself going higher.

So that's, like, I guess what kept my going, that drive. But like I said also, family, friends, the support network that you have. I'm very, very lucky to have the people I have in my life. Yeah, they helped.

Q. How do you get through the fear factor when you come back from wrist injuries? Every little niggle you must think Oh, god?

JODIE BURRAGE: Good question. I still have PTSD every time I run for a dropshot. And I am not practicing with Katie Boulter ever again. Every time I'm on the practice court with her, I hurt myself. Genuine. I fractured my knee against her. Done my ankle.

Honestly, I'm kind of a person who is all in or all out. If I'm going to do it, I'm going to go for it. There's no half measures.

I think I do, yeah, not have that fear factor. You know, even in life as a kid and what I get enjoyment out of, we were just talking about the Sky Tower in Auckland, wanted to do the jump off that. Like, I have no fear of those things.

So, yeah, if I'm going to play this sport, I can't come back and be worried every time I step on the court about doing my ankle or hitting another backhand and my wrist just popping again.

If it does, too good. If it does, that's going to be my story. How many times can I mess up my body and come back from it? That's where I'm at right now actually with what I'm trying to do.

I'm not trying to be No. 1 in the world. I'm just trying to mess my body up as many times and come back from it. So, yeah, we'll be brave. We don't think too much into that.

Q. Back at a Grand Slam for the first time in a year. Has this given you motivation now? This is you said where you want to be.

JODIE BURRAGE: 100%, for sure. Being back here, you know, practicing with the people that you get to practice with, being at these sorts of environments, this is where you want to be.

Like I said, I played a lot of ITFs at the end of last year, and you need that. I'm going to need to still continue playing.

Q. ITFs, you don't get picked up at the airport...

JODIE BURRAGE: No, you know, it's just a different ballgame. Even things like getting your hotel paid for and staying in nice places, and you don't pay for food here. Like, you know, new balls for practice, which was a massive one for me with my wrist, you know.

Obviously the lower you go down, the worse that stuff gets. And I feel like a lot of people forget that. So, yeah, it's just been very nice being back here and having new balls to practice with, to be honest.

Q. I wonder, you and Emma can play scar bingo with various surgeries. Do you swap tips on rehab and recovery? Have you chatted with her about that kind of stuff?

JODIE BURRAGE: A little bit. Not too much, to be honest. I chatted with her about the decision to get surgery, and her process.

But, yeah, I mean, we obviously had different surgeries. It's not the same. But, you know, she's done great since coming back. So, you know, that can be a driver for me, as well. You know, I have been through this, yeah, this is my fourth time going through it now.

Q. You're giving her the advice.

JODIE BURRAGE: You know, it's just general chat, to be honest. She was hitting a really, really good ball today and it will be exciting to see how she gets on during this tournament.

Q. Is it difficult when you're kind of shuttling between, like, ITF and WTA? Is it difficult not to put too much pressure on the matches and kind of think about this is where my ranking will be if I win this match or this is where it will drop to if I lose? How do you deal with that?

JODIE BURRAGE: I actually like knowing. Like, I know if I win the match here, that I'll go inside 150. From a point of view of where my ranking is now, I know if I don't win anything before my Linz points drop off, I'm going to be 240, which is actually higher than where I thought I'd be at this stage. I actually like knowing because it's a motivator for me. I don't feel like it puts pressure.

Yeah, I feel like it motivates me. But definitely when you're at these tournaments, you can get big points. And it's easier than, you know, having to make final or win tournaments at 75, because there are still god players at 75 level.

Like, at Auckland I got 42 points. Slovakia, made final. I got 49 points. There is not much difference between both, but I had to win four matches against good opponents that you could actually play at WTAs anyway.

So, yeah, there is obviously, you know, bigger points and prize money at these tournaments. But for me, if I choose to play a tournament, I'm trying to win every tournament. So I'm trying to win every match, taking it match by match.

But, yeah, the points and all of that actually motivates me because I'm one of the people who likes knowing. A lot of people don't.

Q. What do you make of your draw?

JODIE BURRAGE: Jeanjean. I mean, good player. Obviously could have been worse. But yeah, she's a good player. I have played her before actually three or four years ago, I think, in the semis of a 25.

You know, she's not easy. She'll junk the ball around a little bit. She's French, and I'm learning, you know, with Ben in French that they are feisty.

Yeah, it will be a good match. There will be a lot of fight there. I'm sure there will be a lot of noise there, as well.

But, yeah, I'll do my best. If we win, great. If not, then go for Linz. You know, I'm at a stage now where I really feel like it's going to come at some point. And it did for me in Slovakia and Dubai. It really, really clicked. That will keep happening the more times I put the work in on the practice court and stuff. If it doesn't happen here, it will happen at the next tournament.

Q. Knowing you have made top 100 before, does that kind of make it easier in a way, or did that make it worse, you know, having got there and then having that taken away from you?

JODIE BURRAGE: Yeah, I mean, when I got injured, I was at my career high, which is a tough one to take.

But, yeah, it gives me belief that I can get back to that level. With the tennis that I have been playing in the last month, I would say I'm getting back to that level. So knowing that I have been there already, it obviously gives you more belief.

You know, if someone tells me, I think you can be top 50, well, I have not been top 50, so I'm not going to believe them. But being top 100, I believe I can belong there. So yeah, that's just what I'm going to get back to.

Q. How did you end up playing with the wrong strings?

JODIE BURRAGE: Wilson sent me the wrong strings. I didn't take much notice to the gauge. But yeah, it's a thicker string. Actually I left my strings in Sydney, so Auckland I didn't he even have any strings. The stringers there were helping me out.

I asked someone to send me a photo, and that's when I noticed, yeah, it's a bit thicker string. I have the right strings now.

Q. How much time do you spend in France? How is the French?

JODIE BURRAGE: C'est bon. It's coming along. Ben is fluent, which is impressive, actually. During the six-month time I was off, I was very, very lucky that I had that escape. I can train down there, which is great. Beautiful place where he is.

I was pretty much going every ten days, two weeks, you know, to see him, but also to get out of NTC. Being at home, especially, you know, whilst grass court was on as well, trying to get away a little bit for me mentally. It's a beautiful place. Weather is unbelievable. Right by the sea.

Yeah, there was no complaints me having to go there.

Q. (Off microphone.)

JODIE BURRAGE: They play Quins on Sunday. Yes, it's going to be tough actually not to have to wake up for that.

Yeah, no, he's been good. I have been happy to have that escape. And I have got a good group of friends down there as well who have become like our second family. Yeah, good.