Ajla Tomljanović has learned to overcome setbacks and is teaching the next generation how to do the same

People might assume that tennis stars have inside information when it comes to knowing their opponents at Grand Slam events. However, when the Australian Open draw was released earlier this week, Ajla Tomljanović, like most people, used Google to find out her first-round opponent.

When she searched, Tomljanović discovered she was facing American Ashlyn Krueger for the second time in a week. “When Krueger’s name popped up, I was like, ‘Clearly the draw’s not out yet because this is from Adelaide’,” she told ABC Sport with a laugh.

“Then I found the article and was like, ‘Okay, now I need to confirm this with someone else because if this is real, this is so weird.’ It was really funny yesterday. I didn’t believe it until someone confirmed it to me.” Tomljanović revealed that not looking at the draw is a strategy she's adopted later in her career, hoping to finally achieve success at Melbourne Park.

A quarter-finalist at the US Open and Wimbledon, Tomljanović has never progressed beyond the second round in 10 attempts at Melbourne Park. Her win rate at the venue is just 36%, her worst of the four majors. The 31-year-old's talent is undeniable – she famously sent Serena Williams into retirement at Flushing Meadows more than two years ago.

However, early injuries and confidence issues have hampered Tomljanović’s progress. Not looking at the draw is a far cry from how she approached tournaments earlier in her career, when she was keen to study who was playing who. She stopped doing it because it made her anxious. “Even knowing the first-round opponent is nerve-wracking because out of 127 players, there are so many potential opponents. It’s such a question mark when the draw comes out,” she said.

“Earlier in my career, I loved when the draw came out. I would study the whole draw. Then, four or five years ago, I had a few times where I failed because I was in good form but I was already stressed about the next round because I didn’t like the way my opponent served, and I would lose the match. I was like, ‘Listen, if I can’t get my head right, I’m not going to look at the draw’, and it’s become a habit now.”

Not looking at the draw is part of what Tomljanović calls a new approach at this stage of her career. Playing in front of a home crowd is not as easy as people might think. Even Ash Barty felt the weight of expectation at Melbourne Park until she finally broke through in 2022 to win the last of her three major titles.

Yes, the support Australians get at home is great, but the heavy weight of expectation is often a burden for many players. “I’m not going to lie, sometimes my mind allows itself to think that this is the place where I want to do the best, and I haven’t done it in the past,” Tomljanović said when asked about the pressure of performing well in Melbourne. “I’m trying to use that and maybe that’s how the stars are aligned in my career. I’m still trying to enjoy every opportunity I get and put the expectations aside.”

“I’ve almost done that every week where I’ve done well. I haven’t thought past the first round.” With Barty’s early retirement, Tomljanović is now one of the older Australian women on the tour. There are no Australian seeds in the women’s singles draw this year. Tomljanović is among a number of wildcards, while promising youngsters like 16-year-old Emerson Jones are unseeded.

While another Australian woman winning a major seems a long way off following Barty’s shock retirement in 2022, Tomljanović is optimistic about the future. “It’s at an exciting stage because we have some experienced players like myself that are still capable of causing some damage,” she said. “And then there’s the younger generation like Emerson and Liv (Gadecki) that have a bright future.”

“And then there’s the middle generation like Kim Birrell who are coming into their prime and it takes a little bit of time. I think it’s all about belief because I’ve been in a similar position. To see Kim have such a big week in Brisbane and then continue in qualifying, I can tell you firsthand that’s not easy. The competition on the women’s tour is so tough right now.”

Jones is one of a number of young players Tomljanović hopes Australians will keep an eye on, including 18-year-old Maya Joint, 22-year-old Olivia Gadecki and 19-year-old Taylah Preston. Despite being 15 years older than Jones, Tomljanović says she’s already been able to learn things from Australia’s newest tennis prodigy.

“Someone like Emerson, I find myself learning from her,” she said. “That’s the biggest thing I’ve learned as I’ve gotten older in the sport – you can learn from anyone at any age. If she’s ever watched me play and learned something from it, that’s great, but seeing her do so well in Adelaide and the way she carries herself, I think I can learn from her too. It’s just about always being open to learning new things.”

While winning a major is still her biggest ambition, the importance of being a role model for the next generation is not lost on Tomljanović. “If someone tells me they look up to me, that’s probably the biggest compliment I can get,” she said. “I certainly don’t think of myself as a role model for all kids, and it’s such an honour when someone tells me that. I’m happy to see kids get involved.”

In the lead-up to the Australian Open, Tomljanović has been working with Tennis Australia on the #NoLimits girls' panel and the Learn2Lead youth program. It’s a project Tomljanović stresses is “not just about hitting a tennis ball”. “Talking to them about what we do and life, it’s especially beneficial at this age,” she said. “I wish I had that growing up. It would have opened my eyes more so I didn’t have to always listen to my parents.”

“It makes them feel like anything is possible. They could be in our position one day.” According to Tomljanović, many aspiring young players ask her the same question – how do you deal with failure and disappointment. “I get asked about failure mostly, which I find funny because it makes me think that even when they’re younger they’re dealing with it. I kind of forgot that when I was 10, I was too,” she said. “I like answering it because I think when I was a kid, I was very introverted, and I was scared to tell anyone that I was nervous. I like to talk about it and normalise those feelings.”

“It just means that you care, and if you can trick your brain into thinking that it’s a good thing, it can really help you. My favourite thing to tell them is that I feel the exact same way they do. If you see me on the court and I have a poker face, know that I’m feeling all the emotions. If I can help one kid feel normal in the process and make it easier for them, that would make me the happiest.”

Tomljanović credits her parents for helping her deal with disappointment in a more effective way – whether it’s losses or injury setbacks. “You don’t have to be another pro player or athlete to help me realise that things will get better at some point,” she said. “My dad always taught me that life is a lot like general sport, you always have to pick yourself up after a tough day and the sun rises again the next day and you keep working because things will get better at some point.”

“It’s just about learning to never give up and to put everything you have into what you’re doing.” Tomljanović will begin her Australian Open campaign against American Ashlyn Krueger in the first round on Monday, in what will be the second career meeting between the pair.