Tomljanovic "Can't Live in the Past" in Bid to Compete Again in 2024
WTA
Ajla Tomljanovic is optimistic about returning to her best in 2024 following a difficult 2023 campaign, largely written off due to injury.
At the 2023 Australian Open in January, Tomljanovic was forced to withdraw after she sustained a knee injury. The Australian player did not return until the US Open in September when she had to withdraw again because of an injury during her second-round clash with Elena Rybakina.
Looking back on her 2023 season, Tomljanovic revealed that there were many difficult spells where she felt a sense of injustice about her long-term injury. However, the 30-year-old said in an interview with AAP that she has focussed on recovery and has moved on since the setback.
"I'd be lying if this year there haven't been random moments where I was with my team and I'm like, 'this is just so unlucky what happened because I was at my best and I got so unlucky.'"
"You can't control this injury, and the doubt and the fear was always that maybe this will be it. But I can't live in the past, and I felt stupid calling it unfair when there were wars happening in the world and kids dying."
With 2024 now in her sights, Tomljanovic will be looking to gain entry into the Australian Open this January. However, due to her lack of playing time in 2023, the 2014 Australian Open quarter-finalist will now rely on a protected ranking entry at Melbourne.
"So I very quickly got it out of my system. I just want to accept it and move forward and just believe that if I get healthy I can still play my best tennis. And if I didn't think that, I probably wouldn't keep trying."
Yet, the Australian player is confident about her chances of getting back to her best and competing at the top level, which will hopefully begin in Australia next year.
"I honestly do believe that I can get back to that level (of contending for slams) if I get healthy, which I believe I'm already there,"
"Maybe there's 15 per cent left that I still need to get back to, but I think it is within my reach."
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