Australian cricket legend Steve Smith reveals he is also a big tennis fan in our Celebrity Match series.
Australia, 23 August 2023 | Leigh Rogers
Steve Smith is an Australian cricket legend and regarded as one of the best batsmen in the world.
The former Australian captain reached 14,000 runs in international cricket faster than any other Aussie player in history.
He is a four-time winner of the Allan Border Medal, which is awarded annually to Australia’s best cricketer, and is the only player to win the International Cricket Council’s Test Player of the Year Award more than once.
Smith recently helped Australia retain the prestigious Ashes against England, where he managed to fit in a visit to Wimbledon between test appearances.
In our Celebrity Match series, Smith shares his favourite tennis memories …
Tell us about your tennis experience. Do you play often?
I used to play as a kid, up until I was 15. I played reasonably competitively, but then obviously cricket took over. I still love playing tennis when I get the opportunity. So whenever I don’t have any injury niggles, I’ll try to get out and play. During the COVID lockdowns, when tennis was one of the things you could still do, I was out playing four days a week, three hours at a time. I absolutely loved it and really got back into it.
How did you go managing playing both tennis and cricket growing up?
Tennis was my winter sport. But even in summer when I wasn’t playing cricket after school, I’d be at the tennis courts hitting with my old man or some mates. I just really enjoyed the game and I think it has actually helped me in cricket too. It taught me how to solve problems against opponents. My grip on the cricket bat is actually quite similar to how I hold my tennis racquet too.
What is your best shot on the tennis court?
My forehand. My backhand is pretty ordinary to be fair, particularly when I haven’t played a lot. My backhand’s probably the last thing that sort of comes back to me.
What surface did you grow up playing tennis on?
Hard courts and also a bit of synthetic grass with sand. I didn’t play on actual grass until during the COVID lockdowns. I had a couple of hits down on the grass at White City in Sydney, which was a cool experience. I didn’t know what to expect, but it’s given me a deeper admiration for the players that do well at Wimbledon. Your footwork has to be so precise on grass. The ball can change course quickly,…
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