As well as being one of Australia’s leading track athletes, Olympian Peter Bol reveals he is also a massive tennis fan in our Celebrity Match series.
Melbourne, Australia, 3 October 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Peter Bol is an Australian athletics star.
The 30-year-old holds the national 800-metre track record and is a three-time Olympian.
He created history at Tokyo 2020, becoming the first Australian in 53 years to qualify for an Olympic men’s 800-metre final. He finished fourth, missing out on a medal by 0.53 seconds.
Bol, who has completed a construction management degree and previously worked as an engineer, is also a motivational speaker and has appeared on reality television program SAS Australia.
In our Celebrity Match series, Bol reveals why he loves watching courtside at the Australian Open …
What do you enjoy most about the Australian Open?
I’m a massive fan and I’ve been quite lucky to come to the Australian Open every single year. I think Melbourne is the sporting capital of Australia and once you combine that with the weather, it’s unreal. It’s always very exciting to be there.
You were a special guest during the Novak and Friends charity night, held at Rod Laver Arena during Opening Week at Australian Open 2024. What was that experience like?
I think I was more nervous to have a run with him than I would be in an Olympic final. It was cool getting to walk onto Rod Laver Arena and be part of a different sport. It was also interesting to see an athlete like Novak be able to run, to be able to stretch and play basketball. He’s multi-talented, which is pretty cool.
Did you get a chance to talk to Novak much before or after the event?
I spoke to him a little bit behind the scenes and he was very generous with his time. He gave me some advice and said: ‘See you in Paris.’
Are there any other tennis players that you would love to meet?
I met Nick Kyrgios during the summer and I’m a massive fan of his. He’s doing amazing things off the court and we’ve got some of the same interests, like basketball, so hopefully I’ll get the chance to meet him a few more times.
Do you play tennis yourself?
Not really. I’ll have a hit every now and then, but I still need to improve a lot. I’m fast around the court, but I don’t have the agility that the top tennis players have. I can be fast running in a straight line, but being agile is pretty…
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