Rising Australian star Dane Sweeny reflects on the importance of hard work, as well as maintaining a holistic approach, in our “Train with the pros” series.
Australia, 1 March 2024 | Jackson Mansell
Dane Sweeny has achieved several impressive firsts so far in 2024.
The 23-year-old made his Grand Slam main-draw singles debut at the Australian Open. After earning his spot through qualifying, Sweeny valiantly extended 22nd seed Francisco Cerundolo to five sets in the opening round.
He then broke into the world’s top 200 in February after progressing to a first ATP Challenger final.
The hard-working Sweeny also practised with world No.1 Novak Djokovic at Rod Laver Arena during the Australian Open, an experience he fondly recalls in our Train with the pros series …
What is your favourite time of day to practice and why?
I like to have slow mornings, have a coffee, and read and write for a bit. So if I had to choose, probably midday or early afternoon. I like to do just one big session lasting two to three hours. I like just doing it in one block, so you don’t have to warm up twice.
How many hours, on average, do you spend on the practice court per week?
It varies a little bit, but I’d say somewhere between 15 and 20 hours on average.
Do you have a favourite part of your game to work on?
I’d say my forehand is probably the shot I like to hit the most. I’m pretty obsessed with technique and how the ball is feeling, technical stuff. It can be to my detriment sometimes, as I’m trying to think about it too much.
Do you have a least favourite part of your game to work on?
Serving can be a little bit boring sometimes.
What advice would you give to an aspiring player to try and get the most out of a training session?
I’d say that tennis isn’t everything, keep a holistic approach to life and not try to get too down about tennis. As much as we need to take it seriously to be good at it, it’s not the be all and end all. Although there’s a lot more to life than tennis, it is a beautiful game if you have a holistic approach to it. So try and have a balanced life.
Can you remember the first professional player you had the opportunity to hit with?
I have an early memory of practising with Hyeon Chung at the Brisbane International maybe six years ago. I think that was just before he made the Australian Open semifinals as well. That was pretty cool.
Can you recall any particular training sessions that you were super…
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