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Simply breathe: Is meditation key to Sonego’s success?
Italian into the third spherical at Melbourne Park
January 17, 2025
Peter Staples/ATP Tour
Lorenzo Sonego is making his seventh look within the Australian Open.
By Andrew Eichenholz
Simply breathe.
It’s a frequent piece of recommendation coaches give their athletes throughout many sports activities. Additionally it is simpler stated than accomplished, particularly beneath strain on the world’s greatest phases.
However respiration workouts have turn into a part of Lorenzo Sonego’s every day routine, and so they had been definitely useful on Thursday on the Australian Open.
The Italian battled previous #NextGenATP phenom Joao Fonseca in a five-set thriller that lasted three hours and 37 minutes. The highlight was even brighter than regular on the match following Fonseca’s beautiful efficiency towards High 10 star Andrey Rublev within the first spherical.
However as an alternative of panicking when Fonseca received the fourth set, Sonego remained centered, saved a break level with an enormous serve within the decider and emerged victorious.
“I do some workouts, respiration and it helps me,” Sonego informed ATPTour.com. “I keep calm on the courtroom and the angle is completely different than final 12 months, and I’m actually, actually calm on courtroom.”
It was a raucous environment on 1573 Area at Melbourne Park. The stands had been packed and it felt like an enormous event.
“I just like the environment like that,” Sonego stated. “It is like enjoying within the soccer stadium and I like that. I actually loved the environment and I like when the persons are loopy for somebody. It was very nice.”
There was additionally loads of strain on each gamers. Fonseca was in place to proceed his breakthrough in his first main primary draw after ousting Rublev as a qualifier, whereas Sonego was enjoying a crowd on his opponent’s facet with a spot within the third spherical on the road.
“Joao, he is superb. He is a tremendous participant,” Sonego stated. “The expertise is unimaginable. And I believe we are going to see him within the high degree in a number of months.”
Staying calm was essential. It has turn into such an vital a part of Sonego’s life, that he went to Sri Lanka throughout the offseason for meditation.
“I began final season to work with some people who helped me with the respiration,” Sonego stated. “We do one thing on daily basis and that is good for the restoration, for the thoughts and for staying centered each time throughout the match. It helps me so much.”
Off courtroom, Sonego is an enormous basketball fan. He’s particularly keen on Stephen Curry, the Golden State Warriors’ legend. “He’s the perfect participant. I believe he modified basketball,” Sonego stated. “They play with simply three-pointers due to him.”
The No. 55 participant within the PIF ATP Rankings can also be a famend vocalist. He has three songs on Spotify and one in every of them, Un Solo Secondo, has earned greater than 1.525 million performs.
However the tennis courtroom is the place Sonego shines brightest. The 29-year-old, who debuted at Melbourne Park in 2018, will play Fabian Maroszan to make the fourth spherical on the match for the primary time.
“This was the primary Grand Slam in my life, and I believe among the finest tournaments,” Sonego stated. “It is good to be within the third spherical once more, and I wish to proceed on this match.”
