Nicole Pratt edit
Mon, Oct 07, 2024 6:25PM • 38:09
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
Melbourne home, European tour, Billie Jean King, family travel, great coaches, passion energy, athlete care, tennis lifestyle, storytelling, belief in players, sugar cane farm, professional development, team culture, social media, legacy
SPEAKERS
Paul Barnett, Nicole Pratt
Paul Barnett 00:00
Nicole Pratt, good afternoon, and welcome to the great coaches podcast
Nicole Pratt 00:06
afternoon, Paul. I'm actually really excited to spend the next maybe hour with you. Well, thanks,
Paul Barnett 00:11
Nicole. I know how busy it is for a tennis coach jetting off all around the world and the consequences of that kind of career, and I'm sure we'll get into that in this conversation. But I just want to start by asking you where you are in the world and what you've been up to so far today.
Nicole Pratt 00:28
Yeah, where I am at the moment is in Melbourne, which is home, and I've just returned two weeks ago from a four month stint in Europe. So I started out in Rome at the Italian open, and then finished up at the US Open, and I was working with sort of different players. I at times, had my Billie Jean King Cup coach hat on, particularly at the French Open, where that's more global, just overseeing how you know the players are going and can lend a hand when I'm there, to be able to go on court and help out also. So yeah, it was a different type of trip for me. I was, I'll speak about it later on, what I've been doing over the last three, four years. So yeah, it was really great to go out there, get back in the trenches, really roll up my sleeves and see where the where the world of tennis is at. It definitely at the top of the game,
Paul Barnett 01:26
and Nicole four months away from home. Is that normal? Is that a long stint for you?
Nicole Pratt 01:33
Yeah, it's a long stint. I'm very fortunate that I was able to take my family over, and they were based out of Germany for two three months. So that really allowed me to sort of jump in and out and go back and visit them. So yeah, it is an unusual year. I'll normally do on any given year, two or three months in Europe, but I'll normally come back like I'll go spend, let's say, four or five weeks come back and then go again for for four or five weeks or so?
Paul Barnett 02:03
Well, we'll, we'll talk a little bit about the impact that has on your energy, and, I guess, your ability to engage with people. But let's, let's go back a little bit, and let's start with some of the coaches that have influenced you. I you know in preparing for today, I can see Ray ruffles there, and lorenzio Beltrame, and there's so many other great coaches in Australia. I'm sure you've you've come across either from your side of the court or from the other side of the court. But I'm wondering Nicole in tennis, what is it you think the great coaches do differently that sets them apart?
Nicole Pratt 02:41
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I don't think it's too different for tennis versus other sports, to be honest. Like, I think the words that I'm going to say here will be very similar in terms of,
I always start with, which is something really important to me. Is you have to have passion for what you do. You have to have a love for what you do. And I think what coincides with passion, and what you get from that is energy, you know, you know, the ability to wake up every single day, and regardless of what's happened, you've got the energy to go out and really sort of give your best in terms of providing support and mentoring and guidance to the athletes that you're working with.
I think for me, it's important to really care about the athlete like, that's where I often see the best or the most successful relationships are ones that are built on, you know, that care and then that obviously leads to trust. You know, we talk a lot about, you know, the best coaches having a blueprint of the vision of what that player, or let's say that team, is looking to achieve, but there's steps right to actualize that vision and making sure that you have processes in place that are simple, that are consistent, [PB1]
and then, you know, I guess diving into the sport, and the great coaches that I've had have had amazing knowledge, you know, the X and O's of the sport, the tactical nuances, experience, the experience of,
You know, it's, it's a unique lifestyle being a professional tennis player, traveling the world for eight, nine months of the year. So, you know, building those, those you know that those character strengths that you're going to need, the resilience, is really, really important. And I loved when I worked with coaches in terms of the storytelling, you know, the stories that they would say, you know, you think it's tough when you go on a, let's say, a 24 hour plane ride from Australia to Europe. Well, imagine what it was like on the on the boat when they when Australians went across there for the first, you know, Wimbledon and the French Open Championship. So, you know, especially Ray ruffles used to tell. Those stories. So I always enjoyed, enjoyed that. And, you know, funnily enough, for me, I something I really hold strongly now that I think probably, if anything's one of the most important aspects for a great coach, have belief, have belief in who you're working with. And, you know, funny story that I've not funny, but where I landed was, you know, I was nine. I was 21 years of age, went across to America, had 30 grand in the bank, and I was prepared to lose it, but I knew that I needed to get out of Australia, go see something else. Be a be amongst it. And, you know, America's got everything right. Big better. And I landed over there and and I ended up working with the assistants, Assistant men's coach at Harvard University, a guy by the name of Greg Russell, and he, for me, was the first person to actually really say, Nicole, I really believe in you. I believe you can become a top 50 player. And by by the way, I was around 202 50, when he made this, this comment, he said, however, to do that, you're going to have to do, you know, a, b, c, d, e. And I was like, and I actually remember saying to him, You really think I can? And he goes, yes, 100% I believe you can, but you're going to have to do all of these things. And yeah, and I did it. So, you know, he helped me, kind of help improve my ranking, you know, to such, then put me in a different position to then go work with Lorenzo Beltrami in Orlando, surrounded by some of the best players in the world at the time, Jim Courier, Monica, sellers, Pete, Sam pres, like great company, right? So then, you know, the belief just gets bigger and bigger. So beliefs are a big one for me.
Paul Barnett 06:46
Well, let's talk a little bit about where that belief may have come from, because you grew up on a sugar cane farm near Makai in Queensland, and if my research is right, your dad bulldozed to court next to the house. He just hacked into the dirt, and then we had a tennis court. Tell us about that time on the farm and how it helped prepare you for life as a professional,
Nicole Pratt 07:10
yeah. Quite a unique background, I would say, yeah. No. True story. Dad bulldoze the court. He also, he, you know, hand and hammer and nail put together a practice wall, and it wasn't even so the so the variability of when the ball would fire out off one of the grooves that was a little bit out of place, I think, certainly helped me have adaptability, creativity, all of those different things from the environment that was there, you know, gave me access. You know, we were, we were an hour's drive outside of Mackay, and then the note, the closest tennis club was 10k away. And so, yeah, the fact that he had the foresight to do that, I had an older brother, older sister that was six, seven years older than me, and I guess I looked up to them. They were very sporty. We're a very sporty family. Dad was a very good tennis player. So, yeah, it was the sport, the go to sport for me from a young age. But I think it was about a lot of my I guess, you know, values that I have have instilled in me from a young age was, you know, living on the farm is hard work, right? It's it requires a discipline, a commitment to wake up early in the morning, you know, go plow the field, go plant the cane. That's what I did as young age. I used to feed the cane into the slots, and, you know, cut it off and then planted in the ground and, and, you know, looking back now and reflecting is, you know, if you put the work in and you nurture it, the cane, let's say, like you you get to see the growth, right? You get to see the growth of something actually growing, and, you know, the rewards of that growth, you know, then you cut it back down, you know, you send it off to the mill, and that's how you survive. So it's kind of this, it was an ever evolving, you know, cycle of work hard, you know, make sure you got the right ingredients there, and then you'll get the rewards. So, you know, that was instilled in me in a very young age. Nothing, nothing. Never take anything for granted. Nothing comes easy. And you know, probably the most defining moment for me was when I got a scholarship to the Australian student sport at 15 years of age, and my parents dropped me, and my dad said, You know what Nicole from now on, every decision you make is your decision, and you are responsible for that decision. So again, the accountability right being accountable for the decisions you make, the actions you take and but equal. Lee, you know, I knew that they were always there to support me if I if I needed any help, but that was a really defining moment for me, is, is being responsible and, yeah, taking ownership of your actions. Well,[PB2]
Paul Barnett 10:12
we could spend a whole episode talking about your playing career, but it's your life as a coach that we're going to we're going to drill in to a little bit deeper now. And I want to start by talking about your present role. You're tasked with increasing the number of women tennis coaches across Australia. You've had that brief for five years, and I'd like to know how successful you've been.
Nicole Pratt 10:39
Yeah, I think we've been very successful and successful in the in the sense of, I'm I love my analytics and data. And so we've had a 45% increase in the amount of women coaches in Australia from 2018 so that's quite, quite incredible. We did have, obviously, a drop off during covid, but they're our current numbers. And, you know, we hit the hit the government brief the KPI, and it was, I tell this story where, when I went into the job, I was sort of like, Oh, wow. This is new to me. How do I, how do I build a system of framework to achieve these outcomes. And so where I, sort of, you know, where I landed, in a way, is, okay, we're going to attract talent, we're going to develop that talent, and we're going to retain that talent, so, meaning the coaches, so but I then started do a little bit more research, and realized, oh, it's not that easy, because I looked at Nicole lavois written a book, great book, women in coaching. And what she did within her research was, I guess, develop, it's called the ecological systems, and it basically is all around women coaching and the in the complexity, it starts with the with the individual for that first layer, then it goes to the interpersonal so the relationships with that coach, then it goes to an organizational level, And then it goes to the socio cultural level, you know, so social cultures, meaning, you know, girls are brought up to be perfect, and boys are raised to be brave. And that's, you know, and that sort of fits into kind of what goes on through the whole, let's say, life cycle, so to speak.
So yeah, I started with, you know, really spending a lot of time on the individual coaches. I found that a lot of them were not confident, so really worked on building programs to increase their confidence, and then, with increasing their confidence, then they're able to engage and interact and have the bravery to go out and, you know, pursue more and do more, and then equally, you know, it's not a linear trajectory, because, you know, there's different things. There's challenges and barriers, and those challenges and barriers are real women coaches, you know, the, you know, the gender bias is very real in coaching, a lack of support is very real as well. And, you know, and and a lot of women coaches not being in positive environments, you know, not too dissimilar, I think, to the workforce in some respects, in particular, particular professions, right, where it's highly male dominated. So, yeah. So it's been, it's been a journey over the last four or five years, doing that type of work, but it's been really, really rewarding. [PB3] At the same time, you
Paul Barnett 13:50
said something interesting in there, Nicole, you talked about helping people pursue more, you know, you talked about bravery and helping them go forward. So you're not just attracting coaches in you then you're then developing them. In fact, I've heard you talk in other interviews about people's development plans. Now there's a cross over here with the corporate world. Because, you know, if I look outside my office door here, there's many people that should have a development plan, but they don't. They approach the exercise with complete apathy. Is there an example or a story you can share where working on the goals linked to a development plan helps someone achieve more than they would have otherwise?
Nicole Pratt 14:34
Yeah, I, I, I guess. I mean, I've got a few different examples, but probably the first example in tying in what I said, you know, in the beginning, which is one of the most important aspects for a great coach, I think, to encourage, is what's, what's your vision? Like, where do you want to go? And, you know, the story I'll share is, I have, I was, I. At one point in time with Tennis Australia, I was the AIS women's head coach, and there was an exercise that I used to do with with the players, where I would get them to create a vision board, meaning you're 1617, years of age. Where is it that you want to go, and what do you want to achieve? And what are the characteristics that you need to have and to achieve those goals. And what are the different what are the different support mechanisms you need at the same time as you go through your journey? Anyway, I had storm Hunter do this, Storm Sanders prior to getting married. Anyway, she was a player 17 years of age, and I was quite heavily criticized for actually having her in the program, because she wasn't necessarily achieving the results that other players were achieving. However, I got to know her background and and understood her as a person, the commitment, the dedication, like she was living in Shell harbor an hour outside of Perth. She would catch the train in the morning from Shell harbor to Perth prior to school, then take the train back, then come back again to do a session in the afternoon, and then travel back again. She was doing four hours every single day because she she had a goal, right? She wanted to become a professional tennis player. And so when I heard this, and she's left handed, so when I heard this story, I thought, You know what? Those type of characters are, few and far between. And I really believe in in this, in this player. So she created the vision board of, I will be number one in the world. And I worked with her. I've pretty much worked on and off with her since she was 17. And you know, last year, as a 29 year old, she become the number one doubles player in the world. So 12 years later, yes, it wasn't singles, but at the same time, I think, I think every single tennis player, if we said to them, Oh, would you take being number one in the world in doubles, I think everyone would say yes, and and a very successful career now. So yeah, that that's an example of setting the vision, having consistency with an approach, a belief, a desire. She's incredibly resilient, all of those, all of those character traits and and then the only other example I'll probably give you, and it's kind of a shorter, let's say, window of an individual development plan, is Daria Saville was coming back, and she's another player I've worked with many, many years. She was coming back from an Achilles surgery, and it was actually during covid. And so we literally spent every single day coming to the tennis center when noone was around, there was wasn't anyone to hit with. And we worked on a plan for the next 10 months of when she would actually return to to her. And, you know, I probably, you know, you're the one is the coach that, you know, have the belief and the vision. And you know, we kept coming back to that. And then, you know, she came out of that 10 months, the world opened up a little bit more, and she went from pretty much no ranking to 50 in the World Within three months. Unbelievable, incredible. So for me, that's an example of when coaches say to me, oh, we need this. You know, we need the best facility, and we need lots of other players around and Nate, you can set the environment, the standards, you know where we're going, and challenges. So, yeah, that's the other example I've got that I felt very, very impressive on her behalf, to do that and achieve that.
Paul Barnett 19:02
Both of those examples include people doing something on a daily basis, and I think that's a big differentiator, potentially, with people that have development plans away from the sporting world. But can I take this away from the individual, into this to the team? Because you're also the Australian National teams coach and you support the Billie Jean King Cup team in a sport like tennis, where so much of its individual I take it, there are doubles, but it is largely an individual sport. How do you go about creating a sense of team?
Nicole Pratt 19:36
It's challenging. It's very, very challenging. They are, you know,
for the most part, 1011, months of the year, individuals working with separate teams around them the whole year. And then we get them to come into a Bjk cup, or, on the men's side, the Davis Cup, and you've got a very small window of them actually being, you know, our team. Without their normal team around them. So I think that the pre planning that's required from, you know, let's say myself, Sam stosis, the current Bjk cup, as well as Leighton Hewitt, the Davis Cup, Captain, it's, it's the, you know, the preparation and the different activities, let's say that we do throughout the year that helps us then be a team at the end. So so trying to encourage more players to hit with each other during the year, some of our players to go support the other players when they're at tournaments, just taking a little bit of time out of self to then give to others as well. I think is a really important value that we try and instill in our players. [PB4]
We instill, you know, we've got to come back to the word that everyone talks about, right culture, you know, what's the culture that you're setting within the team? You know, the language that we use is really, really important with the players, and equally, how they talk to each other. So it doesn't work, right? If someone's tearing someone to shreds and being negative, it's how do you create a positive environment so each individual can thrive. And, and coming back to the pre work again, is, you know, and I think this is too dissimilar to football teams or even within a in a work environment, is, everyone's different. All individuals are different. But what, what environment do they need to be in to excel, right? But say in the office, some people you know find that they work really productively by listening to music. Same with athletes. Some work well when you know they're they like to be around people. They're people, people. They want to talk so we as as captain and coach, we have to figure out what works for each individual to be, you know, the sum of the parts to equal the team, right? So, yeah, it it's not easy. It's not easy. We only have a short window to bring that team together. However, it's really rewarding when you see those players walk away from the week and go, that was the best week we had on tour. That's what they look forward to the most. So when you hear that, you know you're doing something sort of right as as leaders of the team,[PB5]
Paul Barnett 22:37
Nicole, I've got this this great quote from you. I'd like to read it to you if I could before I ask the question. At the top level, tennis leads the sporting world in gender equality with equal prize money at the Grand Slams. But like many other sports, it's an ongoing challenge to keep girls engaged, particularly when they hit their teenage years. Now there's a lot in this sentence because this paragraph, rather, there's a lot in there, because building engagement with people, no matter who they are, is an issue for all leaders. Then there's many of us who have got potentially teenage daughters. I have, I have two, and getting them engaged in sport is is a challenge. But what have you learned about the factors that keep girls engaged in sport. And what can we learn from that?
Nicole Pratt 23:29
Yeah, well, I mean, there's been quite a bit of research done on this. My My view is, particularly with girls is and there's probably across the board it needs to be fun, right? There needs to be an enjoyment level of of what what you're doing. If you don't enjoy what you do, you're not going to be engaged in it.
So, you know, that's, that's probably first and foremost, foremost, I think, creating and again, this is with everything again, when I'm saying this is a sense of belonging, belonging to something greater than self. So whatever objective you're trying to achieve, I've found, if you can somehow sort of take the individual out of it and bring others in, then there's less pressure on the individual, because we're all doing it together. So with young girls, I think creating a sense of belonging into a community. I know a concept that we embedded, actually within all the women's tennis. When I was head of women's tennis and starting from the younger age, fun, team, friends, those three things, if you can come back to that, then the output of those individuals and the team around those individuals, I believe, is a lot more successful. [PB6]
Girls are very quick. Also we know this now. They have a greater sense of reality. So from a younger age. They're wanting to know where they fit. How good am I? And with sport, if you know they're not the top or somewhere near it and they're a little lower, that's when you have dropout, because they have a strong sense of reality, hence why they need to have people around them to give them perspective of where they're at, but equally what things they can do to then, you know, get towards the top, but that's where we have a lot of girls drop out of the game. Versus on the boys side, they're much more naturally combative. They're naturally more confident. You know, I often see young, you know, young boys, they might go out and lose 6161 but they'll walk off the court. I know I was in there. Had a chance there wasn't far off. Um, I'll get him next time. What does the young girl do? Walk, walk off when they've lost 6161 it's the end of the world. They're in tears and potentially saying the words I don't want to play again. So, yeah, we've got to be really careful about the support we put beside young, young women and nurture their development, and always be coming back to perspective. Yeah, it's really, really important,
Paul Barnett 26:21
fascinating. I wonder whether my daughters have got a sense of reality that's very different to mine when it comes to cleanliness around the house. But topic for another day, Nicole, when we were chatting before this interview, when we were just lining up the time, you said something I found absolutely fascinating. You said you the advice you give to new professional players is about being their own CEO. I thought it was really unique and interesting. Could you? Could you tell us a little bit more about that? That advice that you give,
Nicole Pratt 26:54
yeah, this is probably targeted more towards players that are have sort of probably moved out of the juniors, and now they're playing professional tournaments, earning money. And I always sort of say, too, you're not a professional too. You're actually making money, right? Because there's a lot of expenses involved. So yeah, the comment I'm I make to these or have them think about is I want you to picture or be. Look at it. Look Look at you. You're playing career as a business, and you're the CEO. So as the CEO, you make the decisions about the team that is going to support you and to be behind you for you to achieve success. And so there needs to be a level of, you know, let's say do diligence. Just like in in the corporate world, you need to interview the coach that you're choosing to work with. You go through the process, meet with three or four different people to decide, or coaches to decide, what it is you're looking for. Then you've got a fitness trainer. Same thing. Go out and interview them, see what they stand for, what values align to your values. Physio. You're going to need a physio so it's, it's, and also, too, like you've got to pay for these people. So you need to understand a budget. You need to understand where to put your money, so you can maximize your money to then invest back in your in your career. And that's the other thing I always say to players as well, the greatest investment you can make in your professional career is investing in yourself. So what that means is, when you have, let's say, a good paycheck, don't go out and buy a $50,000 car. Invest that $50,000 in having people around you that are going to double your money or triple your money over time. So, yeah, it's really, really important that they grasp that concept. And I think when they do, they also become more accountable to themselves, rather than blaming other people. It's like, no, no, you're the CEO. The The buck stops with you. If the company goes south, you're the first person people are going to look at. So take it on. Take it on. Take that responsibility on.
Paul Barnett 29:35
Interesting. Here we are at work, uh, trying to use analogies with sport, and it's good to know that sport people are using analogies from the boardroom as well. Nicole, for many years in tennis, the players weren't allowed to communicate with their coaches during a game. Now, I know there was little signals and things they could use, but this has changed, and they are now allowing some communication. I. How is this going to affect the game?
Nicole Pratt 30:03
I think it's already affect the game in terms of, you know, players maybe becoming more reliant on their coaches versus problem solving themselves out on court. Equally, you've got the flip side, where it's an advantage, right, where the coaches can help problem solve. However, there's a real skill, because you've still only got a short amount of time. So there's a real skill, skills in that the coaches need to have to be able to impart that information down onto court. I've probably seen some examples of, you know, of late, because it's only been recent. This has been allowed where there's over coaching going on. Coaches are talking for the sake of talking versus, well, what do you really, you know, what's the point? Are you just maybe confusing the player or trying to justify your role in the box as the coach? I've seen I've seen that. I've seen some coaches not embrace it, and the coaches that are embracing it, my personal opinion is, is probably you're doing a disservice to the player. [PB7]
Because, as we know, you know, I kind of equate when players are playing on a center court, it's an arena, and it's gladiatorial, you know, if you picture the Romans back in the day and the gladiators, you know, versus each other, you know, out in the out in that arena, like, that's a lot of pressure. So if you've got someone who can can help you, then I'm pretty much like we'll use it, let's use it, but we've got to use it effectively. I Yeah, I think saying less, but making it meaningful is really, really important. I think the AFL have done a pretty good AFL coach has actually done a pretty good job of that over time, monitoring and having sort of almost a coach. Of the coaches actually evaluate how much they talk and how effective they were, you know, both in matches and in training.
Paul Barnett 32:10
I think it's true of any leadership position. The more you talk, I think the more you actually did dilute what you're saying, and being sharp and to the point creates much stronger impact.
Nicole Pratt 32:23
Yeah, sorry. And just to clarify, like, I think it's and this is where it's interesting, right? I think that the communication, the dialog during matches, very different to the communication and dialog during match practices. So that's where the coach is going to have to adapt a little bit more now, I think because it was all the talking during practice and not matches, so I think it's going to take a while for coaches to kind of figure out the balance there and and make sure they understand the individual that they're working with.
Paul Barnett 32:54
Can we go from communication on the court to social media? Now I've read where you encourage your athletes to shut it down before events. Now I know this is difficult. Many of the people you're working with have got sponsorships, and they need to, they need to thank those sponsors and be seen to be promoting certain products, but I understand that you still stand by this, and some of them do shut that social media down. What have you discovered through implementing this, this rule?
Nicole Pratt 33:27
I guess the reason why I somewhat not, I wouldn't say enforce now, because I'm working with adults, encourage them to shut it down, is I just feel it's, it's an incredible distraction. It's an incredible distraction. And you know, I'm struggling with athletes that have their phone on just prior to practice, and sometimes checking it during practice, and then as soon as the practice is over, they're switching it on straight away.
So I'm a, I'm a big believer in you need to give your mind time to prepare to go do something which, by the way, is every athlete. I apply this to what we're asking these athletes to do is extraordinary. To be the very best in the world. That is extraordinary. And so I feel like if they don't give themselves the headspace or that that quiet space before going to do tasks, meaning practice, then they're not preparing themselves to go do what they need to do. And then, equally, once they do the practice, the mind needs time to digest what it just did not go straight on the phone and then be thinking about something else. So, yeah, that that's kind of like why I feel mentally our, a lot of our players and general athletes, they're overstimulated. They're overstimulated. And we talk about finding, you know, performances, there's. Own well, how do you find the zone if you're overstimulated, like all the time? [PB8]
And then, particularly in tournaments, as we know, there's a lot of betting that goes on. The trolls that you know are making comments straight after they they lose because someone lost some money on a particular match, and it's very, very hurtful. And I've had players say to me, Oh, but I don't listen to it. And I I say to them, Well, you've read it, you've read it. You might it's actually gone from reading it's now in your mind. Whilst you say, you discard it and throw it away. I actually don't believe you do. So especially during tournaments, I just really discourage them from from going on and checking what people say about them. So just get off it. They're like, Oh, I can't help it, Nicole. It's like, it's right there. It's a goes off as a notification. I said, Well, turn it off so it doesn't derail you in any shape or form. Think it
Paul Barnett 36:05
links to this idea you had earlier in the interview where you talked about taking time out from yourself. It's a think it's a pretty powerful idea, actually, particularly when it comes to focusing on something bigger than yourself. I think I know the answer to my final question, Nicole, but because I think it's self evident in the way you live your life and spend your energy. But I'll ask it anyway, what's the legacy you're trying to work towards as a coach?
Nicole Pratt 36:38
I think just for me as a coach is just to always be authentic is really important. But the legacy is, is anyone I've come in contact with, I hope that in some shape or form I've been able to impart my passion and love for the beautiful sport that we play, tennis and I would love for them to somehow be involved in tennis themselves longer than, let's say, a player. Maybe it might be encouraging their children to play, because it is a great game. And I just my experience has been it just opens up so many doors, opportunity, life lessons. And it is. It's a sport for life. So if people have come in contact with me, hopefully they walk away going, Yeah, tennis, great sport.
Paul Barnett 37:34
And I think if you can develop a few more female coaches along the way, that'll make you pretty happy, too.
Nicole Pratt 37:40
Exactly,
Paul Barnett 37:41
Nicole, it's been great meeting you today and getting to know a little bit more about your story. I grew up in Melbourne. I think we are the similar age, and I remember watching you many, many times on hot summer nights playing the Australian Open. So it's great to get the chance to meet you and wish you all the best for Well, for a couple of weeks downtown, downtown, before you hit the road again. Thanks, Paul. Really
Nicole Pratt 38:04
appreciate. It's been great to be on your show. Bye.