The Kiwi tennis star who won the French Open: An interview with Michael Venus
2017 has been a bit of a standout year for Kiwi tennis player Michael Venus. Alongside his doubles teammate, Ryan Harrison, the duo has had a busy year. They’ve played in the World Tour Finals, the quarterfinals of Wimbledon, and the finals of the US Open – just to name a few. One of the major highlights was taking home the top prize at the French Open doubles
As the first Kiwi to win a Grand Slam since 1979, Venus has quickly risen to become one of New Zealand’s premier players.
So how does he feel about it all? “Surreal is the best way to describe it.”
“I always dreamt about playing in the Grand Slams growing up and to actually win one was definitely a dream come true.”
Venus and Harrison came out to win the final match at the French Open against Santiago Gonzalez and Donald Young in a gripping doubles final.
“It all just went real fast basically. We won one tournament and then a couple weeks later, we end up winning the French Open.”
So what does he credit his success to?
“I pride myself in trying to focus each day on improving and hopefully those little things get better. You know, if I keep improving that’s all I can really ask and hopefully the results take care of themselves.”
Falling in love with the game at an early age
Coming from a family of tennis players meant Venus was hooked on the game from an early age. With three older sisters involved in the sport and both his parents avid players, it definitely ran in the family.
“When I was younger, we were at the tennis courts quite a lot and just seeing what all the older kids were doing… you just want to be like them. That’s how I got started and fell in love with it. It just kind of grew from there.”
Venus is thankful for being a part of raising the profile of tennis in New Zealand. “It’s getting a bit more publicity which I think is great. The more kids that can play and see that although we come from a small country, if you work hard you can make it...Even if it inspires one kid to keep playing or get interested in the game, I think it’s great.”
Embracing the ups and downs
Unlike a lot of other seasonal sports, tennis is a full-time gig for most professional players.
“With tennis, we play 11 months of the year, so there’s always going to be ups and downs,” says Venus. “Even though you want it to be ups the whole time, it’s just not possible. So you try to limit the downs as much as you can and learn from it all.’’
“It can feel a bit isolating at times. It's a big sacrifice to be away from most of your family and friends for the bulk of the year.”
“At the end of the day you have to remind yourself what a privilege it is to be playing an international sport and doing what you love for a living.”
“Even in the times when things weren’t going well, from each occasion I learnt something different and was able to apply that going forward. I think it definitely helped my game and help me continue to develop and improve for next year and the coming years.”
Partnering with ASICS
Playing at the pro level has meant getting the best gear to support his performance. “Having ASICS NZ come on board has been unbelievable,” says Venus. “They’ve provided me with so much gear – my favourite would be the ASICS GEL-Solution Speed shoes. Even before being sponsored by ASICS I used these shoes; they’re the most comfortable and the lightest tennis shoes possible.”
“A lot of the other players rave about ASICS shoes, so it’s great to be a part of it.”
“For me, I like to have shoes that are as light as possible but also make sure they’re comfortable and still have the support for changing directions backwards and forwards, and wherever I need to go on the court. The durability also holds up great – they’ve been able to incorporate everything into a shoe.”
Playing in the Kiwi arena
Back in NZ from his international Grand Slam tours, Venus is excited to be picked as the Singles Wildcard in the ASB Classic tournament in Auckland this January.
“Definitely one of the highlights is starting here in Auckland. They do such a great job with this tournament and with the crowds and support behind me, it’s something I really look forward to. It’s one of the best atmospheres of the year.”
While Venus is ranked 15th in the world in doubles, he’s not yet ranked in the singles category. Despite that, tournament director Karl Budge rates him as the premier Kiwi in both doubles and singles.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play here a few times and get to practice with a few of the singles guys throughout the year and see them play so I know the level they’re playing at. I know if I can come out and play really well, hopefully I’ll put myself in a good position in the match we’ll see what happens from there.”
“With the crowd behind me – it does seem to bring out the best of my game.”
So what else has Venus got planned for 2018?
“I’d love to improve my ranking up more and get in the top ten and potentially go higher. Obviously I’d love to win another Grand Slam, but everyone’s trying for the same thing.
“It was definitely a bunch of major stepping stones getting to where I am and even this year, finally being able to play in all the ATP one thousands… now I feel like belong. It feels like I’m definitely on the right track.”
Despite becoming more used to the pro scene, the feeling of standing on the court in the big arena still remains a surreal one for the Kiwi player.
“Just getting in there – you look up and just keep looking up, that one’s something else.”