Welcome to Kamilla Bartone’s blog. The 17-year-old enjoyed a promising campaign in 2019, reaching the quarter-finals of two Junior Grand Slams and qualifying for the season-ending ITF Junior Finals in Chengdu. 2020 promises to be a big year for Bartone, who intends to make the transition from Juniors and play an increasing number of professional tournaments. She will be writing regular pieces for the ITF and providing insight into life as an aspiring player. Follow her progress here.

Having landed at Melbourne Airport a couple of days ago, I am now in Traralgon for the J1 tournament as preparations for the Australian Open intensify.

It has been really smoky outside due to the terribly sad Australian bushfires crisis, with the level of air quality deemed too dangerous and potentially damaging to players’ health.

It was simply impossible to practice earlier in the week as it was difficult to breathe and far better and safer to stay indoors. Hopefully, the situation will improve.

I wrote in my last blog piece that I was using the off-season to clean my technique and improve my fitness and I’m certainly heading into the new campaign feeling a lot stronger and more confident.

I am determined to make a positive start to the year, especially given the Australian Open is potentially my last Junior Grand Slam. It will come as absolutely no surprise that I really want to win the tournament, particularly as it’s my favourite Slam alongside Wimbledon.

Lifting silverware at a Junior Grand Slam would be a massive step in my career, while it would also present the opportunity for a wild card entry into main draw qualifying this time next year.

Together with my family and coaches, I am focused on getting the best possible result and the tennis certainly comes first, but I am also very excited to be a tourist and explore Melbourne when time allows.

I haven’t managed to do much off the court at all since I arrived because the emphasis has been on practice and training, but hopefully I can squeeze in some sightseeing.  

During my time in Sydney last year, I loved having a wander around the city, which was so clean with such lovely people, and when I saw the Opera House I just thought ‘wow’.

When I previously competed at the Australian Open I didn’t get to see any of the city at all, in fact all I saw was the practice courts. This time around, I want to go to the zoo.

Australia has such unique animals which you cannot see in Europe or anywhere else in the world for the matter, so I would love to get a flavour of that. The main animals on my list to see are Kangaroos and Koalas.

As for now, though, tennis is the priority and I’m thrilled to be back in Australia and excited to feature at what will be my fifth Junior Grand Slam and second at Melbourne Park.

Grand Slams are so special. Rubbing shoulders with professional players gives you so much inspiration to work even harder than you already are to realise your dreams. 

Sometimes junior players are on the same practice courts as some really established names and watching those individuals and observing their approach to training is fascinating.

A well-known player simply acknowledging an aspiring junior can have such an impact. I remember running into American Sloane Stephens at the 2018 US Open, which was my first Junior Grand Slam.

Sloane was just walking by and I didn’t recognise her initially, but as she approached me she smiled and said ‘hi’. That was lovely of her and I was so impressed.

Having only ever seen her and other big names on television, it seemed almost impossible that I was now sharing a practice court with them and eating on the next table in the players’ restaurant.

I really cannot wait for the action at the Australian Open to get underway: I am here until 1 February before heading off to compete at some W15 competitions in Turkey.

As I said earlier, I would absolutely love to return to Europe with a trophy to show for my efforts. For now, however, while in Traralgon, it is about preparing and making the best use of time in order to achieve that ambition.