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Denmark's Clara Tauson, who won the Australian Open junior title 12 months ago, says she was happy to meet Spanish legend Rafael Nadal after her win last year and is a huge Roger Federer fan, in an interview to the ITF website.
Tauson says, “I was fortunate enough to run into [2009 Australian Open champion] Rafael Nadal who congratulated me, which naturally was a nice pat on the back from a legend of tennis. I do not remember anything besides lifting the trophy as the achievement was so overwhelming for me.
It took a couple of days before I realised what had truly happened. Historically, not many juniors who are the top seed have managed to win, so I was more focused than ever to deal with the situation in a professional manner.
I just concentrated on one match at a time and gave my best. Being the first junior girl from Denmark to win the Australian Open and becoming No. 1 in the world was amazing. For sure, Australia will mean a lot to me for the rest of my life.
I am very proud of what I achieved at the Australian Open”. While Tauson is now making her mark on the professional circuit, she says her aim is to continue working hard and improve as a player and that she is a huge Roger Federer fan.
"Coming from a tiny tennis nation such as Denmark, I have learned to keep my focus on track and be grateful for the opportunities which come my way. My aim for 2020 is to work hard in every aspect to improve both physically, tactically, mentally and technically.
I was a good junior player, now my focus is on steadily becoming a solid, complete and successful tennis player. He (my father) is by far the greatest influence on my career. He has acted as my coach in every tournament since I was seven years old.
He taught me everything about tennis and I owe him a big thank you for introducing me to the game. I love that he is by my side every step of the way. Also, together we have watched hundreds of the most sublime and inspirational Roger Federer matches, cheering for him in a manner that our neighbours sometimes thought we were a little loud”. Now 17 years old, Tauson is currently ranked No. 271 in the world rankings.