Sarah gets a lot of support from her family. Her mum, Deana, supports her with travel organisation and preparation, after years of driving her around for training, matches and appointments. Dad Greg shares her single-mindedness and helps develop strategies to achieve her goals. Older sister Caitlin keeps her grounded. “She’s studying classical violin at university and isn’t into tennis or competitive sport,” says Sarah. “I think that gives me another perspective because when I’m with her I’m not thinking about tennis. We’re very close, so it’s nice.

“My coaching team and mentors really help me. Sometimes it's so easy to get caught up in everything, so it’s good having them there to keep me grounded and offer a different perspective.”

Coping with match-day pressure

While neither player is superstitious about their routine directly before a match, they both have rituals to help them get ready. Maya has a couple of unique ways to take her mind off the game: “We play soccer and card games before matches and during tournaments.”

For Sarah, it’s about creating calm. “I like getting my preparation in, making sure my pre-match nutrition is right, and making sure everything's organised,” she says. “Then I’ll do some journalling and focus on what goals I have in the match, as well as my game plan. Right before the game, I’ll warm up, get some reaction drills in, maybe do some skipping, get a pep talk from my coach and go out and play.”

The Grand Slam season starts this year with the Australian Open, held at Melbourne Park from January 12 to February 1 2026.