Player features

Schoolkate is looking forward to the Sinner showdown

Find out more about the Australian on and off the pitch

January 14, 2025

Tristan Schoolkate recalls the highlights of an ATP Challenger Tour match in April 2019 between two teenagers, Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner. Alcaraz won in three sets that day and both players have since become No. 1 in the PIF ATP rankings and have won multiple Grand Slam tournaments.

“They’re both doing pretty well now,” Schoolkate told ATPTour.com with a laugh.

Now the 23-year-old Australian will face Sinner in the second round of the Australian Open on Wednesday. Schoolkate has two tour-level match wins and Sinner has two major trophies. However, the daunting task did not dampen the enthusiasm of the home favorite.

“It’s fantastic. I have nothing to lose,” Schoolkate said. “Playing against the world No. 1 is pretty crazy, pretty cool. I will do my best and believe I can win the game. I’m going to go out there, take a break and do everything I can. And if it’s good enough, it’s good enough. If not, then not. We’re going to have a good time.”

Schoolkate made his main draw debut at the US Open last year, where he recovered from two sets down to oust Taro Daniel before falling to Jakub Mensik in the fifth set tiebreak. However, competing against the world number 1 with Sinner is a different challenge.

“Obviously I’ve seen a lot of him play. A few of my friends mentioned it to him. But he’s obviously doing some really good things at the moment. He’s playing great,” Schoolkate said. “He is currently the best tennis player in the world. So I’m sure it’s not just me who’s seen a lot of him, I’m sure the whole world has seen a lot of his tennis.

“I’m sure he and his coaches are working really hard to continue to improve. I also find that impressive about him. It’s impressive that the world number one is still trying to change things. Federer, Nadal, Djokovic, of course, now Alcaraz and Sinner, they are always trying to get better and better, even at the top, which I think is a great quality. He’s pretty humble, so he does really big things and gets great results.”

The No. 173 player in the PIF ATP rankings has come a long way to make his Australian Open main draw debut. He started playing tennis at the age of four, which was natural considering his father Peter was a tennis coach.

“But it was all about having fun. I was just playing. I played a little bit of soccer, including football, until I was 14,” Schoolkate said. “Tennis has probably always been more fun, or I think I’ve had a little more success. I kept playing and stayed in regular school, played tennis all the time and played the junior Grand Slams when I finished school, and then things got a little better.”

Schoolkate grew up in Perth and became involved in professional tennis from a young age. The Australian was a ball child at the Hopman Cup, where he refereed games for the likes of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga and John Isner.

“I was a big fan of Jo-Wilfried Tsonga. He was probably my favorite player growing up. I also loved watching Nadal,” Schoolkate said. “So that was pretty cool. Obviously (Jo) was my idol, I watched him all the time. I also remember his run at the Aussie Open.

“But then to go from that to kind of a batting partner and then batting with John Isner was kind of funny too. Now I play the tournaments they played. So it’s a pretty long journey, but it’s pretty cool.”

Schoolkate wouldn’t mind bringing a bit of Tsonga-like flair to the court when he takes on Sinner in the second round of the Australian Open. He is the type of player who embraces the crowd and harnesses their energy rather than shying away from the pressure.

“The way (Jo) could get the crowd going, he was so exciting to watch. I liked the way he kept coming forward compared to the others, hitting jump volleys or just doing a little more exciting stuff,” Schoolkate said. “I watched his highlights against Nadal in the semi-finals of AO an incredible number of times. And when I want to bring tennis to people, I think of this game. I think it’s pretty cool.

“When I was a ball kid for him I wasn’t thrilled, but for me it was just so sick. And of course I’ve been a pretty big tennis fan throughout my time. I would act like I was hitting the wall, like I was playing against Nadal, Federer, Hewitt and those guys.”

Off the field, Schoolkate spends a lot of time searching for the best coffee he can find and also enjoys turning on his Nintendo Switch and PlayStation. “It takes my mind off what I’m doing on the field and lets me just be a normal person for a while,” he said. “I just try to relax and sit back as much as possible.”

The No. 145 player in the PIF ATP Live Rankings enjoys watching Netflix. He really enjoyed “Prison Break” and “Suits,” a series he watched “ridiculously often.”

What does the Australian want to tell new fans as they watch him try to impress the top-ranked player in the world?

“I guess I’m just a normal guy,” Schoolkate said. “I love tennis, love competitions and do my best every day.”