Australia’s Olivia Gadecki is shown the exit door by Russia’s Veronika Kudermetova in the first round of the 2025 AO. This was her maiden appearance at the Rod Laver Arena and what a moment it could’ve been for herself and also for his family if she had won that match in front of her home fans. Gadecki was born and raised by her mother on the Gold Coast and she started playing at the age of 3. However, currently, Olivia Gadecki spends most of her years either traveling around the world or she’ll be found in her new address, i.e. London. Why has she moved to London, though?

Well, recently during the pre-match press conference, a journalist was heard saying that usually, Australian players find it a bit challenging to play all the events around the world because they have to travel a long way from their home. How does Olivia Gadecki manage to cope with all those things? In reply to this question, the 22-year-old said, “Yeah it’s a tough one. I feel like everyone is quite different. So we all have different ways to sort of cope with that. Whether that be having a base overseas or you know coming back a couple of times a year to see family & friends.”

For those who are unaware, Olivia Gadecki is currently coached by Nigel Sears. Sears has vast experience in the coaching field and he has coached the likes of Amanda Coetzer, Daniela Hantuchova, Anett Kontaveit, and even Ana Ivanovic. This British coach currently lives in London. Is it the main reason for Gadecki to shift her base to London? During that same press conference, she added, “I personally decided to move to London to base myself out there. My coach is from there and I think it’s been a massive help for me personally to cope with all that and year I get to see my family every now and again. But it’s not easy but it’s just part of what we do.”

Olivia Gadecki has a wonderful outing in the 2024 season. She reached her career-highest ranking of 83 on 7 October 2024. Apart from that, she made her debut at the Wimbledon Championships and defeated American star, Sloane Stephens in the first round of the Guadalajara Open. Reflecting on the 2024 season, Gadecki said, “I feel like I’ve had a pretty great year. To be able to finish the year top 100 is a dream come true. It’s definitely been one of my goals, so for me to be able to tick that off, it’s an amazing feeling. But I’m definitely looking to get to top 50 next, and then hopefully top 20, top 10.”

However, this wasn’t the first time that we’ve seen her speak about her decision to move to Britain. In December 2024, she was heard saying, “I definitely thought it would make a big difference, basing out of the UK, just because Australia is so far, and it does take a toll when you live out of a suitcase week after week. I think that makes players, or me personally, burn out quite quickly. So, I felt like I needed to make that move, and I’m so glad I did.” She then also spoke about how she spent the first six months just adjusting and trying to find out what works out for her in this new place. Does Olivia Gadecki miss her home, though?

“Missing my family” – Olivia Gadecki makes an honest confession about staying away from her home

Tours are always a bit tougher for Aussie tennis players than any other player from a different nationality. Previously, we heard Nick Kyrgios admitting, “It’s hard being from Australia because we can’t travel back and forth. There’s a lot of things people don’t see. They don’t understand the challenges that I face or what people on tour face, what’s going on in their personal lives.”

He has even shared his thoughts time and again on feeling homesick owing to hectic calendar commitments. What does Olivia Gadecki think of this though? Does she miss her as well? Well, recently during an interview with ABC News (Australia), the 22-year-old tennis star was spotted echoing Nick Kyrgios’ words.

She said, “Right now I’ve been away for quite a few months, 8-9 months and there are many moments where it’s quite uncomfortable like I’m missing my family, I’m missing my home, missing things that you know make me feel comfortable.” Olivia Gadecki further added, “I don’t get to visit home much throughout the year and I’m training in another country, started with a new coach, so many different things that contribute to that uncomfortable feeling. Traveling alone, I feel like that’s quite uncomfortable too.”

Her straight-set defeat (1-6,1-6) to Veronika Kudermetova was quite disappointing for the Aussie fans, but we’re still in the early phases of the 2025 season. There are plenty of tournaments lined up for the next few months. Do you think Gadecki can clinch a few titles this season and bring a smile to the faces of all those fans?