"I'm never really used to seeing people in the hotel especially not in New York because usually we all kind of do our own thing with where we stay. And now you see all these players and it’s such a big event that it’s just different so it’s kind of like our own little village."
Ajla Tomljanovic joins the TENNIS.com Podcast from inside the New York City bubble. The world No. 57 has spent quality time at the official hotel and on site for the Western & Southern Open and US Open.
Before arriving in New York, the 27-year-old had a busy summer training in Florida and playing a number of events including the UTR Pro Series in West Palm Beach, team tennis in Charleston and West Virginia, and WTA tournaments in Lexington and Cincinnati. As a Las Vegas Roller at World TeamTennis over the summer, Tomljanovic was one of the last players to compete alongside Bob and Mike Bryan and she shares how special that honor is.
Given her match experience in 2020 she's grown accustomed to the new normal and explains how the lack of fans is harder as a spectator than a player. The Aussie also gives an inside look at how players are staying entertained in New York, what the pros and cons are of mask wearing, how she handled COVID-19 testing anxiety and what her secret weapon is for dealing with hot weather. 
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