The Last Day, Day 31 in Melbourne with Coach Sven Groeneveld

Today was the last day of practice at Melbourne Park! Over the next 24 hours we prepare for departure but we also want to have a great day of practice. The last PCR test result was negative so we had a good start of the day. Besides the PCR test we obviously needed to get a flight to Singapore, all of the paperwork for upon arrival and an app downloaded on our phone for tracing purposes. Singapore will be one of the most strict protocols we have faced, but at least they prepare us for the worst-case scenario. I believe this is also how all the players should have been informed coming to Australia.

I can’t thank Lavazza enough for the great coffee during our stay and all of the people that make this event possible. We have Craig Tiley but we also have all of the workers behind the scenes. Transportation, practice, stringing, restaurants, locker room attendants, security, officials, ball kids but most of all those people that were cleaning the facilities on a daily basis. They almost have gone unnoticed but they work long hours and clean every chair every door handle, everything we touch and we don’t notice them since they just go on with their work every time we leave our seat or place we have occupied.

I will miss Melbourne Park and my Botanical Garden but I will be back and can’t wait for a return to normality. Thank you Melbourne and Hotel Pullman Albert Park for my 15 day Hard Lockdown stay!

Sven Groeneveld