What is a wheelchair player's daily AO routine? Schroder reveals all
Immediately before her matches on Rod Laver Arena this fortnight the defending women’s singles champion Aryna Sabalenka has been spending about 10 minutes in the labyrinth of tunnels below the show court doing some last minute prep.
Much of it revolves around her coach throwing tennis balls to her as a circus juggler might and which she catches and throws back only to be given another one straight away. Occasionally the coach will spice things up by throwing two balloons in the air about five metres apart with Sabalenka dashing about to them to keep them afloat.
It’s party games but with a purpose. Sam Schroder, the defending quads singles champion at the Australian Open, approves.
“We do some similar stuff in the wheelchair where the coach throws the ball up in the air and I try to get it in one bounce and then as soon as I grab the ball I throw it to him and he will throw another one immediately behind me,” says Schroder.
It’s all about movement and focus he says and follows on from a lengthy pre-match warm-up, every time the same.
This is a typical match day this week at the Australian Open:
Schroder is staying at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Melbourne and takes a courtesy car daily to Melbourne Park, a few minutes away.
The chance of a ride is very nice he says and is appreciated. His routine once he arrives on-site for a ‘first up’ match beginning at 11am rarely varies.
“From 8.30am to 9 we do some stretches, throwing medicine balls. My tennis coach will do some stretching with me and some exercises with balls or some resistance bands to warm up the shoulders.
“Then maybe some service motions, some core exercise and then we get my hands ready, tape up some spots to protect the skin and then apply sunscreen and we should be ready to go on court.”
Tape is important, Schroder suffers from split hand/split foot syndrome, a rare genetic disorder that has caused his hands and feet to develop abnormally.
Schroder saw off South Africa's Donald Ramphadi in 58 minutes on court 6 in the quads singles semi-final on Thursday. His immediate post-match routine includes a cool down as soon as he comes off court, followed by a shower, meal, physio or massage.
Wednesday this week however saw a, somewhat chilly, change to the schedule. The locker rooms at Melbourne Park it transpires come with all manner of medical challenges.
“Yesterday I took an ice bath for the first time ever. It was only two minutes and probably not long enough but we just wanted to try it out.”
Schroder says it with wholesale uncertainty as to the short, or long term, benefits but is nothing if not positive. It is not an unfair outlook.
“It wasn’t that bad, the legs were okay especially but once you get your torso in it becomes colder and it’s kind of a shock reaction. On the inside I felt kind of dizzy but my vision didn’t get blurred or anything. You have to focus on your breathing so it’s a good exercise for me to get that focus and be calm.
“I think you have to edge yourself in, bit by bit and don’t panic. Today I’ll probably try and do a little bit longer.”
Schroder is 24-years-old and speaks and acts like a man who has been on tour years beyond his age. He is scheduled to play eight matches this week all being well and the quads singles and doubles finals are reached.
He will face the No. 4 seed, Israel's Guy Sasson, who pulled off the shock of this competition on Thursday to defeat the top seed - and Schroder’s doubles partner - Niels Vink, in the singles final.