Heather Watson & Maia Lumsden Interview at the 2025 ATX Open

Heather Watson is a Wimbledon mixed doubles champion. Maia Lumsden is the #72 doubles player on the WTA Tour. I spoke with them in Austin after their round one win at the ATX Open. We spoke about the match, the playing conditions, and more.

• Heather's plans for doubles and why she wants to play more
• How Heather prepared for the 2024 Olympics where she reached the quarterfinals in the women's doubles draw
• Maia's goals for the rest of the season
• Strong opinions on the recent mixed doubles changes at the US Open, especially from Heather

Follow these players:

• Follow Heather Watson on Instagram  |  Twitter
• Follow Maia Lumsden on Instagram  |  Twitter

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Transcript

Post

Speaker 1 1:16

This episode is a brief post-match interview at the ATX Open with Heather Watson and Maya Loomsden. I caught up with them after their first round victory in Austin and we talked about the match. We talked about the playing conditions. There were some trees that are kind of hanging over the court, which is uncommon at the pro level, so we talked about kind of the shadows on the court. The balls were bouncing a little bit higher because the previous days had been really cold and today, or the day that we recorded this, was a bit warmer. So they talked about how they made adjustments and dealt with that. Heather also talked about how she decides to play singles versus doubles. She talked about the Olympics last year a bit and her plans for doubles going forward. I also asked Maya about her goals for the rest of the year. Maya only plays doubles, whereas Heather still plays some singles as well. And then the last half of this conversation we talk about the recent mixed doubles changes at the US Open. Heather had some pretty strong opinions on that and you can hear it during the conversation.

Speaker 1 2:26

I try to rephrase the question in several different ways to see if Heather has any thoughts on what changes she would like to see and what changes she would make if she were in charge. So I was trying to kind of phrase that question in the right way to spark an answer and some ideas and some conversation. But this is a pretty long post-match interview compared to some of the other ones, but still under 10 minutes overall. So, without further delay, enjoy this interview with Heather Watson and Maya Loomsden. All right, so you all are through to the ATX Open quarterfinals. What did you make of the match overall? Obviously a tight one. Third set win.

Speaker 2 3:12

Yeah, it was quite difficult playing conditions. I don't think the match was like the highest level from everyone, but it was really tough to play with it bouncing so high, considering the temperature today and the temperature the previous days. Um, but I really had fun out there with maya. It's our first time playing together. We've known each other a long time, so it was nice to share the court together and, um, I think we'll just get better with each round because I think if that match went on, we we got better as well okay.

Speaker 1 3:46

Yeah, I was talking to another player earlier who talked about the balls kind of flying a little bit.

Speaker 3 3:51

I guess it's like a specific type of ball that say more about that and yeah, I guess the balls are different and also just with the weather last couple days. I mean, we're practicing indoor and in one degree, yes, in a total opposite where whatever. So I get very different playing conditions today, yeah, just gonna jump that pie, and then yeah is this something you expected going into the match, like you knew?

Speaker 1 4:22

and then what? What adjustments do you make? Do you just like take a little bit off it or try to hit with more spin?

Speaker 2 4:27

Yeah, I mean you try your best to adapt, but usually you need days to prepare for different conditions. So, yeah, of course we tried to adapt as quick as possible and we expected it, because we felt it in the warm-up and watched some matches earlier on and we saw people struggling with it. So, yeah, we were ready for it what about the shadows on the court?

Thoughts on Mixed Doubles Changes

Speaker 1 4:50

that's something that, um, a lot of people who listen to this play like club level doubles, right, and uh, it's something that, like, club players deal with a lot, pros probably not quite as much. Um, I feel like usually it's either indoor, it's a stadium where there's not like trees hanging over the court, but in this case there was. So how did you deal with that, or did you even notice it at all?

Speaker 2 5:12

Yeah, I noticed it, did you?

Speaker 3 5:14

I did notice it. But yeah, I don't know, shadows don't really bother me too much, most if the sun's light at a certain angle, I guess.

Speaker 1 5:23

Okay, got it. So, heather, you've been here before, is this your?

Speaker 3 5:29

first time in Austin. No, I played last year, you did play last year.

Speaker 1 5:32

Okay, heather, I wanted to ask you Obviously you're still playing some singles as well how do you decide if you're going to play doubles or not, and how do you kind of manage both?

Speaker 2 5:44

Well, my sole focus pre-Olympics for the first time ever in my career was to make a push in doubles, because I wanted to go to my fourth Olympic Games and I thought the best way to do that would be to do it the doubles way. So I made sure I entered every week and found a partner every week and then I just committed to it fully and there were a few weeks in that year where I picked doubles over singles, which I'd never done before, but it was so worth it because I made the Olympics amazing experience.

Speaker 1 6:19

You made the quarterfinals too right.

Speaker 3 6:22

Yeah, one match off a medal match match yeah, that's a good run, though.

Speaker 2 6:25

Yeah, we played well, um so, and then I, sort of as soon as I played the Olympics, went back to focusing on my singles and prioritizing that. But I just I love doubles so much it really gives me a lot of enjoyment versus singles. So I'm going back to doubles.

Speaker 1 6:50

Mostly doubles.

Speaker 2 6:50

Well, not mostly doubles. I'm going to play singles and doubles.

Speaker 1 6:54

Okay.

Speaker 2 6:54

Until I can't play singles anymore but doubles. I feel like my level's higher in doubles at the moment anyway, Okay.

Speaker 1 7:02

Awesome, that's really great to hear. Maya. Do you have any? Obviously you're focused on doubles. Do you have any specific doubles goals or anything like that for the rest of the year? I know I think you hit a career high last year and you're not too far off that now, but any goals for the rest of the year for you?

Speaker 3 7:22

I think, yeah, last year was my first year where I played all the slams, so this year I just want to try and make a push and just get my ranking up, but it'd be great to get into the top 50 this year so that's probably yeah, ranking wise, my goal okay, and then what about, um, some of the changes that are happening on the tour right now in terms of doubles, especially the us open mix stuff.

Speaker 1 7:47

Do you have any thoughts on that? Do you like the changes? Dislike them, absolutely don't like the changes. Don't like them. Okay, say more I think it's.

Speaker 2 7:54

I think it's so bad for the sport. It takes away that it's like an exhibition and it's what? Is it an eight drawer or?

Speaker 1 8:04

16 16 draw and the first three rounds are fast four, like sets to four.

Speaker 2 8:10

Oh it's just the whole thing awful. I I'd hate it. It takes away the, the whole meaning behind it and everyone having a chance to play. You know, because it's during qualifying week, right it is yeah it's just. That's just ridiculous. I'm I'm so upset at that, totally upset. I played in mixed doubles. I've won a mixed doubles grand slam. It was one of the best days of my life and I think that is so poor from us Open. Yeah, that's my thoughts. You Maya.

Speaker 3 8:42

Say it with your chest. I mean, yeah, it's obviously a shame I've never played. Oh, I've played once mixed doubles. But yeah, it always looks. I think it's always exciting to watch. I enjoy watching it because you know you never see those players team up usually.

Speaker 2 8:59

Like it's a grand slam, yeah, like you never see those players team up. Usually it's a grand slam. People play a whole tournament, a whole WTA tournament, the week before. You're taking away people's opportunity. They have to decide.

Speaker 1 9:14

So what changes would you make if you were given all the power to help mix doubles or just men's and women's doubles? I wouldn't have changed it, you wouldn't have changed it, just I wouldn't have changed it.

Speaker 2 9:22

you wouldn't have changed it, I wouldn't have changed it to this, whatever this is and I know people are afraid of change because it's different but this isn't change for the better for our sport and for prestige. And grand slam is like the pinnaclelam gold medal.

Speaker 1 9:40

This is like dumbing it down so any changes you would make that are like men's or women's doubles or mixed, to help like, grow doubles and make it more popular, or I guess maybe a better question to start with is like do you think doubles needs change?

Speaker 2 10:02

I'd love to like look at how many people view doubles, and I need to know more about that and what I need. I would need to ask fans what they would want to see and see if it could help in that sense. But I just feel like, how can you change your Grand Slam to this format? That's what you do for, like invitationals or exhibitions, Not a Grand Slam.

Speaker 1 10:26

Yeah.

Speaker 2 10:27

Yeah, you could do that for another tournament, just not the US Open. It's a shame, but what can you do? And nobody was informed? I don't think.

Speaker 1 10:38

Or were they, I don't know.

Speaker 2 10:40

Okay.

Speaker 1 10:42

Are you buzzing Because that's going to be the headline. Watson slams you this evening. No, no, no but.

Speaker 2 10:47

I don't care because that's yeah.

Speaker 1 10:50

Well, a lot of doubles players have been upset about it, obviously, and Because that's I just yeah.

Speaker 2 10:53

Well, a lot of doubles players have been upset about it, obviously.

Speaker 1 10:55

And I've been a singles player my entire career. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

Speaker 2 10:56

And I'm upset about it. Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 11:00

Maya, what would you do to make doubles more popular?

Speaker 3 11:07

It's a tough one.

Speaker 2 11:07

Yeah, Like you'd have to sit down and brainstorm ideas. I don't know.

Speaker 1 11:13

Yeah, I think they're doing that. I think that's where this mixed idea came from, but obviously not everybody likes it.

Speaker 3 11:19

You can see full crowds at some tournaments like obviously not all the time but people do like watching it.

Speaker 1 11:27

I thought today was an okay crowd for like a Monday day session for 250 it's a good turnout here, though.

Speaker 2 11:35

I find it was an okay crowd for like a Monday day session for 250. Yeah, yeah, I um it's a good turnout here, though I find at this at the Austin, even in my first round when it was quite cold weather, um, I had a big, big amount of people there. But I feel like the club, club ladies, and you know I think they love to come watch doubles from what I feel, what I've been told by them, yeah, yeah awesome oh do you know what I would do?

Speaker 1 11:59

yeah. I would add mixed doubles to regular events okay, yeah, they're gonna have it at Indian Wells next week, week two, they're doing a mixed doubles thing again.

Speaker 2 12:08

Okay, yeah, great yeah. I think that's a good idea, yeah awesome.

Speaker 1 12:14

All right well, thank you.