Media personality Sophie Monk is the latest star to confess she is a tennis fan in our Celebrity Match series.
Melbourne, Australia, 10 October 2024 | Leigh Rogers
Sophie Monk is an Australia media personality.
She is a regular on The Hundred with Andy Lee and hosts Love Island Australia on the Nine Network.
Her past television credits include hosting Beauty and the Geek, starring on The Bachelorette, judging on Australia’s Got Talent and winning The Celebrity Apprentice Australia.
She has also featured in Hollywood films, including Date Movie and Click, and been a radio presenter.
Monk first shot to prominence in 2000, winning the first season of Popstars Australia to form Bardot. The group topped the music charts in Australia, before Monk enjoyed further success as a solo artist.
In our Celebrity Match series, Monk reveals she has a newfound respect for tennis …
Tell us about your tennis experience. Do you play?
Well, I actually used to be very good at Wii Tennis (on Nintendo), so I thought ‘oh my gosh, I’m going to be a champion’. I went and bought an outfit so I could play, then I couldn’t hit one ball in. They make it look easy.
What are your earliest tennis memories?
Back in the day I thought Anna Kournikova was so cool. I remember she wore a red tennis skirt on the cover of something and she was holding the racquet like a guitar. She was just so hot.
Can you recall the first professional tennis match you saw live?
It was last year at the Australian Open. I went to the women’s final (between Aryna Sabalenka and Elena Rybakina) and that was the first time ever. It was amazing to watch. I got emotional and cried at the end.
What made you feel emotional?
I think it was just the atmosphere. You could feel the energy of how much the players were putting into it and their concentration. It was so intense.
Sophie Monk attempts to catch a ball in the crowd during the Australian Open 2023 final. Picture: Tennis Australia
What makes the Australian Open a great event to attend?
It’s just awesome and such a cool thing to be a part of. I feel like no one gets bored watching tennis, even if you don’t know much about it. I enjoy their outfits too. The girls have the cutest outfits.
You’ve met a lot of the top-ranked players while filming The Hundred with Andy Lee at the Australian Open. Do you have any favourite players?
I quite like Andy Murray, he’s got a really good sense of humour. Nick Kyrgios was quite funny too, he’s really confident and seems really cool.
> Read more interviews from our Celebrity Match series
Find your way to play: Visit play.tennis.com.au to get out on court and have some fun!
