When Western Australia's Tristan Schoolkate clinched the first set against world No.1 and defending champion Jannik Sinner in front of a stunned Rod Laver Arena crowd, it felt as though people turned to their side and asked, "Who is this Aussie?"
Google search went into overdrive throughout the opening set, and The First Serve witnessed the hype first-hand.
In an article published last year titled, 'Is Tristan Schoolkate Australia's Next Top 100 Player', the traction skyrocketed. Everyone wanted to learn more about his story. They were gripped.
Although he ultimately fell away in the following three sets, Schoolkate took the challenge within his stride. You could tell it was his big moment.
In an attempt to stifle Sinner, the Australian wildcard approached the net 43 times, winning 32 of those points (74 per cent win rate).
"I don't think I was going to go too close if I was going to sit on the baseline with Jannik, and it was pretty clear from the get-go that I wasn't going to do that," Schoolkate told The First Serve host Brett Phillips on Monday night's radio show.
"I played an aggressive brand of tennis, and serving well was going to be key. It disrupted a bit of his rhythm. I feel like I played a good level of tennis and [I] really [tested] him.
Schoolkate provided a fascinating insight into what it's like to face a Sinner ball from court level, with the Italian striking the ball five km/h faster than the tournament average during that match.
"Being on centre court, the conditions are favourable for him. It's hard to get it bouncing around, maybe you can get that on the outside courts," he said.
"He's always in position, I think he moves extremely well on both sides, he's so solid. If you're not serving in the corners then he's putting the return back on the baseline and finds himself in control pretty quick after.
Over the weekend, the 23-year-old clinched his second ATP Challenger title in Brisbane, firing 79 aces throughout the event to defeat finalist Marek Gengel 7-6(3) 7-6(4).
His stellar week rewarded him with a career-high ranking of No.135, which has now dropped to No.137 with the updated rankings released on Monday.
Reflecting on his path towards earning a living in the professional tennis scene, Schoolkate reiterated that every player follows a different lane.
"It's not just a straight-forward line like a lot of these guys coming through," he said. "I played juniors with Carlos Alcaraz [and] Holger Rune, so those guys are on a different trajectory.
"Year on year I try to keep improving, win a lot of matches and continue to get better. Obviously I strive for more, and in the years to come hopefully I can climb up the ranks, but I'm very happy with my efforts."
In the semi-finals of that same Brisbane Challenger on Pat Rafter Arena, Schoolkate dropped his only set for the tournament against Adam Walton but still managed to escape victorious with a 4-6 6-3 7-6(5) win.
Walton, who cracked inside the top-100 last year in what was a breakout season for the Queenslander, also happens to be good mates with his fellow compatriot.
Witnessing his rise in 2024 has only inspired Schoolkate to be the best version of himself in the big moments.
"Those matches are pretty important, there's no denying that," he admitted. "Semis and finals of tournaments are where the points are.
"If I can continue to go deep in events, have success and win those close matches, it's going to help with the ranking.
"Last year Adam was on a very good run winning those matches. He beat me a few times, so that helped him.
For those unaware of Schoolkate's strengths, the man himself provided a brief explanation of how he approaches his matches.
"A lot of it stems from the serve; obviously I'm in control of that and if I can serve well then I can hold my own against a lot of players," he said.
"Using the front part of the court coming forward is probably a point of difference I have which I look to use.
"From the baseline I play OK, use my forehand, play aggressively and mix the speeds and spins, so hopefully I can be a little bit annoying for my opponents and put them under a bit of distress."
Travelling around the world to some of the most beautiful destinations on earth can quite easily be viewed as a luxury for those on the outside looking in.
That assumption isn't necessarily true.
"A lot of mates from school think it's not this fairytale world, but something they'd love to do, but through the tennis journey and speaking to a lot of guys on the tour, the only thing they want to do in the middle of the year is to go home and spend a bit of time in the same place," Schoolkate shared.
"I don't know if there's any way to balance it. There's no denying you have to play at least 20 to 30 tournaments a year and you might have to go to some places you don't want to.
"It's about finding a schedule that works for you and suits your game. Working it out is something we all go through."
Wrapped in such an intensely individual sport, being surrounded by people that can be trusted and relied upon isn't taken for granted by many players on the tour, with hundreds unable to afford a full-time coach.
For Schoolkate, his coach Andrew Roberts is that influential figure in his camp as he seeks to elevate his game to new heights.
"Robert has been a massive part of my tennis career and he probably started watching me play when I was about 12 years old, maybe even younger, in Perth.
"We spent a bit of time away since [I was] 18 to 20, then worked together for a couple more years just gone.
"It's important to have someone who sees you consistently, watches you week in week out and knows what's going on.
"You walk around the Challenger Tour and there's not too many guys with coaches, Futures are even less, but it's something that definitely helps a lot having someone with you during the good times and the bad.
"It's helped me continue improving, it's given me direction and put me in the right spot when maybe I'm not doing the right thing."
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