After producing his best Slam result at the Australian Open and earning a maiden Davis Cup call-up, the hard work is paying dividends for Aleksandar Vukic.
The world No.73, who peaked as high as No.48 in 2023, was two points away from completing three consecutive five-set victories at Melbourne Park earlier this year against Jack Draper, which led to his maiden win for the green and gold during a Davis Cup qualifier against Sweden.
However, the Sydneysider finds himself in a rough patch, having lost his past three matches in Dallas, Delray Beach and Acapulco.
One month shy of his 29th birthday, Vukic is aiming to re-enter the winner's circle at Indian Wells, the first ATP 1000 event of the year, against American wildcard Tristan Boyer.
"There's a few stops throughout the year that definitely liven me up a bit, and Indian Wells is definitely one of them," Vukic told 'The First Serve Live' on Monday night.
"Every time I come back here, it's always one of my favourite tournaments, so hope to stay here for a good two weeks."
For many players, Indian Wells is circled in their calendars. Why? Because the Californian desert has a unique vibe and a sense of relaxation with the impeccable mountain views.
Over his past two Indian Wells campaigns, Vukic has taken a set off Stan Wawrinka and five-time champion Novak Djokovic.
"I love it here. I actually have fond memories," Vukic stated.
"I've played here maybe five times, and I've always enjoyed the conditions. I like when it's pretty quick through the air. It suits me quite well."
When asked about the positives of entering main draws directly as opposed to the brutality of qualifying, the Aussie confessed it's a "nice feeling" to know his schedule in advance compared to the grind of the Challenger cycle.
"It's definitely easier just to plan; that's probably the biggest thing in terms of the tournament, the schedule kind of just knowing when I'm playing almost for the rest of the year," he said.
"I try not to take it for granted. I still have to show up and play because everyone is very good.
"Best way to [sum up the tour] is kind of the tour itself. It's very unforgiving, and you need to be at your best all the time. It's just the ebbs and flows of the tour; every week's different, conditions are different, your body is feeling different.
"You need a bit of luck on your side but also perseverance to keep going."
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Competing against a new crop of talented youngsters coming through the ranks, the ATP Tour is evolving more than ever.
Whilst still mindful of the importance of his natural strengths, it's small incremental improvements that will help Vukic rise back into the top-50.
"I'm constantly trying to add different parts of my game," he said.
"The base is there with my serve and forehand, and then the backhand has developed into a very solid shot. I'm trying to add a bit more weaponry to that side, and also incorporating the slice and coming to the net as much as I can.
"At the end of the day, I'm winning my matches based on my serve and forehand [which is] winning me 80 per cent of my points, so I also need to keep focusing on that."
Across last month's South American clay court swing, automatic line calling was introduced, with great success.
For Vukic, the effective use of technology and the Video Assistant Referee (VAR) is a no-brainer for the sport moving forward.
"I think I'm for the electronic line calling and VAR. It's in every sport now," he said.
"It's trying to help the sport make the correct decisions. It's not necessarily being traditional in a way, but just trying to make it as fair as possible.
"If that's the case, if you're not losing because of a line call made by a human, it's better for everyone."
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