A career-high ranking and three finals in the past nine months are not enough for grand slam under-achiever Ajla Tomljanovic.
The Australian No.2 craves more but admits wanting it too much may be holding her back ahead of her Wimbledon opener on Monday.
Tomljanovic takes on Russian 29th seed Daria Kasatkina chasing just her second win in five visits to the All England Club.
Eleven first-round defeats in 15 grand slam starts since a breakout run to the last 16 of the 2014 French Open belie the 26-year-old’s impressive rise to a peak of No.39 in the world this year.
Now Tomljanovic is trying to turn her fortunes around with a more positive mindset after confessing to being too self-critical.
“A couple of those finals I lost I took it hard, especially the last one when I really thought I had it and I should have won that,” Tomljanovic said.
“Instead of taking it as another positive week and going in the right direction, maybe I took it a little bit too harsh, was too hard on myself.
“So I’ve been trying to work it back to being happy with where I’m at but still working hard to get better.”
Seeing Ashleigh Barty’s incredible rise has also made Tomljanovic stop and reflect.
“I’m being really unfair on myself if I’m unhappy with where I’m at and being down about it,” she said.
“I’ve done really well so far but there’s a huge hunger in me to go further and make bigger steps, especially when you see others doing it.
“Like what Ash has done is freaking unbelievable, so you just want to do it yourself as well.”
Kasatkina cracked the world’s top 10 after taking out Barty en route to the Wimbledon quarter-finals last time, but has won only six matches in a disappointing 2019 season.
“I think it’s a good match for me,” Tomljanovic said.
“She’s seeded so she’s definitely a good player. At this point anyone who I would have gotten in the draw would have been a really tough match.
“But I think match-up wise, I don’t mind it and, yeah, I think I’ll get my chance to play my game and I’m really looking forward to it.”