Tomljanovic not playing for the cameras

Lights, camera, action! Like the finest leading ladies of the silver screen, Ajla Tomljanovic has been delivering some star turns with the spotlight turned on her.

At least that's the way it's seemed this year as Australia's top woman player has had her tennis season followed in close-up by Netflix documentary makers taking a deep dive inside the global tennis circuit.

It's odd, but ever since she's been playing with a microphone-wielding camera crew following her every move, Tomljanovic, at 29, has elevated her game to new heights.

She's reached two grand slam quarter-finals at Wimbledon and the US Open, ended the career of Serena Williams in a blockbuster triumph at Flushing Meadows, and soared to a new career-best ranking of 33.

And this week, she's led Australia to the semi-finals of the BJK Cup with two victories, looking a very different version of the player whose obvious talent had always previously seemed to be laced with self-doubt.

So after 23 victories in her last 32 matches, what's clicked? "A lot of things," Tomljanovic mused in Glasgow.

"But mostly, if I have to put it down to one thing, it's just where my head's at in my life. I think that translates to the court.

"I'm happy. Tennis is fun again. Even when I'm losing, I'm finding joy, which is really all it's ever been and it's supposed to be.

"I lost it a little bit there for a year or so. But it happens. We love what we do, but tough times come and that's okay - but I figured it out."

And what about the Netflix effect? Coincidence? 

Tomljanovic couldn't help smiling at what she thinks is a fanciful idea flying around the circuit that her improvement's actually been down to feeling the need to perform well for the cameras.

"No. I mean I didn't think once when I'm winning, 'oh, my gosh, this is going to look cool on Netflix'. It's a bonus. It's great!" she said.

"I started playing tennis way before Netflix came around. My goals and dreams are bigger than that, but it's cool I had some good moments this year that they were captured.

"It only works if you're really honest and you are yourself 100 per cent. That's why I really had to think about doing it, because I feel like I did let the cameras in a lot.

"I had fun with it, because I think it's fun for people to see so many things going on behind the scenes that they don't normally, to see it's not just sunshine and rainbows all the time."

But this feels like a sunshine 'n rainbow week for her in Scotland - and, to emphasise her point, the documentary makers have taken a week off in Glasgow while she's still kept winning.

Leading Australia into Saturday's semi-final showdown with Britain, she's enjoying one of her favourite tennis weeks. 

"In our country, we love sport, we love camaraderie, team events. I think a lot of our players thrive in this environment and that kind of makes you want it even more when you're part of a squad like that," she said.

Three years ago, Tomljanovic lost in the agonising loss to France in the final.

"But when I played in Perth, it kind of opened my eyes that I never thought that these weeks would mean so much to me."