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AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2016

Kei Nishikori

Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How are you feeling ahead of the Australian Open?
KEI NISHIKORI: Feeling pretty good. I had two match in Brisbane and played, you know, good tennis. I been practicing really well this week.

I'm feeling pretty good for next week.

Q. How tough is Philipp Kohlschreiber to open your tournament?
KEI NISHIKORI: Yes, it's not going to be easiest first match. Yeah, he's been playing a lot and he has a lot of experience. I'm not sure why he's not seeded.

But, yeah, it's going to be tough. I've been playing well, like I said. Yeah, it's going to be exciting first match.

Q. What does playing in Australia mean to you?
KEI NISHIKORI: Means a lot. Here I think is one of the best Grand Slam they have. I feel like I have a lot of support, feel like a lot of Asian and even Japanese came for watch. Feel like I have a lot of support. So I feel very comfortable playing here.

I hope I can, yeah, win this tournament sometime.

Q. If you can think back when you were younger and moved to the U.S. to train, how hard was it to learn English and be in a different culture that wasn't very familiar to you?
KEI NISHIKORI: Yeah, it was really tough, especially first couple years. I couldn't communicate with anybody. Even on the court, they were doing some drills. I couldn't understand anything. I had some tough time.

But after I think two, three years I got little bit confidence to speak English. Yeah, maybe the culture is really different than Japan and U.S. I had some tough time there, too.

Q. Did you take specific English classes?
KEI NISHIKORI: Yeah, I did. I went to school there maybe two, three hours a day.

Q. When baseball players come to the United States and play in the Major Leagues, almost none of them speak English. They get translators all the time. Are you happier that you learned to speak English, that it helps you? How important is it in tennis to learn English?
KEI NISHIKORI: Yeah, I think it's important to come U.S. or even outside of Japan when I was younger. That helps a lot. When you are young, you pick up really fast.

I got used to, you know, staying in U.S. or outside of Japan. So, yeah, I think it's really important to speak English, that everybody can speak, to have good communication with anybody. I think it's very important.

Q. What was the hardest part about learning English?
KEI NISHIKORI: I don't know. I mean, I went to U.S. for tennis, so I was practicing all day. I couldn't really study much. That's why it was tough first couple years.

Yeah, after couple years I was fine.

Q. Kei, for the Olympics this year, would you consider playing mixed doubles, as well?
KEI NISHIKORI: I'm not sure. I want to, but if I play three - singles, doubles and mixed doubles - that may be tough for my body. I will think about it.

Q. If you had a choice of a mixed doubles partner?
KEI NISHIKORI: I played one time with Kimiko. It was really fun. She returns really well, even the guys' serves. If she can still playing, I will pick her. But I will see.

Q. Will you speak to her about it here?
KEI NISHIKORI: I think it's too early.

Q. Shuzo Matsuoka, was he a big role model for you?
KEI NISHIKORI: Yeah, sure. He taught me a lot of things when I was younger, when I was 11 or 12. He had his camp. I learned so many things from him.

For me, he was the only one. He went to top 50 in the world. He had a lot of experience. He taught me a lot of things.

I think the first step that he gave me means a lot.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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