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AEGON CHAMPIONSHIP

June 20, 2017

Thanasi Kokkinakis

London, England

T. KOKKINAKIS/M. Raonic

7-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. When you're on the comeback trail, I guess you're looking for moments and things that come through even in defeat. How much of a step forward is winning a match against the caliber of a player like that?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, it's huge. Best win of my career. And to do it so soon after coming back on such a long layoff is a huge confidence booster for me. But again, every match is so different. Practice courts so different to playing matches.

I have been practicing pretty good, and then come out on the court and I'm nervous as anything. My first few forehands, hit the back fence, I'm, like, Jeez, this is bad again. Luckily my serve helped me in it, and then, yeah, I won the big points when it mattered, so it's huge.

Q. How important was Paris with the Nishikori match? I know different city, different surface, all that, but the way you played there to come into this match?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: It was good to confirm that I can translate what I have been doing in practice to matches for some period, and I guess the challenge for me is being able to stay in it physically and mentally for a long period of time. I have shown in the past I can play well for certain spurts, but I haven't been able to put the match away.

That was a big thing for me. Maybe got a bit lucky a couple times in both sets, but I made the balls when it mattered. But it's huge because I know where my level is at, and it's frustrating for me pretty much my whole career. Career. It's been, like, a year. I don't know what I'm talking about (smiling).

I have shown glimpses, but I haven't been able to put matches away. So it was big for me.

Q. Milos spoke to the fact you were dominating and he was being more passive. Tell us about your strategy today against the No. 6 and what you were looking to do.
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: That was my strategy. Kind of get on top of the point before he can. Sure, I'm going to make maybe a couple errors just because I'm pressing it, but that's usually how I play anyway. Someone like him, when he has time, winds up and gets that big first strike in, it's going to be tough. I was trying to keep him on his heels, and then obviously he serves unreal. I was trying to make returns when it mattered. Luckily I returned my best in both tiebreaks.

Q. Many of your service games were in danger and you hardly ever got past two points in a return game. What gave you the confidence that was the right tactic for the whole match? You never changed your mind, like, I should do something different?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I was trying different stuff. It just wasn't working (smiling). I was looking like an idiot returning, jumping from side to side hoping he'd miss first serves. Luckily it worked in the tiebreakers, because I wasn't returning great in the match, but again, with him, you just try to make as many balls as you can and play like a different game on return and then hopefully when the rally is on then you have a good chance.

But, yeah, I was trying to change up a few things. A lot of it is hoping he misses first serves, and he did a couple of those when it mattered.

Q. Not wishing to dwell on the painful past, what were the particular physical problems have been most recently and if any of them you're still feeling a bit?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Feeling a lot (smiling). I can give you a whole rundown, but it's just absurd.

Q. Head, shoulders, knees, and toes?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, pretty much. Obviously the shoulder was the big one. I tore my oblique, I had osteitis pubis, I tore my pec, I had an elbow issue, and I'm still dealing with my groin and shoulder issues, and my back is stiff.

I've got a lot of things. I don't know how I'm going to feel when I'm over 30, but this is interesting, yeah.

Q. Just before the French Open there were a lot of tweets going around saying that you were that close to quitting.
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah.

Q. Was that for real?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, no, I was being serious. I'm usually not a hot head, but in practice a couple weeks leading into it, I was just like breaking racquets every day in practice and that's not me. I was just hating it. Winning and playing well in practice was good, but then I wasn't translating. I just didn't feel that confident. I felt like some of those issues I was having a long time were still there, and I just wasn't feeling great with my game.

I have been pretty resilient during this time. My coach and family are a big part of that, especially Todd, who has been with me since I was 9. First-ever coach. I'm here with him now. He's big.

I'm just trying to enjoy it out there. That's the biggest thing for me. Obviously a win like today helps. Again, I have shown my level in practice, but you want to win. Practice sucks. Winning a match, that actually means something. It's a good feeling.

Q. You had Nick courtside today, as well. How much does that help you to have that kind of presence?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, it's good. I was watching his first-round match, and I saw some of his matches in French Open. Obviously we have known each other so long. We have grown up playing each other, played each other in a lot of finals, and we were always kind of the top two in our age group building up in Australia.

Yeah, we're good mates, have a lot of the same interests. It was tough to see him slip over, but I think he should be all right for Wimbledon. It's good having him there. As I say, we know each other real well and spend a bit of time off the court with each other.

Q. Getting used to being in the 60s, ranking around in the 600s...
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: It's a long way.

Q. It is a long way. With this, you sliced 220-odd ranking points off. Even at this stage, do you think about the ranking when you're going into a match?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: If only it was that easy when you get into the top 100, win a match and you slice that much. But I do think about that. It's a weird feeling, because obviously coming back from injury, you've got protected rankings and you put a bit of pressure on yourself. And luckily Steve was nice enough to give me a wildcard. You're, like, okay, I've got this protected ranking. Hopefully I'll make the most of it.

I wasn't protected today, but it was a wildcard. Next year is going to be tough if I don't, like, have a lot of wins end of the year, but again, I know what my level is capable of. So it's just about trying to stay focused, and then I'm sure the wins will come. I'm hoping, anyway.

Q. You mentioned some physical issues. Do you think your physique will support you in the long run?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I hope so. I don't know. No one knows. A lot of people usually get injuries when they are older. Mine have been switched.

I'm hoping when I get older, I'll be good. I'm honestly spending a lot of time trying to get my body in good shape, but coming back from injury it's been a lot tougher than I thought. Especially I have had -- I missed a lot of time even when I was 15, I missed seven months. And then when I turned 17, I missed seven months, as well, with other injuries. Feels like I have missed probably three years of my career or so. I'm just trying to do what I can to stay on the court.

Q. Ever turn to any weird alternative treatments in desperation? Anything weird you have done?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Nah. The psychology-type stuff?

Q. No, alternative medicine, like Chinese medicine.
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: No, that's not me. Good question. My zen is watching basketball and playing PlayStation and hanging out with mates. But when you're so used to traveling and being on tour, you see your mates, and then it's, like, all right, now I have got to do something with myself.

Spending time in the gym and rehabbing is probably the worst thing with TheraBands that you can do. I don't know. I was trying to remain positive, and every week there was little glimpses, but the toughest part was when it looked like I was close to playing, something else would go wrong. That's been the toughest part for me.

If I got told, You're gonna miss a year and then you'll be good to go, then maybe I could have gotten that mentally. But when it's four months and then something else happens and it's another couple months back, that's sort of been the trend the last couple of years.

Q. Nick often says that Lleyton has been a big impetus in his determination to really sort of strike a period of consistency. Has Lleyton been a help to you in your tough times?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I wouldn't say it's the main factor, but he's obviously always there. He spends a lot of time with the Davis Cup, as well. What's really good about Lleyton is he's heavily involved, like he goes out, watches a lot of matches, spends a lot of time on the practice court. He hasn't obviously had that much time with me lately over the last two years because I haven't been there. I've been back home in Adelaide.

The biggest influence obviously comes from myself. It's how much do I want it. And then obviously Todd and my family keep supporting me. And, yeah, my brother, as well. But it's probably -- I wouldn't say he's the driving force at all.

Q. When you won that last point, it was almost like an off-balance shot that you played, and obviously you showed your excitement, but how sweet did it really feel?
THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, it comes up there with probably -- yeah, I'd say it's maybe the happiest. Obviously I had a couple of good ones. The Davis Cup one a couple years back, and then the five-set with Gulbis and the five-set with Tomic. Those five-setters. For a two-set match, this is definitely the most happy I have been. Just because it shows all the stuff I have put in off the court. It's come with a big win on a pretty big stage, as well, so I'm happy.

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