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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS WIMBLEDON

June 30, 2018

Kyle Edmund

Wimbledon, London, England

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You said you've been trying to schedule your practices around being able to watch the World Cup. Hoping for a favorable time for your match on Tuesday so you can catch the big game?
KYLE EDMUND: I haven't really thought about it. Just focused on my tennis, so... Whatever happens happens. Nothing I can do, yeah.

Q. How are you feeling coming in in terms of how you're playing and practicing?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, fine. I've enjoyed my practice. Been practicing pretty hard. I had a while on the grass now after French Open, Queen's. I've been playing pretty good in Eastbourne. Wasn't too bad. I felt like I played my best grass court tennis this year than I've ever played. Gives me good confidence.

But, yeah, it's always don't get too ahead of yourself. You always have to earn your victory. Yeah, I'm always keeping that in mind. Trying to do the best I can to sort of be positive, in a good head space.

Q. Who have you been hitting with over the past two or three days?
KYLE EDMUND: Oh, I hit with Taro Daniel this morning and Sam Querrey this afternoon. Then last I hit before that was my match in Eastbourne.

Q. How much do you know about your opponent? How tricky is it with an opponent, a qualifier, to be able to prepare?
KYLE EDMUND: You'll find something. I mean, there's always something out there, Tennis TV, YouTube. Yeah, it's fine really. You have to deal with that. It doesn't really matter about prep, you have to go out there and play your game. Ultimately that's what I try to concentrate on.

I find you sort of learn more anyway as you go along in the match. You tend to do more match solving and fixing than the actual game plan. So, yeah, it's one of them where we'll do our best. Ultimately I learn more when I go out on court.

Q. Do the expectations feel any different this year?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, I mean, naturally if they weren't different, there would probably be a problem, or something was not right. From going to British No. 1, top 20 in the world, people know you a bit better, expect more from you, want you to do better ultimately. I, myself, want to do better. So that's all natural in the world of sport, when you go up the rankings, there's more expectations.

Yeah, ultimately for me I've just got to do my best, and whatever happens happens.

Q. Do you like that added responsibility?
KYLE EDMUND: It's good. It shows you're doing well. You have to embrace it. That's the way I go about it. And if you don't want that responsibility of having that expectation, I guess professional sport isn't really for you. That's what happens in every professional sport. When you go up, there's more expectations.

Q. Have you spoken to Andy at all about specifically Wimbledon, being British No. 1, handling the pressure and everything?
KYLE EDMUND: No. Simple: I haven't spoken to him about that specifically. We spoke about other stuff, but not that.

Q. Will you?
KYLE EDMUND: Not now to a match. I might see him around. If I feel like I want to, I will. I always try -- my personality, myself, is one I like to do stuff on my own, figure it out on my own. Also I have a team around me which I trust and have experience. Relate to them in terms of seeking advice, as well. I'm comfortable with my coaches, people I trust around me.

Q. You haven't necessarily had the best results at Wimbledon. Is it somewhere you feel comfortable playing?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, I've gotten more and more comfortable playing because I was fortunate enough to become a member. I come here more throughout the year just to spend whatever it is, have some food, go to the gym, yeah. I play some tennis down here. Yeah, it's more comfortable when you walk in.

It's very different in terms of when you come here, it's very quiet, and when you come for the tournament, it's obviously very different. That side of it's very different.

The surroundings, it's nice to be able to feel like you're coming to your club that you're a member at. I think that's helped me quite a bit.

Q. Have you ever in the past or even now allow yourself to daydream about what it would feel like to one day win here?
KYLE EDMUND: I think you do that, like, just as the little kid inside you. Every tennis player probably have that sort of thought and feeling, what it would be like to feel that.

I have that dream, how cool it would be to be in that situation. I'm good at sort of rationalizing things. I know there's a lot that needs to happen before that happens.

Q. How, if at all, were things different for you on tour this year without Andy being around? What are your thoughts on seeing him back now and able to compete, it looks like, here at Wimbledon?
KYLE EDMUND: It wasn't too different for me playing tennis. The main difference was just probably the media, the off-court stuff. There's not obviously as much to write about Andy or him playing, so I found there was definitely -- well, obviously it has something to do with me going up the rankings has increased the attention. With Andy not being around, there's more attention.

Andy being here is obviously great from a tennis fan point of view. I'm a fan of tennis. I like to watch it. From that point of view, it's great. But also being British, having a bit of a personal relationship with him, it's good to see him back after pretty much a year out, which is not nice for anyone.

I think for him, if he's in a position to play Wimbledon, I bet he can't wait to play pretty much the biggest tournament in the world.

Q. You are really consistent at the slams. Is that one of the things you're most proud of, you've managed to lift your level on the biggest occasions?
KYLE EDMUND: Yeah, you always want to do well at the slams. That's where tennis is at. Yeah, I haven't really thought of it in terms of being consistent. I've just always tried to do my best.

Yeah, I mean, maybe if you look at the last sort of few years, I've always I guess had a win or a couple wins, obviously gone deep at a few tournaments in terms of fourth rounds and semis. Any tennis player wants to do well at the slams, that's where it's at. My goal is sort of to try to have a consistent year in terms of every tournament rather than doing well just at slams. But yeah.

Q. Roger Federer has been quite dominant here. Why do you think he has that dominance?
KYLE EDMUND: I mean, it's easy to see why. I mean, just he's a very good tennis player. Trying to figure out the words. He's just a very good tennis player. Probably one of them is he's good on a grass court, that helps. But it doesn't matter. He's won every surface. He's just -- you could say he's one of the best players of all time, definitely one of the best.

Yeah, he's just a very good tennis player. I don't know what to say. He's a legend in the game. You just watch him play, you can tell by seeing him, the way he plays, moving on a grass court, he moves exceptionally well on a grass court. I think anyone who moves well has a chance to win at this tournament. Also shot-making, yeah. You could go on and on how good he is.

Q. Away from tennis, have you been able to watch much of the World Cup? How far do you think England could get?
KYLE EDMUND: All the way.

I've been watching a bit when I can, basically in the evenings. I was watching a little bit in the gym, watching France-Argentina. Maybe watch a little bit of, what is it, Uruguay-Portugal.

I have been watching it, but whenever I'm not training or doing stuff. It's good that it's on. It's pretty much every day, which is great.

Q. Unusually the Wimbledon men's final and the World Cup final are going to be starting at the same time this year. Do you think that's a mistake by the two sports, maybe a shame that a fan couldn't watch one and then the other that day?
KYLE EDMUND: Thank God for Sky Plus on record. I think these things are probably scheduled years in advance, when the World Cup is done, that we're going to have the final this day, at this time. I'm pretty sure whoever did the World Cup didn't think of the Wimbledon tennis being in line with that. Wimbledon has been starting the same time at every year, I'm guessing. Yeah, I think that's just the way it's worked out. So be it, sort of thing.

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