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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 9, 2018

Mackenzie McDonald

Wimbledon, London, England

M. RAONIC/M. McDonald

6-3, 6-4, 6-7, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Pretty good run? Second week of Wimbledon.
MACKENZIE McDONALD: Yeah, really good run. Very happy with it. Thought I played some really good tennis this week and day. Yeah, just excited. Hopefully it just keeps going.

Q. Don't feel compelled to answer this if it does not resonate. As a younger person growing up in tennis, did you ever make a conscious effort to study Roger Federer's game, whether on TV or now that you had a chance to see him play in person? I'm just wondering if other players take anything about any aspect of his game, particularly on grass.
MACKENZIE McDONALD: I mean, I have watched him, spent some time with him. I have learned from him. But, I mean, I haven't studied in depth or anything. I have taken a couple of things and just -- yeah, open ears to it, but nothing in depth.

Q. Is there anything just on a lesser level that has stood out to you or that you took note of?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: I mean, he's obviously a really great player. He's efficient, moves well, serves well, does everything to the best. So, I mean, there is a lot to take in from him. I mean, specifically, nothing...

Q. Lots of Wimbledon matches this year are clashing with football matches in the World Cup. Wimbledon has said today that now fans will be allowed to watch football on their phones and even in Centre Court. Some players think this can be very distracting. Do you have any thoughts on that?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: Not really (smiling). I mean, I feel like people can do whatever they want. I mean, yeah, if they want to show up and watch soccer, too, that's fine.

But, no, I'm all for it. It's a pretty exciting time for sports with the World Cup going on, as well. Yeah, it's all good.

Q. A tough question, but you're a UCLA guy. You can handle this. If you can boil down to one word or two, one phrase or two, this incredible experience, this incredible run you have had here at the All England, what would that word or phrase be?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: I wish my vocabulary was a little more extensive and great (smiling). Yeah, I mean, I can't say one thing about it. I have many things to say, to be honest.

No, I'm just honored that I could do this well here this week. Yeah, I mean, it's really a dream come true. I hope it's just a start.

Q. And you spoke about watching, if I recall correctly, Sampras in a marathon match, but what are your first memories maybe in Alameda first stroking a ball as a -- you started real early. Your first memories.
MACKENZIE McDONALD: My first memories were I used to practice really early at 6:30 in the morning, three times a week. I remember first grade doing it with Rosie.

Yeah, I mean, it was a lot of hours. I remember just -- she would just sit on a milk carton and drop balls and I'd hit them. Then we'd do all these running drills and jump rope. I remember learning how to keep track of score with her in the office.

Yeah, just a lot of really young memories.

Q. Did she give you a lot of love, too?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: Yeah, and tough love, too. She was tough on me. But, yeah, she definitely -- she cares about me so much. I mean, I talk to her -- I have talked to her a bunch already. I know she's really happy and everybody at the Claremont is watching.

Q. What do you think, in your generation, what do you think about the state of American tennis in general? There is a lot of talk about great waves, Connors and McEnroe, Sampras and Agassi. Do you guys talk about that and where do you think things are going?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: We don't really talk about it with each other. I think all the other guys know how it is, too. For myself, I just feel like it is a really exciting time and there are a lot of American players. I feel like everyone is just moving up.

I mean, Sandgren has done really well. Denis Kudla is back in top 100. I just broke in. Smyczek just had a good year too. Frances is up there. Jared is killing it, as well. There are a lot of guys doing really well.

I think honestly it's helped me, like, at the Australian Open, seeing Tennys thrive like that has pushed me to do better. Yeah, like I remember being in college and I chose to go back to school, and I watched Fritz do well and that motivated me to play better and do well and made me want to go pro after my junior year, as well.

I think all of us pushing each other is good. I think we're all really young, too. There is a lot of years for us to keep doing well.

Q. What about guys like Isner, Steve Johnson, Sam Querrey, guys like that? What type of role have they played in your development?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: I mean, they are definitely leading the pack. Those guys are our strongest players and our most experienced, I guess. They have been out here the longest.

So, I mean, it's nice having guys that are consistently kind of getting second weeks or winning tournaments. I mean, I know Frances has won a 250 but we haven't had too many champions at that level, so hopefully they are leading it and we can follow it.

Q. Milos obviously has one of the best serves in tennis, to say the least. What's it like there out on court when 138- mile-an-hour ball passes you, clanks off the scoreboard, and you didn't really have any chance on it? Just the truth of the situation, how do you keep your head in the game? Do you say this is ridiculous? What's your head space?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: I try to stay really focused out there. Honestly I have never faced a server like that before. I have played Ivo and Sam Groth. I feel like I'm a really good returner, but I have never felt so uncomfortable out there returning. I didn't have one break point. I swear I have never played a match where I have never had a break point before.

Q. Is it the speed? Is it the heaviness? Is it the placement?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: Placement and speed. I mean, he played the ball really well today, and it was out of my strike zone. So many of the balls I couldn't even get a racquet on. At one point I was trying to touch the ball, not even get it in.

That was tough, almost a guessing game a little bit of times. I felt like I tried different things. I mean, I feel like I did kind of all I could today, but I'll go back and talk with my coach and learn from it so next time I'll do better. I'm also just not used to it too. I've never faced something like that.

Q. Does the grass make any difference on the serve?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: Yeah, I thought about that. I think so. I mean, he's a finalist at Wimbledon before, he's a great player, and he's experienced. So the speed of the court probably helped him. Maybe on a hard court or clay court I could return a little bit better, get more racquet on the ball.

Q. It's very special to be here in the second week. Can you tell a little bit about how you felt on Sunday and then having your name with everybody, your confidence level, Wimbledon in general?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: Yeah, I mean, Sunday was really cool. I haven't obviously experienced that, and it was really empty and it was nice to just have a relaxing day, which was kind like the first couple of days I was here because I was here so early, knowing I got in last minute and didn't play a warmup tournament right before.

And then for me I just wanted to come in on that Sunday and just get my hit in, just do everything I could to get ready for Monday, because I still had to keep competing. I think I did all I could and put myself in the best positions.

Q. Going back to Milos for a moment, what impressed you about the rest of his game, in addition to his serving?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: I thought he played really aggressive today, too. He came in 40-something times, I think, or maybe more than that. He came in a bunch. I mean, that's smart by him, I mean, with his serve, just going forward.

In the rallies, I felt like I had a great chance, felt pretty comfortable there. But I think he returns pretty well, too. Got me a couple of times. Yeah, I mean, he's just a powerful player.

Q. Just off-topic question, but with your full name, is your father of Scottish heritage? Do you have a connection with Scotland in any way? Talk about that.
MACKENZIE McDONALD: I'm 25% Scottish, 25 English, and half Chinese. Yeah, I definitely got some Mackenzie-McDonald-Scottish-English blood in me.

Q. Did you know the best player in the history of Northern California, his parents, Don Budge's parents, came from Scotland? Were you aware of that?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: I didn't know that. But I know who Don is, because he's at the Berkeley -- well, his name is up at the Berkeley Tennis Club, yeah.

Q. Did your dad ever talk to you about Scotland and what it meant to him at all?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: No, because he's from California. (Laughter.) Yeah.

Q. You didn't have a great junior career here at Wimbledon. Is there something about the grass that now helps you or that you have adapted to, or do you think it was just random that you didn't play well as a junior here?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: I think during that time of my junior career, I had a lot going on and I didn't do my best in the juniors. I felt I really wasn't playing good tennis I remember, like, for that time.

Q. It wouldn't have mattered if it was grass or clay or any surface?
MACKENZIE McDONALD: Yeah. I was just struggling a little bit. Yeah. Just didn't peak there.

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