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U.S. OPEN

September 5, 2018

John Millman

New York, NY, USA

N. DJOKOVIC/J. Millman

6-3, 6-4, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tell me how you're feeling. You put in an enormous effort there. We could see the fight from beginning to end. Wasn't quite good enough, but I think all watching in Australia would agree you gave it your all.
JOHN MILLMAN: Yeah, definitely. Yeah, every match in my career, whether it's here, Flushing Meadows, or, you know, some awkward place in the middle of nowhere, that's just what I do. I try to leave it all out there.

I definitely left it all out there today. I pulled up a bit short. Probably didn't execute as well in some of those big moments.

Really, if I could have just jagged a set, I think, you know, I could have been in there. But Novak is a champion, you know. It's not so easy to play Roger and then to play Novak. I think Novak sometimes flies under the radar a little bit. But the guy's won a lot of Grand Slams, and he knows how to win them and knows what this is all about. He's probably one of the most in-form players after winning Wimbledon, winning Cincinnati, coming into this tournament. It's tricky, but, you know, I gave it a crack.

Q. Can you just talk us through how tough the conditions are here in New York? I mean, obviously you probably trained in hot weather back in Australia, but the humidity tonight was 80% or 90%. Just how tough is it to play out there in those conditions? I know you went off at some point and got changed. Can you tell us more about that moment.
JOHN MILLMAN: Yeah, definitely. Look, at the start of the week when I was playing my first round, that was probably the hottest conditions at a Grand Slam I have ever played at. A couple of boys at the back were here at the very start, so thank you for being here at the start. But it was unbelievable.

These night matches, you know, the humidity goes through the roof. It is tricky, but it's the same for both people. You're dripping. But, you know, that's no excuse or anything. I'd play in a swimming pool if I got to play a quarterfinal, you know, every week at a Grand Slam. That would be pretty fun.

Q. Against Roger and against Novak, it was clear you were really enjoying it out there. How much has this experience made you want more of this?
JOHN MILLMAN: Yeah, definitely. It's special, isn't it? I was saying to some of the boys on my team a couple weeks ago that it was dire straits for me. I wear my heart on my sleeve a bit at times. I pulled out of Cincinnati. Winston-Salem I was just kind of finding my feet, copping the abuse from a lot of punters, and it was dire straits for me a little bit. I felt pretty underprepared coming in this week, and I don't really like that.

But, you know, I'll take a lot from it. I do feel as if I, you know, can compete at a high level. I have always had that belief. It's just sometimes, you know, my body, you know, hasn't been cooperating.

But it's been an unbelievable moment and, you know, I just hopefully can take a few snapshots in mind and use that moving forward.

Q. On the humidity again, what was it like this whole time? Are you preparing differently? Have you ever had to stop a match mid-set to change because you were endangering yourself with...
JOHN MILLMAN: Yeah, to be honest, I'm not normally like the biggest sweater. But I don't know. I was really sweating. Yeah, obviously.

It's a fair bit tricky out there. The conditions are really tough. I think you can see that with everyone. Everyone's struggling a little bit. It was a tricky one coming off. I didn't really want to come off. Novak was making me run a bit too much, though.

Apparently, yeah, I had to change. You know, that's fine. That's what was deemed. I felt like I had a good bit of momentum there. But, you know, that's tennis. That's fine. I came back and I held serve, so there's no excuse there.

Q. (Another question about having to leave the court.)
JOHN MILLMAN: Look, I didn't know what -- to be honest with you, I'm not necessarily used to second week of Grand Slams (smiling). I didn't even know the rule. I'm not normally someone who changes full clothes, full kit. I don't know.

You don't stop sweating, though. You go to this little holding room just off the court, and there's a tiny, probably, like, three-by-three room, even less, and you're just dripping. The sweating doesn't stop.

Q. How much pride for your country was it carrying that flag through the quarters? What does it mean to yesterday's legends to get a feel of it again that you were providing?
JOHN MILLMAN: Yeah, definitely. Look, I commented just off the court that I'm a very proud Australian. I'm a very proud Queenslander. The support has been overwhelming from back home. I think that's what, you know, makes our country so special, because they just -- you know, what I have experienced in the last few days and even, you know, I've got my close group of support back home who have been amazing, but in the last few days, all the people that have got behind me, I apologize that I haven't been able to touch base with a lot of them. And a lot of the media, I understand it's incredibly difficult for me, I want to give my time, but it's tough when you're preparing to play Novak.

But, look, that's what makes me a very proud Australian is the people that make up. And sport's been overwhelming and incredibly proud to represent my country whenever I get the opportunity, and I see this moment as a good opportunity to represent us down under.

Q. Second set, 3-3 deuce, you had an incredibly long rally, and it was 27 balls, just ridiculous. Novak, knees kind of buckling, fell on the ground. Wondering if you saw that and if that gave you any thought, hey, may be my night, or did you just not even see it?
JOHN MILLMAN: Oh, I can't remember that moment, but definitely I felt -- I mean, yeah, you're a bit sore and a bit jaded and stuff. Definitely physically I'm really, really proud -- not proud but happy with how my body has held in there, and physically I actually feel pretty good in this caper. I mean, it's tough.

And playing against Novak, I think the guy's beat a brick wall once, because he makes you work hard for every point and it's relentless. It's time and time again. And that's the difficulty playing against him.

But definitely, you know, the conditions are tough for both of us, but I think I was handling it pretty well. That's probably what I'm a little bit disappointed with is I did feel as if maybe I could have extended it and stayed, you know, in the battle a little bit longer. That doesn't mean I was going to win or anything, but, you know, the longer you're out there, the more chance you give yourself.

Q. When you walked off, you stopped and looked around the stadium.
JOHN MILLMAN: Yeah.

Q. It's as big as it gets in tennis. The crowd was massive. Were you trying to capture it and keep it for yourself as a memory going forward?
JOHN MILLMAN: Yeah, definitely, definitely. Take a few snapshots in your head and feed off it down the track. You know, I have retired in my head maybe a few times throughout my career when things got pretty tough, you know, with my body and stuff.

It's those moments, you know, playing on center court at Ashe that makes all that toil worthwhile, and if times get tough down the track, hopefully I can think back to that moment.

Q. Where do you think your level is at overall? Obviously you were close against Milos at Wimbledon and a couple good challenger wins. Do you feel top 25, top 20 in terms of where you are at at the moment?
JOHN MILLMAN: I think when I cracked top 50, I cracked top 50 for, like, a week a few weeks ago. I have always set goals. You know, whether you achieve them or not is one thing, but I think it's always important to set goals and try to achieve something. You know, I'd love to be seeded at one of these tournaments. I think it's going to 16 seeds now or not? Not? Thank you for telling me. I wasn't sure. There you go.

That's good, then, because I don't have to get to the top 16. Look, I think that's the next milestone. The year's been fantastic. It really has. I feel as if it's been a while coming. I have come close before. I think I got to 60. Had groin surgery. I had to build again.

But every time you have these moments and these experiences where, you know, you play these types of players and you're playing and you think, hey, I can match it with these guys, you build a bit of confidence. I definitely think I can build off this and hopefully finish off the year really well and then look forward to, you know, the most exciting time for an Australian tennis player in the Australian Open.

Q. Seems like your parents have become media stars. Has that kind of been a bit crazy to think of all the attention?
JOHN MILLMAN: Yeah, like I said, the support has been overwhelming back home. Someone tried -- I think mom and dad were on a show called The Project back home. Someone tried to show me a clip of it, and I had to bury my head on the table, because I know my dad can tell a story. Sometimes he doesn't stop (smiling).

So I haven't looked at any of that stuff. Hopefully I don't have to look at that stuff.

Q. You left Australia relatively unknown outside of tennis circles. You go to return somewhat of a star. How are you going to handle it?
JOHN MILLMAN: To be honest with you, I think in a day or two time I will be yesterday's news, you know. You know, there's going to be a champion of this tournament, and they should be the story. There is a lot bigger stories happening. Our country has an election coming up. You know, there is a lot of things happening that I reckon are a bit more important than hitting a tennis ball.

Like I said, the support has been overwhelming back home. I'm very appreciative of it. I just encourage anyone who's, you know, maybe, you know, been inspired about our game to get out there and pick up a racquet and, you know, give it a go, because it's a great game and it's taken me to many places.

Yeah, hopefully we can have a great Australian Open and, you know, get some massive crowds there and some great support down there. It would be exciting.

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