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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 4, 2019

Jay Clarke

Wimbledon, London, England

R. FEDERER/J. Clarke

6-1, 7-6, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. We asked Roger about how nervous you might have been. He said he didn't put his hands on you to check your heart rate but you probably were. Do you have any idea what your heart was going like at the start?
JAY CLARKE: Yeah, it was strange actually. In the buildup to the match, I didn't feel nervous at all, and then obviously when you take the first couple of steps on the court that's when it hits you.

I think, yeah, it was apparent in the first couple of games when I went 3-Love down pretty fast.

Yeah, whenever you play those guys, it's important to try and settle quick. Not necessarily in the score-wise, just like settle your nerves and then just try and find your game.

Q. When you're facing someone like that, can you learn anything? Are there tips you can take from the way he plays that you can use?
JAY CLARKE: Yeah, I think that's the biggest thing about playing those guys, how they handle certain situations, what shots they choose, how they save breakpoints. There are so many things you can learn. You don't actually need to ask a lot of questions. It's just there obviously at breakpoints and game points. I'd say I'll cover this because this is what I would do, and when they go the other way, you go, okay.

But when he did that, I think I had two breakpoints or three breakpoints and he aced me in different directions. Maybe I'll learn a bit better for the next time.

Q. Is there an element when you're preparing to play a guy like that that you think, you know what? He's 37. He's got to get old eventually. Is there almost that element of hope going, is today the day that it really shows?
JAY CLARKE: Yeah, I mean, you hope that. But, no, he's obviously still very dominant, at the top of the sport. Even when he obviously came back and played the French Open and made semifinals, it just shows his caliber.

As you get older, even when I was 17, 18, there's not a whole lot that's changed in my game, but I handle certain situations better. Obviously he's 17 years older than me, so every year he plays, obviously your body goes probably a little bit worse, a few more injuries, but you get so much smarter.

Q. Did he say to you anything after the game or did you not get a chance to talk?
JAY CLARKE: No, I haven't seen him since. At the net he just wished me best of luck for the rest of the season. That was it.

Q. What does an occasion like that mean to the rest of your family?
JAY CLARKE: Yeah, I think it probably means more to them at the minute than it does to me. I'm the youngest in my family, so, yeah, for them probably to see the baby playing Federer on Court 1, it's a big thing.

Q. Is your family here today?
JAY CLARKE: Yeah, yeah. So both my sisters, my brother, my mum and dad, a lot of my sponsors. Yeah, a lot of friends got tickets, as well. It was nice.

Q. Playing anyone else, as the Brit on No. 1 court, you'd have the entire crowd behind you, but you're playing Federer with the Federer fanatics. Did you notice the crowd was split?
JAY CLARKE: Yeah. In the second set. There wasn't a whole lot to cheer for in the first set, from my end, anyway.

No, obviously you kind of expect that. Whenever you play a big name that's been dominant for so long, they kind of change the sport. It's one of those things you take it. And, yeah, you're just happy to be on court with him.

Q. Someone shouted out something funny, which is unusual at Wimbledon, Take it easy with him? Did you hear that?
JAY CLARKE: No, I didn't hear that. I'm glad I didn't, as well, actually.

Q. Obviously you're not just playing the singles, you're play doubles and mixed doubles. There has been a story about that, your decision on the partner. Can you explain what the thinking was about the change? You get the sensation of Wimbledon...
JAY CLARKE: Yeah, it was kind of a last-minute thing. I heard a lot about people changing last minute to make sure they get in. Obviously there was a thing with Andy and Serena wanting to play.

And I wasn't sure. Like, we weren't told that we'd have the wildcard in again. Obviously with all these pairs that don't normally play, and I know there were only four wildcards.

Yeah, I made the decision a few days ago now to play with Coco, because wildcards aside, you play with a big name or a past champion. Yeah, I made the decision to play with probably the biggest name in the draw at the moment.

Q. How did you get to know her to say, I want to play with you?
JAY CLARKE: Yeah, she asked me to play, yeah. We're both -- she's with a management group. I'm with the same management group. Yeah, her agent spoke to my agent. We went to a few concerts last year with the company.

Yeah, so she's a really, really cool kid. She's got a really bright future.

Q. What were the concerts?
JAY CLARKE: We went to Drake, Migos. These were all in Madison Square Garden over the US Open last year.

Q. What was Harriet's view? Have you had a chance to speak to her and explain the decision?
JAY CLARKE: Yeah, I spoke to her actually. I spoke to her twice. Said, Well done for today, and, Well done for winning your first match. Obviously initially she was very upset. She had every right to be; I'd be too.

But I spoke to her before the tournament came out and said, If I win a match in the singles or two matches, then we wouldn't probably play anyway. We'd pull out. Obviously she's done that. Obviously I'm glad she's doing well.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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