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US OPEN

August 27, 2019

Vasek Pospisil

New York, NY, USA

V. POSPISIL/K. Khachanov

4-6, 7-5, 7-5, 4-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are you happiest about with that match?
VASEK POSPISIL: I mean, overall the way I played. I played a very high level. Executed the game plan really well. I mean, that was just to be super aggressive any time I had a little bit of time. Obviously Karen hits a really big ball. When he has time on the stroke, he's extremely dangerous. Overall he's very dangerous, obviously.

I just tried to really go for my forehand and tried to serve well, which I did for the most part. Yeah, it was a physical match there at the end. I'm just glad I pulled through.

Q. Are you surprised, you haven't played a whole lot this season, to go through a five-setter? Surprise yourself a little bit?
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, definitely a little bit. I mean, the conditions helped me today, for sure. It wasn't very hot. I was very happy about that this morning when I woke up (smiling).

But other than that, I mean, I wasn't so surprised because I've been working really hard. I did a ton of fitness before I kind of made my comeback just to make sure that I was strong.

But, of course, match play is a different kind of beast. When the adrenaline goes up, it's different. But no, I mean, I've been playing matches now for the last month or so.

Yeah, just super happy to get through.

Q. Was all you needed was just to play Felix in the first round?
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, maybe that's what it was.

I've had some tough draws. Felix two times, Karen obviously, tough draws. Yeah, just happy to get this one. I thought I played really well against Felix in Montreal. I felt like every week I've been playing better and better, to be honest. So, yeah, played the big points well and stayed calm today for the most part. It's good.

Q. You said in Montreal that it was the best level you played since you were in the top 50, I think.
VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, I would say in general the last month or so. I mean, I played a Vancouver challenger a couple weeks ago, played a really good match with Chung there. Second round was a tough draw. I had match points there. We played a really, really high level.

I felt, you know, even though I didn't really have too many wins under my belt, pretty confident just with how I've been training and playing the last few matches.

Q. And the players council, I talked to a few of the WTA players, they had their elections recently, there's a lot of new faces, all pretty young. A couple of them mentioned reaching out to the ATP side to collaborate. Have you done that with any of them?
VASEK POSPISIL: I actually have. I've actually spoken to four of them. I've been talking to them the last three, four days.

Q. What are the advantages of doing that? There's not been a lot of that crossing that aisle?
VASEK POSPISIL: The advantage of doing that is especially at the slams in general, we're playing the same event, right? What affects one side affects the other. It just makes sense to collaborate and communicate, especially at the Grand Slams. Obviously the ATP and WTA Tour are separate. They have their separate tournaments, their separate tours. There are some combined events.

If you talk about the Grand Slams, it's one tournament with women and men. I just feel like it's counterproductive to not communicate with them, to be honest, yeah.

Q. Have you found any kindred spirits particularly?
VASEK POSPISIL: Kindred spirits there?

Q. Yes.
VASEK POSPISIL: I'm really super impressed with Sloane, to be honest. I had some good conversations with her. Gabby is up there, the Canadian. She's really into it. I had some conversations with her. Then Johanna, had a few conversations with her as well.

Yeah, pleasantly surprised by how involved they are. Yeah, especially Sloane, I was pretty impressed with her mindset.

Q. Did they reach out to you or did you reach out to them? What does it feel like now that you're going out to play without the concerns you had about your back for years?
VASEK POSPISIL: I reached out -- actually, a few of them reached out to me. I reached out to one of them (smiling).

The back, yeah, it's nice. I mean, I've been knocking on wood saying this, but I've been telling people, I actually had an issue the last couple of days, I was nervous coming into the match. It wasn't really back related. It was something with my hip.

But I was, yeah, telling a few people this is the best my back has felt since I had my injury in 2014. Yeah, I mean, we'll see. Obviously knocking on wood again. But definitely the best I've felt since 2013.

Q. How does this win compare with your win over Andy when he was No. 1 at Indian Wells? Talk about your campaign for better pay for lower-ranked players. Speaking out, did that take courage? Is it gaining traction?
VASEK POSPISIL: I mean, the first question, obviously beating Andy, he was No. 1 in the world at the time. That was a very special win. This is my first top 10 win at a Grand Slam, so that's something, too, right? It was a five-setter, so super special. But beating the No. 1 player in the world, kind of puts it in its own little section there. Different matches. I mean, both great, great moments in my career for sure. But Andy was a special one.

Then, yeah, the fight. More than anything, just fighting for a bit of transparency. I think our sport is doing so incredibly well, but there's still just a hundred players or so that are making a good living. I just think it shouldn't be that way when the sport is so incredibly profitable.

But it's normal because we don't -- the players are relatively powerless in their positions with the tournaments. We don't have legal representation that just solely looks out for the players' best interests. How are you ever going to have fairness, so to speak. It's business.

It's just hard to see guys that are 120, 130 in the world, dedicated their whole lives, they're incredible athletes, incredible people to get to this level. To accomplish that in their lives, they're getting overlooked, not appreciated. That's just the reality, right?

I think that comes from many things because when you look at the Grand Slams, for example, there are 250 players playing, even in qualification. You can kind of dive into the reasons why maybe more guys should be getting paid a little bit better when they're at this level.

Q. The tournaments do not reveal what they're making, the revenues or profits?
VASEK POSPISIL: Well, they do. I mean, they do. The players get 14% of the revenues, 7% to the women, 7% to the men. You can look at that a little bit more deeply, decide if that's a fair amount.

I think prize money is pretty top-heavy. Every round it doubles, doubles, doubles. Obviously the guys in later rounds are doing well. But should they be making more, too? Early round guys, qualifications, one thing that's overlooked, there are only four Grand Slams in the year. Yeah, people like to say, Look at this guy, he played first round, lost 6-2, 6-2, 6-3, whatever, picked up a $50,000 check. That's just the wrong way to look at it.

I've used this explanation a few times, but the way to look at it is that that player had won 43 matches at the highest level of the sport to get to that ranking to be a direct entry, and he has four events to make that kind of money. He pays taxes, pays travel experiences, his coach, hotel, everything. There's more to it than just $50,000 or whatever for a first-round loss, right?

Then there's all the qualifying players, as well, so... It wasn't difficult for me to speak out. That was the other question you had. I mean, I'm pretty honest, straightforward. I don't mind if people necessarily disagree with what I have to say. It's open dialogue. Everyone has their opinions. Some people might not like mine. At the end of the day, I think it's good to just talk openly about these things.

Q. You mentioned legal representation of the players. I understood you brought some lawyers to kind of address the wider player body, a petition going around that has something like a hundred signatures on it.
VASEK POSPISIL: Pretty informed (smiling).

Q. I try my best. Trying to kind of get a group, a lobby to get what you want. Can you outline the sort of things you want? Do you have the big names on these lists? That carries a lot of weight, say, boycotting events? Vasek Pospisil saying he's not going to play a Grand Slam is something different compared to Roger Federer. No disrespect.
VASEK POSPISIL: Of course. No, none taken (laughter).

Q. Wonder if you have players like that on your side?
VASEK POSPISIL: There are a lot of players, a lot. I'll just leave it at that. We have big names, as well, depending on...

I think we're just wanting to say, Hey, we're here, let's have fair talks, explanations, transparency. Explain why things have to be certain ways. It's just a very gentle, Can we come to the negotiation table and can you just explain to us why it has to be a certain way, why it has to be 14%? Well, it's less, because we saw the New York Times revealed that actually the tax returns were incorrect, so it's actually less than 14%. At the US Open, we're...

Q. What were your thoughts when you went up 2-1, when he tied it, to go into the fifth set? He looked a little frustrated at times.
VASEK POSPISIL: He did or I did?

Q. He did. Was there any moment where you thought, I have it, this is my match to lose at this point?
VASEK POSPISIL: No. I mean, actually until I went up a break in the fifth, yeah, I mean, it was -- I just felt like I was playing really well. If I could maintain my level, I had a chance of winning the match. It was more that than anything. I felt like, Okay, if I can keep this level, if I can stay relatively fresh and not have a dip in energy, I felt like I could pull through.

I mean, I was thinking that since I won the second set, Okay, I'm playing a really good level, let's see how it goes, play point by point, game by game.

I had a dip of energy in the fourth and the beginning of the fifth. Right around third, fourth game of the fifth set, I felt a little bit of a second wind. That's where I was like, Okay, I can win this. For a period there, I felt pretty low on energy, but most of the match I felt like it was anyone's match.

Q. You had your own match to prepare for, so you didn't have a take on this before it happened. Did you see the result between Shapovalov and Felix?
VASEK POSPISIL: Yes.

Q. Do you have any thoughts on that?
VASEK POSPISIL: I didn't see. I just saw the score. Obviously, yeah, I mean, that's tennis. They've had good battles in the past. It was hyped up for sure to be a good battle. That's just how it goes. I don't know if Felix was a little bit off or Denis played amazing.

I didn't see anything or hear anything. I just saw the score. But yeah, I mean, they're two great players. If one of them is off their game, you know, one of them is playing exceptionally well, that kind of scoreline can happen. Didn't really think much of it other than, Oh, that's a one-sided score. Other than that, those kind of scorelines happen.

Q. Tennys Sandgren in the next round.
VASEK POSPISIL: Well, yeah, Tennys is tough. He's playing great. He's very fit. He has good results at Grand Slams. Obviously he's doing something right physically. He came back from two sets today against a really good opponent. So he'll be confident. He's playing at home. I heard the atmosphere was pretty intense and loud and on his side, as I would expect.

So, yeah, it will be a really good challenge, a big challenge. He's a great player. Had a great win today. Have another super tough match, different opponent, different conditions for the next one. We'll see.

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