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LAVER CUP

September 20, 2019

Jack Sock

Geneva, Switzerland

J. SOCK/F. Fognini

6-1, 7-6

Team Europe - 1

Team World - 1

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How important a result was that for you after what you have been through to score a win over somebody right around the top 10 ranking spot?
JACK SOCK: Yeah, I mean, it feels good personally, of course. I don't really think about it much like that. I just think I love being on a team so much that I'm more happy to put a point on the board for our team this weekend.

And I'm sure, yeah, when I get home next weekend, I'm training for my tournaments in the fall, I'll look back on this and take confidence from it. But right now I'm just happy that I was able to get a win for the team.

Q. So coming back from surgery, an issue sometimes is just belief, which you said you had belief in your game, but how much did your team help instill that in you, as well?
JACK SOCK: A lot, yeah. It's a massive difference I think for this week, because, I mean, even with 2017, I was having a great year, so I didn't need maybe as much. Last year I wasn't winning a lot of matches but still played some good tennis. The Laver Cup weekend, I think because those guys rally behind you, and obviously it's been a tough -- not even this year. Surgery has been a tough, pretty rough 18 months for me.

Yeah, just to have these guys who some of them are my closest friends, you can look over and see them cheering for you and they can talk to you on the changeover, all that. It definitely boosts your energy, boosts your confidence knowing they're rallying behind you. I'd say it helps a lot.

Q. So you beat Fognini. How did you think the match could develop? Especially after the first set, because in the first set, Björn Borg said that sometimes you were a little lucky when you were behind Love-30, Love-40, but then in the second set you were behind and still you were able to win the match. What was more important, the first or the second?
JACK SOCK: I mean, I wouldn't call 6-1 lucky, I guess. I heard Roger saying that in some of the videos I saw after on the changeover. Fabio was saying it.

But, I mean, yeah, I don't think 1-6 is too lucky. Then again, yeah, I think it was Love-30, Love-30, Love-40, 15-40 in the first set, and I held all four games. Maybe if I hold one of those, I might be lucky, but to hold all four, I thought I played some pretty decent tennis after some of the tennis I put on display in some singles matches.

Yeah, I believed in myself. I looked over and had the belief from Captain Mac and the guys on the team. Obviously you're at Laver Cup. You're never going to throw in the towel or, you know, not want to fight back in a match. I mean, you're playing for not only yourself but for the guys watching and for your captain and everything.

Yeah, I don't think I'd necessarily call it lucky. I think I played some pretty good tennis, so sorry.

Q. You just mentioned Mac. I'm paraphrasing. He said that here you were a couple years ago ranked 8 in the world, so why can't a guy like that score an upset, as you did? So what was John saying to you during the match?
JACK SOCK: Yeah, it wasn't a ton. It was more kind of like tactical side of it out there, actually. Obviously using my net skills well that I use in doubles. Sometimes I was trying to be the aggressor, trying to dictate play out there.

Fabio is extremely solid from the back if you give him time. He can get into a groove back there. He's extremely difficult to play. I was trying to make him uncomfortable out there, was kind of the game plan. Some slicing, using my forehand, trying to use some heaviness, kick serves, all that, trying to take it out of his strike zone a little bit. We were kind of talking more along those lines.

Yeah, I mean, it wasn't what you call a drastic upset, but I have been a pretty good player in my career, I think. Yeah, my ranking may not show it right now, but I still believe, even if I hadn't won a match in whoever knows how long, I still think I can go out and beat pretty much everybody.

Q. I just wanted to ask you what did you expect from Fognini? He was a bit disappointed about his return. Normally it is his best quality. But you were serving probably in a way that was causing him troubles. Were you mixing up a lot? Or was more powerful, was more angles? What do you think was the reason?
JACK SOCK: Like I said, I mean, I was trying to make him feel uncomfortable. When he gets in a groove, especially returning, he is one of the best returners I think in the world.

I think this court suits my serve well, especially the kick serve. I think it gets up very high. I was hitting my angles pretty well on the deuce and that kick on the ad.

But, yeah, I mean, maybe he missed a few more than he normally does. Honestly, I think playing -- this is my third time at Laver. I know the court and the lights are pretty difficult the first time you play, everything like that.

The atmosphere, the courts are very deep. So I think there is a lot to get used to. You can practice all week, but until the people are in the stadium and the ball feels -- definitely it's hotter in there, maybe the ball flying a little bit more. When people are in the stands, you go from 0 to 17,000, that's a lot of body heat. I think it's just a lot to get used to.

But I honestly think playing the last two years at this event helped me.

Q. Describe your emotions through the tiebreaker and also postmatch the locker room atmosphere.
JACK SOCK: Yeah, I mean, obviously I was super stoked. I have seen some Instagram videos. I was very happy, like I said, to help out the team, contribute any way I can.

Yeah, obviously I think a lot of people, they knew I kind of got picked to try and contribute in doubles like I have the past few years, so I'm not sure how many people expected me to win the singles match. Obviously I thought I could. I went out and played some solid tennis.

Especially after Shapo, that first match, obviously we were gutted. We haven't had a very good singles start on day one the last two years, and so knowing we were right there, Thiem came up with some incredible tennis at the end. But to be that close again, it seems like we are so close so many times in this event, so to back that up and come back and even it up instead of being down 2-0, which I'm sure that team was probably expecting to be up 2-0 with that matchup, so I was definitely happy to "upset" everyone and get a win for us.

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