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ATP CUP

January 4, 2020

Kevin Anderson

Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

N. DJOKOVIC/K. Anderson

7-6, 7-6

Serbia - 2

South Africa - 0

THE MODERATOR: Who has the first question?

Q. What were your thoughts overall on the match, how you felt in the fight out there.
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, I think really pleased with a lot of things. I felt it was a very high quality match and obviously my first match back in six months, very pleased with a lot of things. A lot of things we have been working on I felt I was able to implement it. And, yeah, I think it was a really high quality match. Obviously, it's a tough result losing that match and losing this tie, but both Lloyd and I gave it our best shot and we both played really quality matches. And it's tough but we were up against tough opposition. But I think we can take a lot of positives going into our next match in a couple days time.

Q. How much uncertainty was there for you having not played in so long and how much better do you feel after?
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, I mean, yeah, I feel like in the last few weeks just out on the practice court and playing some practice here I felt pretty good, so I had -- obviously, it's very different playing matches competitively in that environment in practice matches, but still, you're able to take a little bit of it. Again, though, coming first match back and straight playing Novak's obviously a little bit tough, but I thought I did a good job of not over thinking things leading up into the match. Definitely got off to a little bit of a nervous start but I am really pleased with the way I was able to turn it around and felt pretty much went toe-to-toe from midway through the first set through the rest of the match.

Q. Your physical movements seemed to get better after those first five games went so quickly. Was it a mental change that helped you sort of loosen up physically as well, or did you just sort of get your way into the match physically?
KEVIN ANDERSON: No, I think it was completely mental, because I feel like I've been moving great and I was a little bit frustrated in the beginning just not being able to find my feet. I mean, it was purely just I think nervous and trying to find my feet a little bit. But I think it was, because as you said, I was down 4-1 in a very short period of time and from that I just was able to settle down a little bit and movement became way better. And, obviously, tennis is a very movement-oriented sport. So as soon as I found that I felt way better. But I think it was just finding some comfort out there after not being on a match court for awhile and obviously playing Novak as well.

Q. Do you want to change your expectations of what you might be able to achieve in the summer just judging by that very encouraging return?
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, I mean, as I said, I think practice while I was gone has gone really good. Some of the things we have been working on have been, I'm really excited about quite a lot of things. And obviously this one thing, doing that on the practice court, but actually able to, being able to implement a lot from today's match is very encouraging for me. There's still aways to go to get back where I want to get and to winning a lot of matches. Obviously, my ranking is going to be way down, especially after the points from India come off next year. But, I mean, we're not too concerned about that. I know if I keep playing the way like I played tonight and keep improving I feel confident that the results will take care of themselves.

Q. Obviously, pretty in the clear here in Brisbane, but I was talking to a couple players who are down in Melbourne and they were saying the air there yesterday is pretty bad and it's been bad also at times in Sydney the last couple days where, if you guys do advance to the next round of the ATP Cup, you would have to go. Just curious if you've been tracking conditions in those places you would have to play next and if there's been any conversation among players about what air quality is going to be?
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, obviously first and foremost it's been so sad to see everything that's been going on and just like, I guess a lot of things, definitely aware of it, coming in the States the last few weeks, but just being here you realize just the extent of what's going on. Obviously, sort of distant second is us and, sort of, our air quality and being able to perform, but obviously it is hazardous. I think that's one of the concerns in some of the Asian weeks that is we play in and that's something that we have spoken about on the council. At what point does it become unhealthy and sort of, what I've seen in some of the air quality indexes, I mean hopefully it won't be an issue, but if it is I think definitely need to have that conversation about if it's dangerous to be out there.

Q. Have you guys drawn a line about where air quality --
KEVIN ANDERSON: No.

Q. -- is hazardous? It seems like is it subjective when to stop or not.
KEVIN ANDERSON: It is. I think that's a little further down the line having, whether it's a heat rule or sort of air pollution rule, but fortunately things don't seem to be getting any better right now, so until they do globally we might have to sort of accelerate our efforts in finding something.

Q. You watched a good bit of Lloyd's match. How do you kind of balance the want to support your teammate but also kind of managing your emotion, making sure you don't get to invested?
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, it, I mean, I feel like when you're out there it's, I find, I just find that balance pretty comfortably. Maybe playing college tennis, of being in that team environment a bunch, and definitely Laver Cup last year. I mean, that's sort of the team and playing some other team formats, I feel like there's some experience in there. But you're out there, it's at the end of the day yelling at the top of my lungs is not going to maybe help Lloyd too much. It's just being there being supportive. I think just more sort of time and days before the match is probably more valuable than, arguably more valuable than just being out there. But we try to support each other as much as we can, I think we all try to regroup, but I think I find that sort of balance of getting out there and being excited, but obviously realizing that you still have to play afterwards.

Q. Just playing for your country, how kind of inspiring is that for you, being the inauguration of the ATP Cup?
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, it's something I've been really looking forward to for a long time. I've known about it for a while and am so pleased that it's off the ground and we have this amazing event. Obviously in the other team formats that we have had it's been pretty difficult for me, schedule-wise, to always make myself available, so really pleased that I'm able to do so here. And we have had a lot of support both here and back home and hopefully we'll be able to progress through to Sydney.

Q. Welcome back. Wanted to ask you, how would you compare Davis Cup, ATP Cup and Laver Cup in terms of team events and are they different? Obviously Laver Cup is different than the other two, but is Davis Cup and ATP Cup sort of similar?
KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, I mean, obviously, we got an interesting position we're in right now with a whole bunch of team events. Look, I mean, obviously, Davis Cup has got a lot of history behind the event, which you can't recreate that just overnight. That's probably it's biggest positive. It's no secret that there's been a lot of challenges and the ITF sort of understanding players' needs a little bit better, that's been a bit of a frustrating process. But I mean in terms of like the team event, it's just definitely has history on its side. But getting out there tonight and seeing the crowd, seeing the emotions, I mean, we have been out there for two and a half hours and it's, you can see -- obviously I would have liked to have been on the winning side -- but you can see what it meant to Novak and Team Serbia getting through. So this is the first year, I think it will be great to sort of keep going. And obviously the Laver Cup's a little bit different, but, I mean, again, it's just, the year I played it just definitely doesn't feel like an exhibition event. I think all of those are very competitive, but I think the differences here is just representing your specific country is pretty special. And being an ATP-owned event I think makes it just a great event and a great opportunity for us.

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