NITTO ATP FINALS

November 18, 2020

Diego Schwartzman

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/D. Schwartzman

6-3, 4-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are your feelings about that match? Obviously it looked like maybe you could go down reasonably quick in the second set but you fought back really well.

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Well, yeah. I'm happy because I almost did a good comeback. The match was going all his way quickly in the first set and second set. Then I find a way to win the second set and fighting the third.

I think my first set was similar to Djokovic. I start break up, and after that I did everything really bad (smiling) in the first match and today.

Second set today I improve a lot. When I was down 3-1 I improve a lot. I did many winners. I start to play my best, I think, almost my best, or trying to find a way to play my best.

Then in the third I started really, really well, but I think at the end, you know, in this kind of surface, the serve it's important shot, and I think today did the difference at the end of the match.

I think he deserve to win because he played better than me in important moments, but the serve was the difference today in the third set, not in the first.

Q. Does it take time to get used to playing in a tournament like this because it's like no other tournament? You know you're going to play at least three matches and you're immediately playing against the top players. Do you think it's easier for players who have played in these tournaments before and they're used to it?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Well, I think they have, yeah, a little bit of advantage. But they deserve that because they were here many times. So they know how to play the big, big matches one day another, you know.

I think, yeah, I have to learn about this tournament. It's everything, it's new, and you never play -- I mean, yeah, when you're in quarterfinal, then semifinal, final, yeah, you play against the best guys on tour, but you have already a few matches in the back.

Right now it's different because it's just the first match the other day, it's tough to start the new tournament, new place, against Djokovic.

Today I think I did better, but in this surface, they like the surface. I think most of the guys who are here, the best surface that they play is here, indoor courts.

I think at the end today made the difference. But I improve. I'm happy because I improve. I played really good points, and I did have a good moments in the match but is difficult. Indoor courts against the best, I have to keep improving if I want to win.

Q. I believe I'm right in saying you were one of the supporters of the PTPA when that was started earlier this year. I was wondering whether you were surprised to see Novak and Vasek both applying to be back on the ATP Player Council after they were made to step down a few months ago, and whether you can just give us an update on how the organization is doing, whether there was a bit of few problems or whatever?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: I want to be clear about that. I mean, my point of view, we are not fighting against ATP. We are not going against ATP. We are just trying to work together and have maybe a strong voice. It's just the only thing that many of the players are thinking. Many not, many not, you know.

Novak, Vasek, they want to be in the council again because is our voice in the ATP structure. But we still trying to have our association because it's different things, and we don't want to fight against ATP or the tournaments. No, no, we are just trying to work together and try to make tennis a better sport for everyone. Nothing else. That's why many are in the council again, because it's our voice in the ATP structure.

Q. So just to clarify on that, did Novak and Vasek kind of announce to the group, you have a WhatsApp group or something that they said we're going to run back to the council before doing it?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: They did but not just them. Many of the guys who sign the new association are in the council or trying to be nominated for the council, many. I mean, I don't remember everyone who is there but many, many guys.

Because it's just a WhatsApp group, not association group. It's a players' WhatsApp group, and many guys were saying that we want to be in the council. And, yeah.

Q. Obviously there were some big news regarding Australia that the players will not be allowed to go there until the start of January. I was just wondering what does this change for you, and do you have any more information on that?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Well, yesterday we knew that Australia, the government from Victoria, Melbourne, that we are not allowed to be there before 1 of January.

So, yeah, it's going to be different. Obviously for Tennis Australia as well. They always make great tournaments, unbelievable tournaments. Is one of the best starts of the tour, for sure, there in Australia. And Tennis Australia, it's a really good association and they do a really good job.

They are just trying and fighting and having a lot of discussion with the government, and I think nobody knows much, because it's a government decision and I think they and we are waiting for new updates about the start of the year.

For me, it's not really bad, because I have a few more days in my home. I'm already four months out. It's not an advantage to come here to this tournament. Everyone was going home for many weeks already. I'm already here four months, so it's difficult.

Q. Just on that PTPA organization, is it still all men, or were there women who joined?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: We want to -- I mean, we want. In my point of view, it's important to have also the womans tour, for sure, to have a strong voice.

Like I said, we want to have a better sport. Nothing else. We are not fighting against anybody, that's for sure.

For sure we are waiting. If they want to be with us and have a strong voice in their tour, obviously they are welcome to be here and I think it's important.

Q. Just going back to Australia, if there was a scenario where the tournament went ahead, the Australian Open went ahead but you couldn't play any warmup tournaments or potentially not even be able to practice very much, do you think that would be acceptable to the players?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Well, it's difficult, you know. I'm from Argentina, so after here I go back to Argentina and we have no flights to go there, so the only flights that we have, it's almost 40 hours to be in Australia (smiling).

It's going to be difficult. I think the better thing to do is just wait and wait for the update from the Tennis Australia and see what happen.

I think it depends from where you are and depends what are your plans for the start of the year. So every single case, every single player is going to be a different scenario, so I will see what we do.