MIAMI OPEN PRESENTED BY ITAú

April 1, 2021

Hubert Hurkacz

Press Conference

H. HURKACZ/S. Tsitsipas

2-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Looks like you started a little slow out there or maybe he started really fast, and there was obviously that big changing moment in the second set where you hit the line. He talked about that in his press conference. Do you feel like he got distracted part of the way through? How do you feel like you really changed the momentum in that match?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, I tried to stay competitive and positive throughout the whole match. I was missing some shots that I wasn't really like happy about, but I believe that if I was gonna start making those shots, making those right decisions at the right time, I'll have a chance.

Q. Since your title in Delray, I feel like you maybe haven't had the results you were looking for in between that time, maybe some disappointing losses. What do you think has really come together at this tournament here in Miami? Is it being back home in Florida kind of where you have spent a lot of time? Your backhand has been looking really good at the end of that match. What is it?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I think I just try to like keep building my game, improving. Not all the times you're gonna have the results that you want, but if you stay positive and if you improve your game, that's gonna like help you. The results will eventually come.

Q. They said on the TV that Stefanos didn't want to ride in the golf cart with you on the way to the court?

HUBERT HURKACZ: No.

Q. Did that happen or that didn't happen?

HUBERT HURKACZ: No, I don't think so. Like we didn't take the same golf cart, but, no, I don't think that was...(smiling).

Q. Then I just wanted to ask you in general, he said in the press conference that he felt that he was very stressed the whole week and that he sort of self-imploded, that he let his emotions get to him and that you were much more steady. Can you talk about your mental approach of staying steady when he seemed to, you know, going a little bit up and down emotionally?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I was trying to stay positive. Even though, like, the match wasn't going my way, I was trying to be as competitive as I can. I believed in myself, and I think that was important.

Q. When you're down a set and a break and things were running away from you, how were you remaining composed in an effort to come back in that second set and then start to assert things in the final set? What was it that helped you stay calm and turn that around?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I believed in myself that if I will start making those shots, I'm going forward, I can, like, stay competitive in the set and fight to come back. So I think that was -- the positivity was crucial for it.

Q. Where would you rate this result for yourself?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I think that's my like so far one of the best results. Obviously like winning titles, it's nice because you win the tournament. But like the results winning couple of really like close matches in a row, that's really big for me.

Q. What have you been working on in your game? You said you were trying to build your game. What aspects of your game have you been working on?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, we have been working a lot with Craig on the serve, on the forehand return, as well. Obviously also like on the mental approach and the tactics, how to play against certain opponents.

Q. Do you have any short-term goals or long-term goals in the game?

HUBERT HURKACZ: Yeah, I mean, I want to be as good as I can. That's what I'm working for. Yeah, those are my goals. So, yeah, hopefully I'll be able to win some titles in the future.

Q. Which do you think were the main changes in your game from the first set and the second and the third to get a win over the world No. 5 seed in Miami today?

HUBERT HURKACZ: I think I was serving a little bit better towards the end of that match. I was making more balls, so that was putting a lot of little more pressure on Stefanos, as well, because I think at the beginning he had too many free points from my side.