WIMBLEDON

June 24, 2002

Mark Philippoussis

MODERATOR: Questions for Mark.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, a little nervous, I think. Didn't really have any timing on my serve until pretty much the start of the third set. Besides that, you know, I felt like I played okay for the first match.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, definitely. I didn't play last year, obviously. As I was saying, I was nervous before the match. Just looking forward to it. It's just great to be back, you know, on the courts here.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I think a few years ago I would have taken a lot of things in my life for granted. Now I look at life in a totally different perspective, as well as my personal life and life on the tennis court, too. When I was on the court, I was young, I never thought anything was going to go wrong. I was having fun. I thought, "There's a lot of years ahead of me." Until something happens, that makes you open your eyes and realize that you never know when your career can end. So just go as hard as you can. That's how I feel now. I'm taking each day at a time, just trying to go out there and enjoy myself. It's tough to think ahead. I just want to think about it now. Pretty much I want to stay relaxed.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Well, I mean, I had my third surgery. I was in a wheelchair for two months, in bed. The only thing you can do is do a lot of thinking. I thought about if I was happy in my life, and I wasn't. Things that you think make you happy don't. The thing was, I wasn't really happy in Miami - and I thought I was. I just, you know, decided to move, go somewhere that's definitely a lot more quieter, where there's not the same distractions around me as there was in Miami. Just wanted to try and give myself a fresh start.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: It's going to take a while. It's definitely going to take the whole of this year. It's tough for me to rush it because, you know, after the Australian Open, I tried to work on my legs and get my legs really strong, and I injured myself again. I can't do that. I've got to take my time, you know, just take it a week at a time and try to get my legs gradually strong. As I was saying, it's tough to look ahead. But I've got to take things, you know, as they come.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I never think too far ahead. For a Grand Slam, even if I didn't, I'm still going to try. But I'm feeling pretty good. You know, I can't complain at all.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I mean, it's not like -- I definitely partied a lot. It's not like I don't party at all. If I'm not at a tournament, I've got a couple weeks off, I'm going to go out for a couple nights. It's just not going to be the same as it was, that's all. If I train hard on the court, then you can enjoy yourself off the court. You know, you deserve that. It's not like I'm never going to go out again. I'm still having fun. But just, you know, trying to even it out.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I cannot speak for anyone else. I have no idea how he felt. But for me, the most important thing in my life is my family and their health. Everything else comes second. So I'm the luckiest guy in the world. I have nothing at all to complain about. You know, even after three surgeries, I'm still the luckiest guy in the world. I still have two legs to run around on. I'm blessed. You know, I couldn't see anything that would make me, you know, become, you know -- think about things like that. Like I said, I'm loving life. I love my family. I love my friends. They're all healthy. I'm healthy. That's what it's all about.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: No, not at all. Like I said, if that's your number one priority, then nothing else matters.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: He's a dangerous player, no matter what surface you play him on. He hits the ball nice and flat. He's going to be dangerous. He's got good returns, he can slap some back. Again, it doesn't really matter who I play. As long as I go out there. Obviously, you've got to adapt your game a little bit to who you play. But I've just got to go out there and play percentage tennis. I definitely want to get some more first serves in. You know, sometimes I get a little slack, tense, I miss those easy volleys because there's no -- yeah, just my mind is not there. If I see a ball floating in the air, instead of going forward and putting it away, I'm waiting for it. I just hit it with no direction at all. That's what I did a couple times today, and I lost my serve. I can't afford to do that against Thomas. I've got to go out there and think about my serve and take it a point at a time, just try and make him play on his serves.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Definitely. If you were out there every point fighting, it's going to be hard to concentrate the whole match. But that's what's it all about. If I keep doing that, I'm going to get mentally tougher. That's what I need, I need to get mentally tougher, just focus, commit myself. That's all. If I'm going to serve-volleying, committing to the first serve, the first volley, you know, I play good tennis. If I'm going out there half-hearted on some of the volleys, I'm going to make some silly shots. As long as I go out there and compete, stay positive, stay focused, you know, that's what I'm looking for.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Mom's here.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Doing the cooking.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: My mom, Dad, my best friend Charlie, his fiancee, best friend Billy from Australia. Got the full house.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I'm fit. I feel good. I'm definitely feeling as good as I have for a long time. Like anyone, there's no doubt you can get fitter. There's no doubt I can get fitter, I can get stronger. But I'm feeling pretty good.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah, I have two horses, and six dogs.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: I kept one motorcycle, but pretty much got rid of the rest. You know, the sports cars.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: They're definitely ahead of me. There's no doubt about that.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: Yeah. I mean, this is a dream for me to win. I know I can win it. I'm going to give it my best this year. But if it's not this year, I'm going to give it my best and come back next year. But I'm still here this year and I'm still in it, just like everyone. People come to the tournaments to win, they're not going to be happy, "Okay, couple of matches, whatever, think about next week." Everybody's here to win. That's what it's all about.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: You never know. I mean, you never know what was going to happen. Definitely wasn't the way I wanted to get out.

MARK PHILIPPOUSSIS: It's just a bit of a stumble, that's all that it was. Can't do anything about that. It was supposed to happen for a reason. You know, just a little hurdle in my life, something I had to get over, and I'm over it. That's all that it was.