VIKING INTERNATIONAL

June 23, 2021

Max Purcell

Devonshire Park

Press Conference

M. PURCELL/G. Monfils

6-4, 5-7, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Run us through the main dramas at the end there. It's got to be the biggest win of your career, hasn't it?

MAX PURCELL: Yeah. I think the best win I've had before that was probably 60-something in the world, I think probably four years ago.

But, yeah, I had a tough match with Khachanov at the start of the year, and I think he was about 19, so I kind of knew my level was all right, but being able to win matches and play good matches is a completely different thing.

Yeah, I mean, I served for the match in the second. Didn't manage to close it out. He went up a break in the third. I have been playing a lot of doubles, and really sharp returning, always thinking of a chance, and just managed to sneak through.

Q. It's been a crazy week, by the look of it, beating Kevin Anderson to start with and then losing and then getting in as a Lucky Loser. Can you tell us how you got back in as a Lucky Loser? I didn't realize you had been pushed back into the draw before I saw you against Duckworth.

MAX PURCELL: Yes, I won against Kevin. That was a long match. I was really happy to win that. Played Ivashka and won the first. Then after that was just a little sloppy at the start of each set, and I guess that was enough for him to close me out.

But I kind of already knew going into that match that there were three spots of Lucky Losers, so I'm, like, a 75% chance I guess of making the main draw. I'm not sure if that played any effect into maybe me thinking about it in the last-round qualifying match, had anything to do with it.

But, yeah, I snuck in. Played James, another good server, first round and snuck out of a break in a third set there as well. Yeah, I mean, just enjoying playing singles I think at the moment.

Q. What was your plan then going in towards Wimbledon? Was it just to sharpen up or what?

MAX PURCELL: No, I mean, I'm always a singles player first. I'm 23, so I'm not ever going to commit to a doubles career until I'm like 30-something. I'm hating actually playing doubles and not being able to play singles. It's like being at these tournaments and seeing all these guys playing and me just wanting to do what they are doing, but I'm kind of there for doubles.

I know since coming back on tour with COVID and everything, predominantly the States and Asia have had the biggest impact on the tennis, so less tournaments there. They're where the hard court tournaments are at, and that's where I like to spend a lot of my year, on the hard courts. So everything has basically been on clay since then in Europe.

I'm hating that, and less tournaments as well. So my ranking, started the break at about 220 and dropped back to about 280. It's just been really hard to get into any events that I want to play with singles. I want to play doubles, pick up as much money as I can, and once the world kind of opens up a bit, I can invest that money in bringing my coach with me along with my singles career.

Q. Did you have any opportunity to go for qualifying at Wimbledon?

MAX PURCELL: No, I was about -- I think I finished about 15 or 16 alternate, something like that.

Q. Would you have definitely gone for that?

MAX PURCELL: Oh, yeah, for sure. Singles player first always.

Q. Sounds as if you're getting quite irritated by this, a bit like Krejcikova at the French Open. She was saying, Oh, all this stuff about me being a doubles specialist.

MAX PURCELL: Yeah, I hate it. I mean, I feel like no one really -- you don't pick up a tennis racquet as a young kid to want to be a doubles player. No with one goes out there and watches the doubles and goes, I want to be a doubles player.

You want to be a singles player. And then to extend your tennis career to some degree, a lot of the players are just moving into doubles. Easier on the body, prolong their career, still getting to travel and play the big tournaments. It's not something I want to continue to do for a while.

My coach, Nathan Healey, had the same thing happen to him, and then he just doesn't want me to continue doubles early as well.

Q. What about the rest of this tournament? Quarterfinals, your first ever, I'm pretty sure, ATP?

MAX PURCELL: Yeah.

Q. Can you go the whole way here?

MAX PURCELL: Sure. I don't see any reason why I can't. Four three-set matches in five days now, but my body seems to be handling it fine. I mean, previously I had some injury issues, but last week it managed to get a fair bit better, so that was good.

Yeah, I don't see why not. I'm loving playing on grass. I'm loving playing singles. I think that's what helped as well. A lot of these guys, we're five months, six months into the year and these guys have been slugging it out playing singles most weeks, and I have just kind of been cruising around playing some doubles here and there, practicing with a lot of these singles guys at the doubles tournaments. Yeah, I feel like I'm just super motivated and fresh and ready to take on singles, where these guys are potentially on the other side of it.

Q. As you are going to the doubles at Wimbledon, I see you have been seeded 16th. You didn't win today, but do you fancy your chances there?

MAX PURCELL: Sure. My strongest part of my game on a doubles court is my returning, which is what I'm bringing into my singles a lot now. I'm a good server. There is no reason why we can't do well. I mean, we made final of the Australian Open start of last year, and I think 2019 we were the best challenge in doubles team, won the most matches and tournaments together.

I mean, doubles is a game, it's so much that can happen in five minutes. It's all about luck and just being on it. I mean, really anyone can win. I'd like to think we've got a good chance.

Q. What are your ambitions then really for the rest of the year in terms of the singles? Do you think that this is kind of like a launch pad for something that you can really now get your teeth into?

MAX PURCELL: Sure, yeah. Well, I wasn't sure what I was going to do straight after Wimbledon. I was tossing up about Olympics, but Australian Olympic team decided not to select me for doubles, I guess a blessing in a way considering I hate playing it.

I'm going to go play some hard court challengers in Kazakhstan and head to one challenger in the States, and hopefully with that, secure a spot in the US Open singles qualifying. The three full weeks leading into the US Open qualifying, they have put on two or three challengers on per week and only on clay, so the ATP Challenger Tour has had a shocker there. I guess I might end up having to play some doubles those weeks.

Q. Were you very upset about not going to the Olympics then?

MAX PURCELL: Look, yeah, I mean, everyone dreams of being an Olympic athlete. Not much you can do when your federation is not a huge fan of you.

Q. Why do you say that?

MAX PURCELL: I mean, just there is just a lot of history there. Yeah. It's kind of a known fact within the Australian tennis community that the higher-up guys are not a fan of me.

Q. Why?

MAX PURCELL: I don't know. I kind of like speak my mind a bit, and a lot of the guys at the top are pretty soft and can't handle the jokes. It is what it is.

Q. They will be looking forward to seeing you winning this tournament then?

MAX PURCELL: Oh, yeah, don't you worry. I haven't had a single message yet saying "Well done."

Q. I'm sure it will come. Sounds as if it was a brilliant win today. Sorry I didn't see it. Gael is a fun competitor. Everybody loves him over here. That's a big win.

MAX PURCELL: I even had some Australians in the crowd, listening these Australian voices, and they are cheering on Gael. I'm, like, What is this? They definitely love him over here.

Q. Maybe we will talk at Wimbledon when you win the doubles there.

MAX PURCELL: Thank you. Cheers.