THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2021

Sebastian Korda

Press Conference

S. KORDA/D. Evans

6-3, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What do you think you learned that is most applicable to your experience from what your dad experienced at the majors and specifically at Wimbledon?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I don't know. I hear stories all the time about how incredible the Centre Court is, how incredible the fans are. To finally get to experience that today, it was awesome.

I felt so comfortable out there. And, yeah, the fans and everyone, they were crazy. They were super loud. They were super into it. They were trying to pump up Dan as much as they could. But I stayed calm in the biggest moments and it worked out really well today.

Yeah, I don't know. Just crazy.

Q. Is there something that he said to you that really sticks with you about what he enjoyed most of this stage?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I mean, I've talked with my dad and Andre Agassi. They both just told me to enjoy it. I mean, this is probably one of the best center courts in the world. The fans and everybody, they're incredible. The court's incredible. Just to get the opportunity to play there before my 21st birthday is pretty special.

Yeah, just felt incredibly comfortable. And, yeah, it was perfect today.

Q. I want to ask, was this the first time you had ever been to Centre Court or had you been there before perhaps as a fan? What do you think will stick out to you the most, either a particular moment, something you saw or heard today?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, it was the first time I've ever seen the Centre Court, even with no fans or anything. It was the first time I walked down the stairs, and everything that I saw, it was incredible.

But, yeah, I don't know. I kind of just blocked out there today, and played some really good tennis. Stayed calm. I was hoping with my match kit, with adidas, it was like, you're inspired, it was white and red. I was hoping maybe I'd get some fans with that for England.

Yeah, they were cheering hard for Dan. But it was just awesome to play in front of them.

Q. Can you talk about Andre Agassi as a man, what he's brought to you, what it's like working with him.

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I've been talking with Andre for probably about a year now. We started around this time last year. My dad kind of set it up. We had our first call. He's been awesome. We spent 14 days together in Vegas. He welcomed me into his family.

He has an incredible family. Everybody is super nice. Kind of like a family like ours. Both my parents play tennis. He and Steffi play tennis. He has a son and a daughter who are incredible at baseball. She's a world-class street dancer I'm pretty sure. Our families are a little bit alike.

He's just a special person. We talk basically every single day, every single match about how I'm feeling, what I should do. But the most important thing he told me yesterday was just to enjoy it. It's your first time on Centre Court at Wimbledon, just enjoy it, embrace it, have a lot of fun.

Q. About your temperament, the calm that you mentioned. I believe today you had an overhead that went in the net, but no response from you. Then you had another one, crushed it perfectly. We've seen a lot of players, even Federer, earlier in their careers have to work to get that temperament under control. Has your even-keeled nature always been a part of you? Is that something learned?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, I was pretty much from when I was I'd say 12 years old till about 14, 15, I was basically raised by my mom because my mom and my sister Nelly, because my oldest sister, she was on the LPGA. My dad would caddy for her. She was super big on always having a poker face, never showing your opponent what you're feeling.

I used that pretty well today. I have her to thank because she's taught me so much. Just was always staying calm, always positive, just to keep doing my thing.

Q. Cool mom.

SEBASTIAN KORDA: That's right (smiling).

Q. When you were walking down the stairs, before you actually walked around the corner onto the Centre Court, what was that feeling like? Were you nervous? What were your emotions? You've outdone your dad age-wise getting onto Centre Court because he was about 27 the first time. What was that like?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, it was pretty crazy. I almost brought out my phone just to start recording. All the years that I've watched tennis, they always show how the players are walking through all the rooms, then walking down the stairs. I just thought to myself, This is nuts. What's about to happen is going to be something I'm going to remember for the rest of my life.

I have Wimbledon to thank for that, to give me the opportunity to play on Centre Court against the British No. 1 Dan Evans was awesome. It's definitely one thing I won't forget.

Q. I want to ask you about the Olympics. Your name is not on the list of the USA squad. What is your thought behind that decision? I heard your sisters are going to the Olympics. Have you discussed about the possibility of playing, like, a brother and sisters in the Olympics?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: No, yeah, both of my sisters qualified for the Olympics. I'm super happy for them. It was a lifelong dream for them. Hopefully I can fulfill mine in a couple years.

We kind of just sat down with my whole team, with my dad, with my agent, Patricio Apey, and Andre Agassi, and we just kind of sat down, what's the best thing for me. Going into the U.S. summer, we thought it was the best thing just to stay in the States and play some tournaments leading up to the US Open.

Q. You're known for taking one step at a time. In this process, where are you at? What is the game plan?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I don't know. I wasn't expecting all this I guess you could say success so early. My parents were always so big into just baby steps, baby steps. You have a different journey than everybody else. These guys have already been here playing these tournaments for two or three years that are around my age.

I have them to think because the journey I took is a lot different than everybody else. I think I appreciate things a little bit more because I've been at the lowest level of tennis, I've built my way up. I'm just super grateful that I have those experiences and my parents to thank for that.

Q. When did you first play on grass courts, maybe hit or practice on them? There were a lot of things you did well out there today. Was there something in particular that you were most pleased with?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: The first time I played on grass, I think I would always go to both my sisters' majors at the beginning of the year in Rancho Mirage in California. They have a grass court there, a couple grass courts at the club. I think they played a Davis Cup tie. I think it was the United States versus Chile, I want to say. I'm pretty sure my coach Dean was the captain of that.

I would always play there whenever I would go. We would go every single year. We have a great family we would stay there, they're members of the club. We would always practice there with my dad whenever we would get the chance after a long day on the golf course.

Yeah, I played junior Wimbledon, played that two years in a row, but never had a real preparation going into the grass. I finally had it for the first time this year. I was with my fitness trainer in Prague. We just sort of started going on grass fields, getting the feel for grass, then slowly progressing from there.

To answer the other one, just always sticking with what I was taught: to always come to the net when I have the opportunity when it presents itself, just to keep staying aggressive. Yeah, I think I did that really well today.

Q. The grass fields in Prague, what was that about? Were they literally fields? Are you going to have to swim any more rivers?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I don't know. I'll gladly swim a river. I'll gladly swim (smiling).

At the place where I train in Prague, at Sparta Tennis Club, they have a couple soccer fields. I was lucky enough to get my grass shoes early. I got them in Paris. I flew straight to Prague right after that.

Yeah, just kind of moving around, doing a couple drills on the grass fields. Hitting a ball here and there from the hand. Yeah, it's working out really well right now. I'm comfortable on the grass. I'm just really enjoying myself here.