DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 28, 2021

Nicolas Mejia

Team Colombia

Press Conference

F. TIAFOE/N. Mejia

4-6, 6-3, 7-6

USA - 1

Colombia - 0

Q. After a very close match like that, can you try and describe your emotions and how it felt out there?

NICOLAS MEJIA: I think I can see things more in perspective a little bit now. I just have to -- you know, after that serve went out, I wanted to know anything, but I couldn't stop thinking about that volley and that backhand.

But I'm just proud of myself, the way I fought, the way I played, the way I didn't drop my level as much as I did yesterday, and gave myself a chance to compete at a very high level against a really good player.

I don't know if he was playing his best or not. I can't say anything about it, but I think I had my chances today, for sure.

But the other thing I think of right now is first on Danny. I think he's up a set, and that's unbelievable. Hopefully we're able to get this tie in our way.

The other thing I'm just thinking is just going back home and I will work 10 times harder, work my ass off and hopefully next time I have an opportunity like this, I will take it. Yeah, just gotta work a lot harder. That's all.

Q. Frances was just in the room before you, and he gave you full credit to how you played. He said you played amazing. I'm wondering how much confidence do you take into that moving forward into next season?

NICOLAS MEJIA: I appreciate those words. He's a phenomenal player. He's kind of the same generation as me, and, you know, he's one of the players that you always kind of looked up to because he was one of the best in our generation.

Having the chance to play against him at the highest stage in tennis or one of the highest stages in tennis and play at the level that I played, I think it's very satisfying.

About his comments, as I said yesterday, the only thing I have to do is produce what I have produced the last two days, day in and day out, week in and week out. Not only these two days, for the whole week, past couple weeks and months I have been in the right track.

It doesn't happen from day to night, so it's a process. I think I'm on the way, clearly. Today was even better than yesterday, so that's a positive, and now next season, as I said, I have just got to work extremely hard, and hopefully I can finish my -- I can be at this stage next year, around the top 100 or even higher.

Q. Is there one particular thing that you'll take away from this event? I know you talked about going away and working harder, but being on a stage like this, it looks like you belong on a stage like this. You were working up the crowd. You were right there, especially mentally until the end today. Is there one particular thing you think you'll take away?

NICOLAS MEJIA: I appreciate it. Yeah, I think I do. I cannot say I belong exactly to this level, because my ranking, it's 275 at the moment, and I've got to work my way up and I have to earn my right to be playing with these guys.

Certainly in Davis Cup, it gives me these chances that I have never had it, because I never really received any wildcards or invitations from big tournaments and to prove myself and to see what I can do.

It's something that I have -- I mean, I have been asking my agent to kind of help me, but I'm tired of that. I don't want to think about that anymore. Tennis is about results and everything will come on time.

As you said, I played like I belong here, but I mean, I have still got to work my way up in the rankings, and that's the only thing I really just think of, you know. I will be back home. I guess I'll rest a little, but the next year the main focus for me is going to be maintain the quality of my practices and tennis day in and day out, week in and week out.

It's proven that when I play, the way I compete and the way I fight, it gives me a lot of chances throughout a whole season. If I maintain this type of level, it will help me, and I will for sure be pretty high in the rankings, I don't have a doubt.

Q. Maybe this question will be just difficult for you, and I'm sorry, but what was in your mind when you had two match points and after Frances saved both match points, when you had to change the side?

NICOLAS MEJIA: The first thing I really thought was I was extremely stupid in going down the line on the backhand. That was a very stupid mistake. That was pretty much it.

The one before, I think I played it correctly. I mean, obviously I thought I could have maybe hit that volley a little bit more into the side, but when you're 6-5 up in the third set of the tiebreak and he comes up with a passing like that, I think just hats off, because there was not too much space to put it in.

The quality and the moment of the match, I think it was just too good. After I still saved another match point. Then in the 7-All, again he made a pretty good pass.

Credit to him, because he earned the win. It wasn't like I gave it away. I do feel like yesterday I gave away a lot of points, so I think that's something that I got better from one day to another. So it's a daily process day in and day out.