ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 12, 2022

Aleksandar Vukic

Press Conference

A. VUKIC/S. Johnson

6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: What have you been most pleased with so far this tournament?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: I've been able to focus, refocus, on a lot of points when I do lose focus. So I feel like I've been present a lot of the time, a lot of the points. Kind of making it difficult for people to get into my service games. I do think I'm hitting my second serve better. That's one thing I did focus on last week.

Honestly, apart from that, not too much. I thought I played a decent match last week as well. Just got a bit unlucky to lose it to the guy I played today. Today was just a little bit different.

It's nice to get the win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. (No microphone.)

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, it's nice. I think, especially from last year, when all the Aussies were gone on the road for nine, 10 months, we couldn't come back, it's nice to be playing back here. You see with Thanasi as well, he's playing great tennis.

It's really nice to be able to be back in Australia. We just feel so comfortable here. We're just trying to make the most of it and hopefully keep it going.

Q. The perfect way to warm up to the Australian Open next week.

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, exactly. I can't think of a better preparation, to be honest. I'm grateful getting the wild cards in these events. It's giving me the opportunity to play these events, try to make the most of it.

I'm going to try and focus on every match here, see where I can go from here, and next week give it another shot at Aussie, at the main one. But my full focus is this tournament for this week.

Q. Have you been able to play a little bit freer knowing you have the Australian Open opportunity next week?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Not really. I think I kind of approach every match the same, so it doesn't really matter if I'm playing a UTR in one of the park courts or I'm playing on center court somewhere. I'm trying to approach it the same, try to have the same mentality. It's fazing me a little less that way.

It is nice knowing that I can play main draw next week, for sure, don't get me wrong. But it's also pretty similar, yeah.

Q. We don't know your next opponent, either John Isner or Thanasi. Talk us through both of those.

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, Thanasi has been playing great. I've spent a lot of time with him this last year. He went through some ups and downs like we all did. He's playing really well right now. I know Isner won the first set, but anyone can win that still.

Yeah, John, you know what to expect: huge serves, big returns, not too many rallies. Yeah, two different opponents but two tough opponents. Listen, I got nothing to lose so it will be exciting.

Q. Either way you must see it as a great opportunity for you.

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: For sure. For sure.

Q. On this season generally, the upcoming season, looking like travel should be a little bit easier for Australians. Does that give you more optimism for the season ahead?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: A lot. Knowing you can come back and kind of plan a few months at a time, it's just nice. It's just nice knowing.

I think last year a lot of us left -- I left the end of February, and you just didn't know when you'd come back. It was kind of like I could come back in July, but I could also come back in December, which I ended up doing.

It's one of those things where knowing you can plan according a few months, come back, recharge for a few weeks, it's going to make the season way easier just mentally. Still have to perform, but it's still going to be nice knowing that for sure.

Q. Having been through the last couple of years of it being difficult, has that added another layer to your tennis, some resilience?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, I think I've been out of college for three years now. Two of those have been during COVID. It's definitely been tough adjusting. But, again, I'm learning a lot. I'm learning every year. I'm trying to learn from every week. Just kind of taking it as it comes.

Even though it was very tough last year, you did go through moments where you're questioning is this really what you want to do. But you need the right people around you to kind of keep going. Yeah, sometimes those are the moments you need to mature even more. No, I'm grateful, grateful for it.