AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 20, 2022

Danka Kovinic

Press Conference

D. KOVINIC/E. Raducanu

6-4, 4-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: It's been a very long day for you. Talk us through your day.

DANKA KOVINIC: Yeah, well, I got up here earlier today to just have a feeling of the Margaret Court Arena because I haven't played there I think in five years.

So, yeah, I had an early session, then I went back to hotel to take a nap, but my nap was like around one hour and a half (laughing), and just have lunch, then come back again here to warm up, prepare for the match.

And, yeah, the rest you know.

Q. You're happy with how you played today?

DANKA KOVINIC: Yeah, of course. I mean, how can I be happy? It's my first time to be in the third round after so many years and it is, honestly, it is an amazing feeling because I really wanted this for so long.

And, yeah, I'm so glad that I can be the first Montenegrin ever to make it to this round.

THE MODERATOR: Questions?

Q. As you prepared for tonight's match to play Emma, what was your tactical game plan and expectation for the match and how quickly did that kind of change as that match went on and what did you have to do to get the win?

DANKA KOVINIC: Yeah, I mean, honestly, just the same as for any other match. I'm kind of player that I really want to focus on myself and to try to make my own game on the court.

So I knew some basic things about her, which of course, my coach told me, and which I was trying to put in the court.

So, yeah, I think, well, you know, the problem was in the second set when she started to change her game a little bit, then I was, like I got confused, what's going on, if she can play or she cannot play or what's wrong with her forehand.

Then once again when I started just to think about myself and to be focused on my own game, then I found composure again on the court and, yeah, the things got better.

Q. It can be tricky to find that composure with such a great opportunity kind of sitting right before you and you know your opponent might be struggling, maybe she is, isn't, things like that. So what were you telling yourself, especially early in that third set to kind of settle down and, yeah, and play as well as you did down the stretch to close out the match?

DANKA KOVINIC: Yeah, I mean, I was really let's say proud of myself because I had opportunity for 4-0, 40-15, which I didn't take, and that didn't let me down, so I kind of forget that already the next game, which was great.

And even though I lost the second set, I took some time to change and then to make up my mind and I think that was the great move for my side.

Yeah, in the second set, as I said, I just find that I was more like still more in the court, in what's going on with my own game, and just trying to find the same rhythm that I had in the first set.

Q. For you, I mean, you touched on it before, first Montenegrin into the third round. It's your first third round, it's also obviously a very big win for you, a top-20 win. So what is the thing that you are most proud of about getting this result?

DANKA KOVINIC: You know, maybe if you ask me tomorrow I could have a better answer on this question. I'm like, in general, I'm very proud to be here and to represent Montenegro as the only player in WTA or ATP on tour.

So, yeah, I'm making these results and making history in tennis for Montenegro. It's a huge thing for me and hopefully there will be many more kids, boys and girls, following my path in the future, which I really hope, and I will try to help them out to reach my level and to be even better than I am today.

Q. Obviously you had that great run last year on the clay in Charleston and were able to kind of, yeah, tap into some joy and level that you had been chasing for a little while. How much do you, does that run during that week still kind of carry with you, you know, as you play these bigger events and look for these sorts of results?

DANKA KOVINIC: Well, you know, after great results in Charleston, even already next week in Madrid I got first injury of my calf, then again I had some problems with my lower back through out the season, so I had to pull out from Wimbledon, from Olympic games and since Charleston my year wasn't truly successful as we hoped for, because I was really feeling good on court and I was feeling good with my game.

So, yeah, basically only one good result was in Charleston last year, everything else was really struggling and trying to recover my body for next events, which I wasn't really successful, you know, and, yeah, I was rushing a little bit, so I never kind of really healed my back injury.

But I took some time during the pre-season to really take care of that, so hopefully that's in the past.