AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 17, 2022

Aleksandar Vukic

Press Conference

A. VUKIC/L. Harris

4-6, 6-3, 7-5, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: How are you feeling?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, over the moon. Yeah, so happy to have won my first Grand Slam match, main draw match. To do it on that court especially, I think everyone is out there. I think it's one of the loudest atmospheres I've ever seen to be honest, and it was all for me and all for the Aussies. Yeah, I couldn't have done it without them, and it's a dream. It really is.

Q. Did you have family and friends here?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, I had my close family and a few friends. Couldn't hear them at all. Couldn't hear anything. I'm sure they'll probably be telling me I told you this on the third set. I'm just like, I couldn't hear anything. Yeah, my brother flew down this morning from Sydney, had a few mates that flew down, as well, as had so many people in the crowd, so it was awesome.

Q. Career hallmark for you today. You think of Sweden?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, for sure. I think it's more the stage and it's a very high-ranked opponent. But you grow up as a kid watching that court, watching the pros take on that, and I never thought it would become a reality, and it really is.

Q. Did you feel really close coming into this summer to these types of breakthroughs? Obviously a quarterfinal at ATP level last week and now your first Grand Slam win. Did you feel you were in a position for this?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: At the end of last year I was doing well on the Challenger tour, kind of racking up matches and playing well. Thought I was in a really good head space, and I kind of just continued that through the beginning of the year.

Had a really close one in the first match against Steve Johnson, lost 6-4 in the third. Kind of wasn't disappointed. Very close match. And yeah, I've kind of continued it on.

I've always thought that the level wasn't as big of a difference. But these guys are more consistently playing at a level, and I think I'm hitting that consistency a little bit more, as well.

Q. You had a similar match at the Australian Open last year where there were a couple of key points just didn't quite go your way. Did you call on that experience, seeded player last year and just a few of those moments?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: I did. I actually thought of that match. I think it was the middle of the third or something like that. Being in those positions for sure helps.

I was up 5-2 double break in that third set over there. I was trying to use the crowd as much as possible but also trying to remain calm and play tennis and not get all riled up in the emotion. But I think I did a good job of that today.

Q. With a pretty large crowd today all behind you, can you speak to how your college experience might have readied you for something like this? I know that's a similarly rowdy environment at times.

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, it is. And I think college, as well, it's indoor a lot of the times, so I was quite used to it and definitely loved it. I don't think anyone doesn't love it when you have that many people cheering for you.

Definitely it wasn't something that I was kind of not exposed to, but it's obviously different. You just want more of these matches now basically.

Q. You seem to play your best tennis against these high-ranked opponents. You've had an amazing start this year against high-ranked opponents. What is it about playing those high-ranked guys that it looks like you're right there and comfortable at that level? What is it about playing them that you love?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, I think it kind of depends on the matchup and depends on the style. I feel like I do kind of match up well with big hitters because I have similar style where I'll serve -- I rely a lot on my serve. When there's someone else that does that, I kind of know how to play them because I know how to play me in a way.

I kind of draw on that, and I think it's just -- every match is different. But today was also completely different with the conditions, as well, different court, slower court than the outdoor courts. I think it took me maybe five or six games in the first set to really get adjusted to those conditions.

I feel very comfortable with these guys for sure.

Q. I know you're reveling in this one first, but have you had a sneaky look ahead to who you've got next? It looks like a really good opportunity for both of you.

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, I was in the ice bath just then. And I asked my fitness coach who I'm playing now. Yeah, I do know it's Radu Albot, who came through quallies and seems to be playing well.

Know one of my fellow Aussies Chris O'Connell played him last year in the second round as well and took him out. So knowing that, I'm not taking him lightly at all. I don't want it to happen again, so I'm going to do my best and going to talk to Chris and hopefully he gets through and I'll talk to him and see if he thought of anything against him, as well.

Q. With your more recent success against these bigger players, where do you feel like your improvement has come from?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: More on the mental side than anything. I feel like my lapses of concentration is a lot less. I feel like I'm giving opponents not a lot to work with, and when I do, I have been able to kind of switch back on.

If the opponent is going to beat me, it's not going to be easy. I have lost close matches, but it's one of those where they will have to do that consistently, and if I can work on a few things and continue that mental aspect, I think I'm going to be tough to beat, and if they do, it's too good, and just kind of move on from there.

Q. Do you think Djokovic should have played on the Australian Open or been deported? What is your opinion on that?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: No comment on that one.

Q. What did you focus on in the off-season, because obviously after watching a lot of you last year, it looks like your backhand has improved significantly. Is that something you worked on in the off-season? You've always had a massive forehand. What parts of your game did you work on in the off-season?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: A bit of everything. I did backhand -- I think I'm just -- still got a lot to improve, obviously, but I'm figuring out how to use it in a way that suits my game. Not necessarily -- I can't maybe do certain things that other players can do with it, but I'm trying to figure out how I can use it for me basically. I think I'm figuring out slowly there is still a lot to improve, but it is getting better for sure.

Q. Could I ask you to expand a little bit more on why for you it is a big deal that this comes here in Australia, and maybe for those from elsewhere in the world, what sort of significance is there for Australians to see Australian success at this tournament and what it might mean to have somebody again from the country win the championship here?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah. I mean, like I said, I grew upcoming to the Australian Open most years and watching the Aussies play. As a kid you dream of it. It seems so far away. It seems like this is impossible almost.

I think for other people to see that it is possible for an Aussie to do that in their home country, no matter what path they take to get there, should hopefully give a lot of people encouragement that you can do anything.

I think playing on court 3 and that stage is something I'll always cherish.

Q. You mentioned the idea of finding out who your next opponent is. I think you said while you were in an ice bath. Had you known what the possibilities were, or are you one of these players who refuses to look even to the next round at all and you didn't even want to know who could be your opponent or you knew who it might be and then he just told you what the result had been?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, it was more that. I try to be as -- not as superstitious as possible just because I think there's so many unknown factors that happen day-to-day with playing tennis and traveling. Yeah, I look at the opponent, but I think -- I knew who I was playing today, so I didn't look too far in advance, but I knew kind of who I could have played, as well.

I actually didn't know Albot was actually drawn as a qualifier then, so I didn't look that far to be honest.