WESTERN & SOUTHERN OPEN

August 20, 2022

Borna Coric

Press Conference

B. CORIC/C. Norrie

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Big congrats, Borna. Amazing week for you. Four top-20 wins. Lowest-ranked finalist here in Cincinnati. How do you feel right now?

BORNA CORIC: Yeah, I do feel great. Also a little bit tired, to be honest, but that's normal. You know, I didn't play many finals in the last three years, so I'm just very happy to be here.

You know, like I said on the court, I was super happy to be here and to play a tournament and to compete against top guys. You know, then obviously just winning every round, it kind of meant all to me.

So, yeah, just obviously super happy to be in the final. Yeah, that's it.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Why do you think you were able to put this kind of form together this week and sort of do something that no one really expected of you?

BORNA CORIC: I'm not sure, but, you know, I find it always in my career, and I have already a little bit of the experience, you know, I have been on the tour -- I actually just saw it yesterday -- for nine years. I turned pro in 2013. So I have been on the tour.

What I found is always that, you know, when I put the work in, and I know that all of the guys said it, but I really find that that's the only explanation which I have, you know, is I was really, really working very hard in the last six months, because I knew, you know, I need to come back. I think once you are in the top 20 or in top 30 or somewhere where you want to be, you know, you can get a little bit sloppy and maybe get away with it.

But once you fall down to ranking, No. 200, or I don't know where I was, but I knew I need to work probably three times more harder than I used to work, and that's what I did. For the last six months I was really focused. I kept my head down even when I was losing and when I was not playing very good tennis. There was times when I was really not playing good tennis, you know, since I came back.

So I think that's the key, you know, and then obviously you need to be lucky a little bit, as well. Again, I believe that you create your own luck. I think, you know, that's what I did this week or actually in the past, you know, I did it, and I got a little bit lucky this week.

Q. Do you feel like your confidence just kind of grew steadily throughout this week? Was there a moment where you kind of felt, Okay, everything is clicking, I've got a chance here to maybe make a deep run?

BORNA CORIC: I think that my confidence grew over the time in the last six months in my tennis, you know, because I really did see the improvements each month, I would say, with some little drops, but usually it was like this (indicating upwards with hand). That's how it felt.

In tournaments, I always say every match is a completely different story, so I don't really go into the matches with lots of confidence. I know, like for example, today I came in the match, and I had, I think someone told me like 15 unforced errors in the first four or five games. I was not playing very well today at the beginning of the match, and Cameron was playing extremely well, in my opinion.

I just couldn't deal with the speed and with the angles. I don't go with much confidence into any match, because I know it's a new match and anything can happen on a given day.

But again, I have some other confidence that I know that I did put the work in and, you know, I know somewhere it's going to pay off. That's my confidence. But in the matches, I don't go in with lots of confidence, to be honest.

Q. We don't know yet who your opponent is going to be tomorrow. When you are looking at two players like that, it doesn't really matter who it is, it's going to be a tough opponent?

BORNA CORIC: Yeah, sure.

Q. Is that how you are kind of approaching it?

BORNA CORIC: Yeah, for sure. Like I said just now, it's the same thing. I think any of the top 100 guys, even top 200 guys, they are unbelievable players. They all know how to play tennis. On any given day, anything happens.

So, you know, Daniil is No. 1 in the world, and Stefanos is what, No. 4, 5, I'm not sure. It doesn't make a big difference there. Big favorites in the final tomorrow, obviously.

I have not much to lose. I have done everything what I could this week and more than I expected. So I'm just going to go out there and enjoy my time tomorrow on the court.

Q. We know who your opponent will be tomorrow.

BORNA CORIC: (Laughter.)

Q. Going into a final tomorrow, what's your mood like? Are you nervous, are you excited, a combination of both? Where is your head at right now?

BORNA CORIC: I'm still not thinking about tomorrow's final, to be honest. I have this rule that I kind of, when I do a very good result, actually any result, I just try and not think about tomorrow's match if I don't have to.

Right now I don't have to, because I'm going to probably -- I don't know, when is the final?

Q. 5:00 p.m.

BORNA CORIC: At 5:00? I have a whole morning and the afternoon on when I can focus on the final, so I just try to enjoy today, be happy, obviously not to go crazy. I know I need to sleep today, which I always struggle after big matches when I play late, but yeah, that's my mentality.

I don't think about it much. Of course somewhere it's in my head. I'm not going to go and go for the party tonight, but I will enjoy myself and I will be happy tonight for my win, and tomorrow is a new day. I will speak with my coach, with my team, what we have to do in the match and we will go from there.