DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 23, 2022

Borna Coric

Team Croatia

Press Conference

B. CORIC/R. Bautista Agut

6-4, 7-6

Team Croatia - 1

Team Spain - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Well done. What do you think made the difference today? Because certainly that crowd was very loud, as well, adding to the atmosphere.

BORNA CORIC: Yeah, I think I was serving very, very well. I thought I didn't serve this well since probably Cincinnati, to be honest. Maybe in Tokyo in the first match I was serving this well as well. Yeah, probably since then I just didn't serve on the same level. I think I had like almost 14 aces or something like that.

So obviously it's much easier to play like that. I can relax more on the service games when he's serving, because I know most likely I will hold my serve. So that's made a difference.

I just think in general I was playing very smart. When I needed to attack, I did attack. When I needed to make a defense, I was defensive. I also mix up the rhythm, as well, which is very important against him. I was just very pleased with my game, to be honest.

Q. You said when you came back from the injury that you missed being nervous before and during a game. How was it today? How do you feel after all this season? You're just still coming through, but how do you feel overall?

BORNA CORIC: I was very nervous, to be honest. I don't know why, but I was very, very nervous today before the match. But like I said before, I like it, as well, in a weird way.

I didn't mind it, you know. I had a couple of days off after Paris. You know, I did need that as well, but after those five or six days -- I was really enjoying my time on my vacation, but already after that, I felt like I needed, you know, the adrenaline and the game, so I started to train.

I was preparing very good for the Davis Cup, to be honest. I had very, very good 10 days of the preparations.

But, yeah, like I said to you, I did miss it, and I like that feeling, in a way. Only maybe just when it happens for way too many times in a row, then I need some break, which I took like five days now in the off-season, and I want to play tennis again and compete.

Q. Did you like the speed of the courts?

BORNA CORIC: I mean, I thought I was playing very well, so yeah, I did, obviously. But in the practice sessions, no, I didn't like it. I thought they were a little bit too fast and the bounce is not very high, which I don't really like.

At the practice, I didn't feel like my best, to be honest. But then, you know, like I said today, I was really performing well. I was happy with my tennis. I was happy with the way I was playing and also moving on the court.

But to answer your question, I'm not sure what to say, because on the practice I was not happy, and then today I was playing good tennis, so I'm not sure.

Q. You mentioned your serve. I was just wondering, after the surgery, are you completely painfree now on the shoulder? Have you had to change any of your sort of match preparation to do more rehab in that area?

BORNA CORIC: Yeah. I'm not completely painfree always. But, you know, I knew that's gonna happen in a way, and I'm okay with that. I know I cannot make it worse, you know, by playing. So it's just me handling the pain, which once I put it in my head that I cannot make it worse and I cannot make actually something worse, that's the most, I would say, very important for my head.

Then it's just, you know, me handling the pain, which I think I can do very well. So obviously there is very good days. Then there is good days and then there is not-so-good days. But just on the not-so-good days I need to stay calm.

I know what I need to do. I'm still doing my rehab every day. So to answer your second question, I did change my daily routine. I have, I would say, probably 30 minutes of the work for my shoulder every day.

You know, but that's just something which I accepted after the surgery and I knew I need to do it, and I'm okay with it. I'm not even think about it anymore, to be honest. It's just there. I come to the gym and I do it. That's it. Yeah, that's it.

Q. You were talking just a few moments ago about being nervous. How do the nerves manifest? What happens? Do you feel funny in the stomach? Do you want to be left alone? What sort of nerves do you get?

BORNA CORIC: I need to take a piss lots of time (smiling). So that's one thing. And the second is probably I just feel weird in my stomach. Just, you know, nervous like -- I cannot explain the feeling.

But again, I like it. It makes me very happy, makes me alive, in a way. I don't mind the feeling, actually. You know, like I said, once it's been there for not too many days in a row, and if I need to play five tournaments in a row, then obviously I don't like it anymore and I need some rest.

But in general, I like that feeling. That's one of the main reasons why I play tennis as well is because I just like it.

Q. Just on this tie, any Spanish team is tough to beat.

BORNA CORIC: Yeah.

Q. Obviously with Rafa not here, Carlos not here, is there a different approach or a different feeling about getting through against Spain?

BORNA CORIC: I mean, I'm not sure, to be honest, what to think, just because, you know, they are both -- I think Carreno is top 10 now or somewhere there and Busta is top 20. So they are unbelievable players.

You know, we played them many, many times. I have scored with him, I think it's 5-4 for me now. I lost many times. I won many times.

No, I don't think we were looking at that from perspective it's going to be easier now. I mean, obviously on the paper it is easier for sure. But I think, you know, in the match and in the real time with the crowd like this, as you can hear it, I think it doesn't really makes a big difference.