DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 27, 2022

Thanasi Kokkinakis

Team Australia

Press Conference

D. SHAPOVALOV/T. Kokkinakis

6-2, 6-4

Team Canada - 1

Team Australia - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously there is a fair amount of dejection from you and your feelings at the moment, but what do you think was the cause of the result? Were you really nervous at the beginning? I mean, obviously he was playing pretty well when he had to, but from your perspective?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, I mean, I was nervous. I was nervous in my last one, as well. I'm just a bit off the pace at the moment. I haven't played enough tennis. Haven't found my confidence yet.

You know, I have had a fair bit of time off, and I feel like I have played, I don't know, two, three maybe since US Open. I'm just a long way behind at the moment as far as match play and match hardened goes.

I hit the ball well in practice, but it's just different when you go out there and play a match with competitiveness.

Obviously both the players that I have played have had a lot of matches and they're playing good tennis. Yeah, I'm just a bit off the pace at the moment. Yeah, not good enough today.

Q. When was the last time you would have felt as down as you're probably feeling at the moment?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah. It's been a few months. I don't know (smiling).

Yeah, I'm just in a way I haven't been able to play like I know I can. But, yeah, I don't know. I guess I have done it before where I have played well on not many matches, but yeah, unfortunately I'm just, I don't know, I'm pretty flat, to be honest. All credit to Denis. He played well. He's had a lot of matches. Yeah, he's a good player.

Q. Can you tell me what is your idea about this format, the Davis Cup? You didn't play probably or you don't remember too much about the old one. Now, how do you see this one with just two singles, one doubles? Is that what you think is the best? How can Australia one day to host a Davis Cup tie? Because if we always play November in Spain, not easy for Australia to hold something in September.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Well, as the format goes, as far as sets and matches, I think it can cause a few more upsets. You know, it only takes one good singles and one good doubles to get over the line, thankfully for me (smiling). I'm backing Demon again. He's kind of held up Australia the whole year. He's a phenomenal leader.

So I don't actually mind the new format. Saves my body a little bit. But the part that I do miss are the home-and-away ties. That's the toughest part about the new format.

I remember even though it was the first round of qualifying, having it this year in Sydney, playing for Australia at home is a special feeling. And even playing away in other countries that you're playing against, it's a cool feeling, as well. It's weird when everyone is at kind of a neutral venue.

Q. What will you do now when you get home? How much time will you just take off completely? When will you start putting the work in for '23 and the Australian season?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, good question. I have had a fair bit of time off this year. I feel like I have done a lot of traveling, but there has been a lot of times where I missed big chunks of the year. Felt like sort of almost since -- I didn't play much through Europe at all this year.

That's one thing, I have just got to play a lot next year. I don't know. I don't think I will have too much time off. I will have a few days maybe, but I'll get back to it. I've had the last sort of month not being able to do too much.

Yeah, I don't think I will take much time off, and I will try to get back into training as much as I can because I have got to play more tennis, more tournaments, to compete with these guys for sure.

Q. Can I just ask your reflections on the year? You started off in brilliant fashion.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah.

Q. Petered out a little bit at the end. Overall, would you say it's been a good year for you?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, for sure. It started off -- it's a weird feeling. I have had so much time on the sidelines, and then to kind of come and do what I did in January and have that sort of come full circle, it's almost like not made me complacent but I was kind of comfortable with what I had done and I found it kind of hard to regroup.

I've got to set myself new goals to pick it up again, because before you know it, I'm back in triple-digit rankings, and I've got to climb my way back up again.

Yeah, it's definitely been my best year, most successful year on tour. I have had a lot of new experiences. Hasn't finished yet. Hopefully the boys can get it done today.

Yeah, I think, yeah, it's weird it obviously started off red hot, and then I kind of sort of died in the ass a little bit halfway through (smiling). I've got to try and sustain it again. I'm not used to playing the full schedule. I don't think I have done it ever in my career. I haven't done it.

That's the bit that I struggle with, that, yeah, I don't know, the tennis player life is something that I feel like I'm still not used to and I have done it for a while. I have just got to get better at showing up every week and trying to play, because that's the bit I struggle with.

Q. I know you want to be on court every time you are asked to play, but in hindsight, do you think you'd have preferred to played the doubles today?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I mean, yeah, do I think I'm singles match hardened? No. Maybe Thommo was the better option, but the guys believed in me maybe more than I believed in myself at times today.

We've got a great team, a well-rounded team, maybe, but again if Thommo played singles, they played great to win that doubles yesterday or the day before as well. Maybe there was a question of him backing up and potentially playing both.

Who knows? I could have played the doubles, but again, after what the guys showed in the last match, I have a lot of confidence in them and the way they played.

Yeah, unfortunately I was pretty much useless in this finals, little period, but hopefully I can train hard and be available and get selected next year.