UNITED CUP

January 3, 2023

Jason Kubler

Team Australia

Press Conference

J. KUBLER/A. Ramos-Vinolas

6-3, 4-6, 6-3

Team Australia - 2

Team Spain - 2

THE MODERATOR: Jason, well done. Two matches, two wins against higher-ranked opponents. Can you sum up your United Cup experience.

JASON KUBLER: Yeah, no, on the court, unbelievable for me to have two of my best wins here in Australia is really special. But also, off the court it's been special. I got to hang out with all the Australians. Got to even get even closer with some of the people I didn't know as well. But also, strengthen friendships and, you know, have the feeling that we have each other's backs.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Where do you go next? Adelaide next week?

JASON KUBLER: Adelaide quallies, I'm pretty sure.

Q. What are your hopes for the rest of the summer? You had an amazing 2022. What's the hopes now?

JASON KUBLER: I don't necessarily have anything tournament-wise or -- maybe ranking, I'd love to say in the main draw of the slams. That's probably where at least I want to be. But honestly, you know, I've had 18 months of being pretty healthy. Honestly it would be just to continue that.

It's kind of weird saying, but I don't even know how good I can be. I don't know if this year, I don't know if I get better. I have never had this long of healthiness, you know.

Just keep going. Try not to get too carried away with things and just stay on the path I'm on and keep constantly trying to improve, and just putting myself out there in those situations.

Q. What do you say to the naysayers that said it was a dead rubber tonight?

JASON KUBLER: Yeah, no, no, no, they can say that, because I guess for the tournament-wise it was, but for me, and the way I was thinking about the match, there's valuable points for me and valuable money as well. Not once was I, you know, not giving this 100%. To me this meant a lot, and then to get a win against such a great opponent that I've seen go deep in lots and lots of tournaments, it's just giving me confidence.

Yeah, man, I wasn't taking it lightly tonight.

Q. Congratulations on another win. This week you've been around Lleyton a lot. How has that experience been for you?

JASON KUBLER: Yeah, no, unbelievable. You know, I have so much, so many good things to say about Rusty, so many good things to even say. With Demon, with any of the Australian guys. But especially those two. I feel like when I hang around them, when I hang around Nick, when I hang around Thanasi, Thommo, O'Connell, I feel like I get lifted up.

When I go out there and it's a big situation, when I hang around them, it feels like I should be in those situations, because that's what they do, you know. Man, I'm so happy that Rusty was our captain. I'm so happy that I got another opportunity to play in front of him and play in front of a court that he loves.

Also Demon, I was saying to him before the match, I've watched him play so many -- not so many, but I've watched him now a few occasions to play those deciding matches or the matches he needs to win so Australia can stay in it. Now it was my turn to do it.

Like I was saying before, creating these memories with these guys and strengthening our bonds, you know. Now when we see each other at tournaments we're going to have these memories and our friendships are just going to be stronger and stronger.

Q. You spoke about ranking points and prize money. How much has your life changed with results like this? Because being on the cusp of those positions you spoke about, making that jump to top 80, top 70, how much does your life change?

JASON KUBLER: Unfortunately not too much yet. If I can get a few more, then yeah, it does for sure. I'm still sort of in that, you know, let's say I'm 80, that 80 to 100, I still sort of want to just get out of that and then hopefully I can start playing more ATP tournaments.

But I will say after my Wimbledon result, there was a lot of people saying that my ranking should be higher but the truth is it's not. So I was still, you know, around 100. I feel like with these two matches, then luckily the ATP points I get with it almost puts me into that position where, I don't know, like my ranking is high enough, it's not sort of back where it was.

Q. Is that hard to get out of your head, the fact that you probably would be around 60 at the moment if that did count? Does it take you a while to get that out of your head?

JASON KUBLER: No, not really, just because with the situation with how it was, for example, if we take one person out of the tournament then the draw is completely different. So if it was -- I'm not going to say full strength but if everyone did enter and was able to play, then my draw wouldn't have been what it was. I would have played different people and then who knows what could happen. I almost lost a couple of times in qualifying.

I sort of just look back on it as a great experience, something that I'm going to remember for a long time, and hopefully just build off of it.

Q. Kubes, how important was it being part of that Davis Cup team in Hamburg in September, to be part of it over here again?

JASON KUBLER: Yeah, it was definitely important, but I feel like the most important moment for me was probably the Sydney tie, I came as the hitting partner. So even though I wasn't in the team necessarily, I got to hang around these guys. For me that's the most important thing. I feel like the more I hang around these guys, the more I feel like I'm getting lifted up.

And then obviously Hamburg was very important to me and I got to play alongside these guys now. But honestly, the more time I can spend around this great group of people, it's only going to improve my tennis and also just -- I keep saying with the friendship of our group, you know.

Q. You were just touching on the ranking aspect. Not having the ranking points at Wimbledon penalized you to some degree. In one sense, is it a little bit sweeter that that career-high ranking has come in your home country?

JASON KUBLER: Yeah, yeah. No, I guess so. I think, yeah, just having these two matches here in Australia, other than the mixed doubles, which is, you don't get any points for that, I really haven't had too many great results. You know, I have been able to play a couple of first rounds of the Australian Open. So to have good results and also to feel like my momentum is still going. I had a tough sort of end of last year where I was, you know, very close to cuts and just missing out and going to other tournaments last minute.

I'm very happy that I'm able to start this year with momentum and sort of how I was playing sort of, you know, middle to the end of last year.

Q. At the start of the tournament we all made a big deal about Nick pulling out and what it meant for the team and events unfolded. For you it presented this opportunity. What was going through your head at that time, your reaction to it?

JASON KUBLER: I actually messaged him after my match against Evo. I messaged him, Thank you so much for the opportunity. Basically, I hope your body gets better, and we can have a hit before the Australian Open.

That's the way I see it. He could have played, and he could have done unbelievably well, like I know we all think he can. Fortunately he gave me the opportunity to play, and I have sort of taken it with both hands and run with it.

Me personally, as much as I would have loved to see that Rafa/Kyrgios match or the Kyrgios/Norrie match, but yeah, just one of those things where, yeah, luckily he handed me the opportunity and I'm just going for it.

Q. What did he say to you?

JASON KUBLER: He said, No worries. I get along with him pretty well. He said, No worries. I'm sure I will see him either next week or the week after.