AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2023

Alexander Blockx

Press Conference

A. BLOCKX/L. Tien

6-1, 2-6, 11-9

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: Hello.

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations, Alexander, on your amazing win. A tense final set. Talk us through the match, what is it like to be a junior champion here at the Australian Open?

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: Yeah, it's my first time in Melbourne here. I mean, I was well-prepared for this tournament. I practiced really hard. I mean, it turned out well. I played, like, every match better and better.

Today was a crazy match. I think it was one of my I would not say best match by playing, but for sure all the rest, like the fighting and how I, yeah, went through that third set with just fighting and fighting, that was one of my biggest wins of my life I think today, so...

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Have you ever hit the ball harder?

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: Yeah, against Learner, you have to because otherwise you saw what happened in the second set. I couldn't do anything because he's an unbelievable player. He has one of the best touches I've ever seen, yeah, from a tennis player. He controls the ball so well.

If you don't put pressure on him, then stuff will happen like in the second set. He will just blow you away. That's why I had to come back in the third set with just hitting as hard as I can. Okay, I can make mistakes sometimes, but, I mean, yeah, I won at the end. That's the most important.

Q. It seemed like you had to win some points three or four times. Did you feel that?

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: Yeah, I felt that. Yeah, I mean, me or him?

Q. You. It felt you had to win the points...

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: Yeah, because he was taking everything, as well. I had to hit harder and harder, keep searching, yeah, for things to get him under pressure. I had to put pressure with my forehand, with the backhand, my serve. Everything had to be perfect to win the point against him.

He didn't give a lot of presents, as I would say, yeah (smiling).

Q. First Belgian Australian Open junior boys champion. How does it feel?

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: It feels pretty good (smiling). I mean, it's still juniors, it's not the men's. I just have to keep working hard, and hopefully one day I can do the same with the real guys, so...

Q. Can you say a few words about your journey? Where do you come from? Who influenced you? Your forehand looked a little bit like Dominic Thiem.

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: He used to be my favorite player, Dominic Thiem. Now I have someone else, Carlos Alcaraz. I try to copy him a lot.

But, yeah, if I would say one of my favorite forehands on tour, it's Carlos Alcaraz and Dominic Thiem. I try to hit it as hard as them, yeah.

No, so yeah, I started when I was four years old in Belgium. First it was actually my brother who wanted to play. I just went with him. The coach back then, he asked me if I wanted to hit one ball. I said okay. I started to hit and hit. I've never stopped since then.

He's still my coach now, Philippe Cassiers. I'm already 13 years, almost 14 years with him. It's going really well. He helps me a lot.

He's not here, unfortunately, but he follows me. It's going really well between us.

Yeah, I just work hard every day to get the moments like this.

Q. Who are you here with? I spotted Thibault Rossi (phonetic) in your box. What is his connection?

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: Thibault Rossi?

Q. Yes.

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: Yeah, I am here with Tom Devries. He's the head coach of the Federation, the Flemish part of Belgium. He travels with me a lot. It goes really well between us. He helps me a lot. Yeah, with my tennis, with my off court, with my preparations, with my after matches, yeah, the recovery.

Thibault Rossi, he's a friend of Kilian Feldbausch. He came here with him. Yeah, it's the first time, I met him here in Melbourne. But we are pretty good friends now.

From where do you know Thibault Rossi?

Q. I'm from Switzerland.

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: Yeah.

Q. This is probably the last year for you as a junior boy. How are you planning your transition as a professional player?

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: I will just continue to work hard every day, as I did the last years.

I don't know. I just hope it will be as soon as possible. But I will now start with the 15Ks and 25Ks. If I can get some titles there or do well, I can go to the challengers.

Yeah, just depends how I will do. But I will try to do every match as good as I can, so yeah.

Q. Belgium is a small country. You have really good athletes in other disciplines. What is the reason?

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: I don't know. Maybe it's because we are so small and we want to show the world how even small countries can do really well in sports. We have good coaches. We have good facilities in Belgium. Good people around us that always want to help us.

Yeah, we just try to fight and fight, just never give up, play, yeah.

Q. Was it the first time at a junior Grand Slam?

ALEXANDER BLOCKX: No, I've played Roland Garros, Wimbledon and US Open last year. I did every time better. Roland Garros I did second round, Wimbledon third round, US Open quarters.

Yeah, I feel really good about that I did better than in my previous Grand Slams, so...