AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 28, 2023

Alina Korneeva

Press Conference

A. KORNEEVA/M. Andreeva

6-7, 6-4, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Massive congratulations. It was very hot on court, clearly. A lot of conditions that you had to combat. But also that match was extremely amazing, because three hours on court. How did you get through that? Does it make that victory much sweeter?

ALINA KORNEEVA: Whew. First of all, I want to say that in the second set, in the first of the second set, the first games, I wanted to withdraw because I have not easy injury with my stomach, with my leg. I couldn't play my game and show my best.

But I think in today's games, today's match, it was depend of my mentally, how I mentally ready. It was mentally good match, not tennis, because I did everything that I could. I couldn't run a lot, but yes, mentally it was good, yeah.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Can you talk about what it means to win the Australian Open in your Grand Slam debut?

ALINA KORNEEVA: First of all, I'm so proud of myself, because I can't believe that I could win with these problems. It's my first Grand Slam and I hope not last one. I hope next year I will play woman's already finals, and I hope I will win it.

Yeah, I'm so proud of myself, of my mentally game. Yeah.

Q. Many congratulations. Wow, that was fantastic. What did you say to Mirra at the net?

ALINA KORNEEVA: To Mirra? She's very good player, and I hope, I know that we will have a lot of good match in the future. I know that sometimes she will win. It's normal, it's life.

I said to her that, Don't cry, Mirra, because it was very good match, very tough battle, a lot of good points.

She showed her best. I showed my best that I could show, and congrats to her, because, yeah, it was good week for her. She very good, yeah.

Q. Are you celebrating tonight or go straight to bed?

ALINA KORNEEVA: I don't know yet (smiling). Maybe go to finally to the shop or rest. Maybe go to the physio. I really don't know yet, because I can't walk normal, because yeah, I have pain in my leg, in my stomach, everywhere. Maybe go to bed today.

And tomorrow, yeah, maybe I'm going to watch Melbourne finally, because I saw just my room and court and that's all. I want to see the animals, yeah.

Q. I know you have your mum here, but anybody else who will be watching in Moscow?

ALINA KORNEEVA: In Moscow, I think everybody watched me. My team, my friends, everybody, because when I finished my match, I look on my phone and I saw a lot of messengers, yep, so thank you for them to watch me.

Q. Congratulations. It was an amazing match. Can you expand? Can you tell us more about your relationship with Mirra? Because that embrace, that hug at the net was really moving, really warm, really beautiful. Throughout the match though it seemed like you were both really feisty, shouting at each point. Felt like it was pretty tense. How well do you know each other? What sort of relationship do you have?

ALINA KORNEEVA: I think we can say that we are the best friends off the court. On the court, of course I can't give to her the points. We are the opponents on the courts.

Off the court, we are the best friends. I love her so much. She's my girl, I don't know, my person that I can say everything to her, yeah. I hope we will have a good relationship together, yep.

Q. Tonight there is a pretty big game, of course. Are you going to watch it, or you have enough...

ALINA KORNEEVA: Rybakina and Sabalenka? I don't have tickets. I would like, but I don't have tickets. I don't understand why Australian Open organization can't give me the tickets, but if yes, I would like, yeah.

Q. Are you eventually going to watch it on TV, or are you done with tennis for the day?

ALINA KORNEEVA: In TV I'm gonna watch, I think, yeah, because it's two girls that I love to watch. They are very good players. Yeah, I'm gonna watch on TV.

Q. Will you be cheering for one over another? Sabalenka or Rybakina?

ALINA KORNEEVA: Oh, it's difficult, because now I practiced in the same place that Rybakina practiced before, but I love to watch Sabalenka.

So difficult questions. Maybe. I want to watch a good game.

Q. What's next? Are you going back to Russia?

ALINA KORNEEVA: Yeah, I'm going to my home, yes, to rest, do a lot of physio, and then continue to work and then continue to play tournaments, yeah.