AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2023

Sebastian Korda

Press Conference

S. KORDA/H. Hurkacz

3-6, 6-3, 6-2, 1-6, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Sebastian, well done. First career Grand Slam quarterfinal. Just talk to us about your emotions in the final set tiebreak.

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, brutal (smiling).

Just had a big lead, then lost it, then just somehow managed to just pull through. It wasn't easy, but I'm very happy with the way that it ended.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. In the past you've been close to some big wins, really big. Didn't quite get there. Now you're getting there. What do you think the keys are for you?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I think I'm really good at just kind of moving forward, learning from my mistakes, what I've done in the past, then using them in matches like this.

I think I've had a tough match with Rafa, serving for it a couple times. Match point with Djokovic. I think that really helped me, especially in the last match with Medvedev, closing out that tiebreaker. Then today as well. I think all those little moments that I've gone through, kind of learning from them, staying patient, staying positive, going through the process I think have really helped me going forward.

Yeah, definitely those kinds of losses hurt the most. But my parents and the people around me are really big to just keep going, you're doing great, just stay positive and stay the course.

Q. Is that your first super tiebreaker, 10 point in the fifth set?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I think so.

Q. You mentioned before you got to 7 pretty quickly. Is it an adjustment? You see that 7 on the scoreboard, you breathe, and then, Oh, geez, I have 3 more to win?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: It makes it even more difficult because you don't really practice it too much either, playing to 10 points. Those are the toughest points to win is those last three there. They're brutal in a way.

I played a couple loose points, but Hubie also played a little better in that situation, got it back. Then I kind of found my feet again and played three great points to close it out.

Q. With the time difference, how much are you able to stay in touch with your dad and your sisters? Your mom also is back in the States. What has that been like during this run here?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, it's difficult, but I always got their time on my watch (smiling). That's been helping a ton.

My parents, they were up. They stayed up. Obviously my oldest sister, she's up, she's not playing this week. My other sister Nelly, I think she's second place right now playing in a tournament. I hope she's sleeping. I hope she didn't watch and she's getting ready for a big day today.

Q. Did you hear from your parents?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, yeah. I just got off the phone with them. They're going to try to go to bed. My dad's birthday tomorrow here. Early birthday present in a way (smiling).

Q. Can you tell us a little bit more about the story when you were a kid and your father didn't allow you to play too much hard court tournaments. He wanted to play you more in clay. How was that relationship?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, my parents, I didn't play a tournament outside of Florida until I was 15 years old basically. My first tournament outside of Florida was an ITF in Houston, Texas.

My parents kind of brought me up in a different way. I also started playing tennis a lot later than most people. A lot of people here started tennis at three, four, five years old. I switched over when I was 10 years old.

I definitely have a different path compared to everyone else. But, yeah, we had a couple clay courts right next to our house. Majority of my life, when I first started, was only clay court to me.

Q. You were mentioning how you always want to move forward and just learn from the tough moments. Anything specific that you sort of identified from those moments in the matches you lost, and how you used those lessons today and your last match, too?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: All different kinds of things. Especially in the Djokovic match, with the one match point I had, played a little more defensive than I usually do, but also he played three great points. I think I used that really well recently.

Any bigger point that I have, I'll try to go a little more, try to be a little more aggressive. Yeah, those certain situations just have really helped me recently.

Q. I'm sure you've told this story before, but can you explain I think your father was coaching Radek Stepanek, that's how you kind of started wanting to play tennis. Can you talk a bit about that.

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, I played ice hockey until I was 10 years old. We had a really good team. We always had like the best guys. For the year 2000, we were the No. 1 in the U.S. We had a couple players on our team that got drafted into the NHL.

I switched over because I went to the US Open in 2009 with my dad and Radek. He made round of 16 I think it was. He played Novak on Arthur Ashe 10:30 at night, completely packed.

I went back the next day and I said, This is what I want to do. I fell in love with the energy of the crowd, the way the sport is played, how mental it is. Yeah, just the rest is history.

Q. Do you still play ice hockey at all?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I do. Yeah, whenever I'm home, I still have a couple buddies from when I played ice hockey. Yeah, at least a couple times when I'm home I always go out and skate a bit.

Q. Looked like you touched your dad's pillar there in the walk to Rod Laver. Somebody told me they also saw you reach for Andre's. Is that something you've done in the past when you've been to Rod Laver? I don't know if you were able to as a junior.

SEBASTIAN KORDA: No, every single time I walk by, I always give him like a little fist pump. Kind of makes me feel like they're with me in a way. I always know that they're watching. They're both very special for me. Yeah, they helped me a ton.

Maybe I was just trying to get the energy so I could hit my backhand a little better (smiling).

Q. Is there any sort of technique you're using now to move on quickly and have that short memory?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: No. I think I've always had kind of in some ways a short memory, but also a long-term memory so I always remember those things that got me into that situation and why I lost it. I think that's been a really big key to me.

My parents kind of always raised me that way, just keep going forward, positive attitude, and just always learn. Every day, whether it's about the match, another person's match, history of tennis, just always learn something, just try to get better every single day.

Q. Almost 20 years since there were four Americans this far in the tournament here. What do you make of that? Also, as a Korda, was it your destiny to succeed in some way in sports, or if that's not the way you felt?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I mean, I always knew I played a different style of tennis compared to everyone else. I hit the ball pretty well, a little faster. I mean, I was always told that I can be very good. I always believed that I can be very good.

Yeah, obviously the people that I have around me have helped me a ton. They got a lot of experience. Very blessed to have the team that I have.

Yeah, just trying to do the right things going forward. Everything's working so far, so it's great.

As for the Americans, it's awesome. We got a great group of guys that are coming up, especially with Taylor, Tommy, Frances, myself, Jensen, Brendan. We have J.J. now, too. We've got a great group coming up. I think we can do some special things in the next couple years.