AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 16, 2023

Maria Sakkari

Press Conference

M. SAKKARI/Y. Yuan

6-1, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on getting the first-round win. Can you just talk us through the match and your performance today.

MARIA SAKKARI: Yeah, I think I was very solid. It was better than I expected obviously. I got myself in trouble a little bit in the beginning of the second set by serving -- that first game was a terrible service game from myself. I found myself down a break, but I kept thinking that eventually I will get a chance to break back and close out the match.

Yeah, my level was a lot better than I expected. I have to be totally honest.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Why did your level surprise you?

MARIA SAKKARI: Because it's a first round of a Grand Slam on center court. I was feeling very good with my game because I did a good preseason, played four matches, actually four very good matches. You know, I was expecting I was going to play well, but I thought the nerves will, you know, hold me back a little bit.

But actually, of course, the first game was a little bit, you know, how can I say it, tricky, but after that, felt like especially the first set was very good.

Q. How have you felt coming to Melbourne? You had a good United Cup. Tough loss there. Is that a loss that sticks with you or did you shut the door and move on? How did you process that and how did you feel coming in?

MARIA SAKKARI: No, I didn't really hold on to that, because I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, but we were in Perth, we had to travel four-and-a-half hours, three hours' difference, like going from LA to Miami, which is horrible. I slept two-and-a-half hours the night we qualified. My body was dead.

The day of the match, I woke up, I went to breakfast, and I told the guys, Guys, I need to go back to sleep. I was just, you know, very, very tired. Because in Perth, it was amazing, but, you know, the pressure was quite high. We had to win all of our matches. That mixed doubles at the end was very emotional, and we were all very happy. I think that took away a lot of energy from me.

So Martina played very, very good, and I think I think there were moments in the match that I also played good. 20 degrees lower, or 15. Different, fast court. Night session. It was just a different tournament in just one day. Yeah.

Q. Pegula has said something similar talking about the win over Swiatek, look, it's different conditions. I understand for her, it's tough to turn around. Coming obviously to Melbourne and your preparation and everything, you said you were feeling good on the practice courts?

MARIA SAKKARI: Very good. I think that the conditions here, obviously it's different when you play on the outside courts, different when you play on the center court. We know that center courts play a little bit slower than outside.

But I feel like it's very similar to Perth. Slow, bouncy, warm. The ball flies. I like it. I mean, I feel very good. I made some last-minute changes, you know, on my racquet strings, which was still of course Wilson, but just tweaked a little bit something to get more spin, and it really helped me.

Q. In terms of just coming into this season, your perspective on carrying the positive momentum that you finished 2022 with into this year, brand-new year, how are you treating it? Do you feel different at the start of this year compared to years past?

MARIA SAKKARI: I almost feel like Fort Worth was yesterday. So that's a good thing (smiling). Because I feel like I can keep the momentum going.

The fact that I gave myself, you know, the chance to have four very, very good matches, like from the first day, boom, I had to play against good, top-100 players, I just felt like that was great coming up for the Australian Open.

Of course like everything, you know, was better after doing well at the end of the season. My rest was a lot, you know, better, because I was happy. My preseason, I was very motivated. Practice was going really well, because I knew that I was in a good form.

Coming into Australia I was happy to first play an event that was new for me, a team event that we're not used to. Then coming to this amazing city, feels amazing.

So conclusion is my game is, I feel, in a very good place.

Q. In terms of your history at Melbourne Park, what is the key to playing well here? What is the challenge specific to the Australian Open presented to you?

MARIA SAKKARI: I wouldn't say that there is something specific you have to do here. Of course you have to be fit, because if it gets really hot, you need to last long out on the court in the heat.

But overall, it's just, I don't feel like I have to make any changes or any adjustments. Sorry I don't have more, you know, things to say about that, but that's the way I feel. I'm sure that maybe other players have to adjust their game more, but I feel like it's pretty simple playing here. You nailed it, by the way. (Smiling.)