DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 19, 2023

Frank Dancevic

Felix Auger-Aliassime

Vasek Pospisil

Milos Raonic

Gabriel Diallo

Alexis Galarneau

Team Canada

Press Conference (transcribed from video)

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. For the captain, just some thoughts on playing Finland basically in your first encounter? Just some thoughts on that encounter.

CAPTAIN FRANK DANCEVIC: You know, every team coming into the finals here is a tough team. We're coming in as prepared as we can be for the first matches.

You know, the first matches are always tough getting used to the venue and getting used to the different players. We've never played them before in the past. It's their first time, I believe, in the quarterfinals. I'm sure they are going to be very motivated to win and to get through.

We got here early. We're preparing, you know, trying to be as ready as we can be and keep the energy going from last year's trophy win.

Q. A question for Felix. Could you just talk about what it's like to be back? I think I heard you went out on center court and just took a moment to take it in. Could you talk through what was going through your head then, or have you ever done that anywhere else when you've been returning to a place?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: It was special to, yeah, to see the court again. It was such a special moment for me personally last year, winning the last match to clinch the title.

It's always nice to be back. Better for me to be back as reigning champions than the other way around, you know, if we had maybe lost that final. It's nice to come back to a place where you have good memories, and hopefully that can serve us well this week.

Q. Felix again. If you can kind of compare your confidence levels this year to last year, like do you feel ready to sort of help put the team on your back again and repeat the feat?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, last year I came in very confident, playing some of the best tennis I have played so far in my career.

This year has been more challenging, but yeah, I think the most important for me personally, I think for everybody here, is whenever we come as a team we always have a belief that we can win, and everybody has belief in their teammates, that they're able to win any given match.

We just have to take it one by one. It's a separate tournament than the rest of the tour. That's why you always see surprises sometimes in Davis Cup. There is an energy. So regardless of what happens throughout the year, I think we've just got to come with the same level of confidence in yourself and your team.

Q. For Frank, again, coming here as sort of title holders of the Davis Cup, does that bring different pressures and expectations? If it does, how does it feel to come back here as Davis Cup winners?

CAPTAIN FRANK DANCEVIC: I mean, it feels amazing. Feels amazing for the guys to be together again. We don't really feel that much pressure, to be honest. I think that the win was really big for us to get the trophy. Of course it would be great to get it again, to win it this year.

We're not going to hold back. We're going to go 110% again. But I feel like this year we are focused but we are also more relaxed knowing that we had the trophy, we got it last year. We're going into this tie sort of relaxed, obviously having the confidence that we have done it recently, and we have the capabilities to do it again in the near future.

Q. This one is kind of for Milos and Gabriel, two players at different stages of your career. I hope you don't mind me saying that, Milos. Milos, you have obviously not played a lot in the last couple of years, although you did have a really good spell in Canada, I think it was, when you beat Tiafoe. How are you sort of physically right now? And are you a kind of a senior player for someone like Gabriel? And Gabriel, being here as well, what does it feel like to be on the team?

GABRIEL DIALLO: Well, I'm grateful to be back here. Like Felix said, every time we come to play at this event it creates a lot of good memories so far. Really grateful.

And if I see him as a mentor, I think, yeah, for sure he was a great inspiration for me when I was younger, because I knew that I was going to be a tall player as well. Looked up a lot to him. I'm really grateful that we're on the same team together.

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, for me it's a great pleasure to be back with these guys. What they did last year was incredibly inspiring.

Yeah, I'm way more close to the end than I am at the beginning. I just enjoy the moments. You have a lot more perspective on life off court, on court, and whatever I can do to help, it would be the greatest pleasure for me.

Q. Alexis, you had your career-best win by ranking in the September Davis Cup. Can you just talk about what that experience was like and how this competition brought that level out of you?

ALEXIS GALARNEAU: Yeah, it was an awesome week for me and for the team. Like Felix and Gabriel said, these types of weeks can bring out the best in some of the players, and all my teammates were amazing, and we're looking to do that again this week.

Q. Milos or Vasek, I think you were both part of the 1990 generation of Canadian tennis. We were just in Seville watching the women and the Billie Jean King Cup. Wondering if you could reflect on this incredible moment and whether you thought it would be possible for this sort of success when you were (indiscernible).

VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's an incredible period, you know, for tennis in Canada right now. We have kind of been building to this moment over the last 12, 13, 14 years, or even prior to that.

I feel like every couple years we have had something, get a better achievement on the big stage. Semis 2013 with Milos and Daniel and Frank. Yeah, it's incredible.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. For the captain, just some thoughts on playing Finland basically in your first encounter? Just some thoughts on that encounter.

CAPTAIN FRANK DANCEVIC: You know, every team coming into the finals here is a tough team. We're coming in as prepared as we can be for the first matches.

You know, the first matches are always tough getting used to the venue and getting used to the different players. We've never played them before in the past. It's their first time, I believe, in the quarterfinals. I'm sure they are going to be very motivated to win and to get through.

We got here early. We're preparing, you know, trying to be as ready as we can be and keep the energy going from last year's trophy win.

Q. A question for Felix. Could you just talk about what it's like to be back? I think I heard you went out on center court and just took a moment to take it in. Could you talk through what was going through your head then, or have you ever done that anywhere else when you've been returning to a place?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: It was special to, yeah, to see the court again. It was such a special moment for me personally last year, winning the last match to clinch the title.

It's always nice to be back. Better for me to be back as reigning champions than the other way around, you know, if we had maybe lost that final. It's nice to come back to a place where you have good memories, and hopefully that can serve us well this week.

Q. Felix again. If you can kind of compare your confidence levels this year to last year, like do you feel ready to sort of help put the team on your back again and repeat the feat?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, last year I came in very confident, playing some of the best tennis I have played so far in my career.

This year has been more challenging, but yeah, I think the most important for me personally, I think for everybody here, is whenever we come as a team we always have a belief that we can win, and everybody has belief in their teammates, that they're able to win any given match.

We just have to take it one by one. It's a separate tournament than the rest of the tour. That's why you always see surprises sometimes in Davis Cup. There is an energy. So regardless of what happens throughout the year, I think we've just got to come with the same level of confidence in yourself and your team.

Q. For Frank, again, coming here as sort of title holders of the Davis Cup, does that bring different pressures and expectations? If it does, how does it feel to come back here as Davis Cup winners?

CAPTAIN FRANK DANCEVIC: I mean, it feels amazing. Feels amazing for the guys to be together again. We don't really feel that much pressure, to be honest. I think that the win was really big for us to get the trophy. Of course it would be great to get it again, to win it this year.

We're not going to hold back. We're going to go 110% again. But I feel like this year we are focused but we are also more relaxed knowing that we had the trophy, we got it last year. We're going into this tie sort of relaxed, obviously having the confidence that we have done it recently, and we have the capabilities to do it again in the near future.

Q. This one is kind of for Milos and Gabriel, two players at different stages of your career. I hope you don't mind me saying that, Milos. Milos, you have obviously not played a lot in the last couple of years, although you did have a really good spell in Canada, I think it was, when you beat Tiafoe. How are you sort of physically right now? And are you a kind of a senior player for someone like Gabriel? And Gabriel, being here as well, what does it feel like to be on the team?

GABRIEL DIALLO: Well, I'm grateful to be back here. Like Felix said, every time we come to play at this event it creates a lot of good memories so far. Really grateful.

And if I see him as a mentor, I think, yeah, for sure he was a great inspiration for me when I was younger, because I knew that I was going to be a tall player as well. Looked up a lot to him. I'm really grateful that we're on the same team together.

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, for me it's a great pleasure to be back with these guys. What they did last year was incredibly inspiring.

Yeah, I'm way more close to the end than I am at the beginning. I just enjoy the moments. You have a lot more perspective on life off court, on court, and whatever I can do to help, it would be the greatest pleasure for me.

Q. Alexis, you had your career-best win by ranking in the September Davis Cup. Can you just talk about what that experience was like and how this competition brought that level out of you?

ALEXIS GALARNEAU: Yeah, it was an awesome week for me and for the team. Like Felix and Gabriel said, these types of weeks can bring out the best in some of the players, and all my teammates were amazing, and we're looking to do that again this week.

Q. Milos or Vasek, I think you were both part of the 1990 generation of Canadian tennis. We were just in Seville watching the women and the Billie Jean King Cup. Wondering if you could reflect on this incredible moment and whether you thought it would be possible for this sort of success when you were (indiscernible).

VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's an incredible period, you know, for tennis in Canada right now. We have kind of been building to this moment over the last 12, 13, 14 years, or even prior to that.

I feel like every couple years we have had something, get a better achievement on the big stage. Semis 2013 with Milos and Daniel and Frank. Yeah, it's incredible

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. For the captain, just some thoughts on playing Finland basically in your first encounter? Just some thoughts on that encounter.

CAPTAIN FRANK DANCEVIC: You know, every team coming into the finals here is a tough team. We're coming in as prepared as we can be for the first matches.

You know, the first matches are always tough getting used to the venue and getting used to the different players. We've never played them before in the past. It's their first time, I believe, in the quarterfinals. I'm sure they are going to be very motivated to win and to get through.

We got here early. We're preparing, you know, trying to be as ready as we can be and keep the energy going from last year's trophy win.

Q. A question for Felix. Could you just talk about what it's like to be back? I think I heard you went out on center court and just took a moment to take it in. Could you talk through what was going through your head then, or have you ever done that anywhere else when you've been returning to a place?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: It was special to, yeah, to see the court again. It was such a special moment for me personally last year, winning the last match to clinch the title.

It's always nice to be back. Better for me to be back as reigning champions than the other way around, you know, if we had maybe lost that final. It's nice to come back to a place where you have good memories, and hopefully that can serve us well this week.

Q. Felix again. If you can kind of compare your confidence levels this year to last year, like do you feel ready to sort of help put the team on your back again and repeat the feat?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Yeah, last year I came in very confident, playing some of the best tennis I have played so far in my career.

This year has been more challenging, but yeah, I think the most important for me personally, I think for everybody here, is whenever we come as a team we always have a belief that we can win, and everybody has belief in their teammates, that they're able to win any given match.

We just have to take it one by one. It's a separate tournament than the rest of the tour. That's why you always see surprises sometimes in Davis Cup. There is an energy. So regardless of what happens throughout the year, I think we've just got to come with the same level of confidence in yourself and your team.

Q. For Frank, again, coming here as sort of title holders of the Davis Cup, does that bring different pressures and expectations? If it does, how does it feel to come back here as Davis Cup winners?

CAPTAIN FRANK DANCEVIC: I mean, it feels amazing. Feels amazing for the guys to be together again. We don't really feel that much pressure, to be honest. I think that the win was really big for us to get the trophy. Of course it would be great to get it again, to win it this year.

We're not going to hold back. We're going to go 110% again. But I feel like this year we are focused but we are also more relaxed knowing that we had the trophy, we got it last year. We're going into this tie sort of relaxed, obviously having the confidence that we have done it recently, and we have the capabilities to do it again in the near future.

Q. This one is kind of for Milos and Gabriel, two players at different stages of your career. I hope you don't mind me saying that, Milos. Milos, you have obviously not played a lot in the last couple of years, although you did have a really good spell in Canada, I think it was, when you beat Tiafoe. How are you sort of physically right now? And are you a kind of a senior player for someone like Gabriel? And Gabriel, being here as well, what does it feel like to be on the team?

GABRIEL DIALLO: Well, I'm grateful to be back here. Like Felix said, every time we come to play at this event it creates a lot of good memories so far. Really grateful.

And if I see him as a mentor, I think, yeah, for sure he was a great inspiration for me when I was younger, because I knew that I was going to be a tall player as well. Looked up a lot to him. I'm really grateful that we're on the same team together.

MILOS RAONIC: Yeah, for me it's a great pleasure to be back with these guys. What they did last year was incredibly inspiring.

Yeah, I'm way more close to the end than I am at the beginning. I just enjoy the moments. You have a lot more perspective on life off court, on court, and whatever I can do to help, it would be the greatest pleasure for me.

Q. Alexis, you had your career-best win by ranking in the September Davis Cup. Can you just talk about what that experience was like and how this competition brought that level out of you?

ALEXIS GALARNEAU: Yeah, it was an awesome week for me and for the team. Like Felix and Gabriel said, these types of weeks can bring out the best in some of the players, and all my teammates were amazing, and we're looking to do that again this week.

Q. Milos or Vasek, I think you were both part of the 1990 generation of Canadian tennis. We were just in Seville watching the women and the Billie Jean King Cup. Wondering if you could reflect on this incredible moment and whether you thought it would be possible for this sort of success when you were (indiscernible).

VASEK POSPISIL: Yeah, for sure. I mean, it's an incredible period, you know, for tennis in Canada right now. We have kind of been building to this moment over the last 12, 13, 14 years, or even prior to that.

I feel like every couple years we have had something, get a better achievement on the big stage. Semis 2013 with Milos and Daniel and Frank. Yeah, it's incredible. I mean, also, it’s something that you can’t take for granted.

Currently, you know, we have the men as top ranked in the world and the women as well. We’re definitely enjoying it. For me, it’s been nice to have been part of that journey. I’ve seen the growth of the sport in our country and we’ll just try and keep riding that wave as long as possible.

If you look back 12 years ago when Milos and I started on the pro circuit, we never would have thought that we would be where we are today, that’s for sure.

Q. How much of an inspiration was the women’s performance in Seville for you and the rest of the team?

FELIX AUGER-ALIASSIME: Amazing, yeah. That it happens just before we go for the Davis Cup, they’re putting the pressure on us now, which is good. It’s good to have both men’s and women’s tennis in our country both pushing each other to the highest ranking. It’s a beautiful thing to think that we have both men and women No.1.

For me, growing up that seemed very far away, and I think for Vasek, Milos, and Frank, when they were playing, it was something tough to imagine. It speaks to how much we’ve grown as a country in this sport.

It was great to see the depth they have as well with Marina coming in and playing amazing tennis in her first Billie Jean King Cup. It shows that it’s not just a few good players. There are many good players in our group.