BRISBANE INTERNATIONAL

December 30, 2023

Max Purcell

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Max, you've got your first-round match against the top seed, Holger Rune. Thoughts on that?

MAX PURCELL: I think with the amount of Australians in the draw, not having to play an Aussie is nice. I kind of hoped to play anyone but that, but I guess I got my wish.

What a better way to start the year than playing against the No. 1 seed.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Speaking of the number of Australians in the draw, can you talk about the vibe in Australian tennis at the moment?

MAX PURCELL: Yeah, I guess it's not really -- it's showing we don't really have a problem at the moment with Australian tennis with how many Australian matchups there are. I was kind of looking at it with how many we have and in the qualifying spots as well, going, Jesus, there's going to be some Aussie matchups here. There's going to be a few awkward matches. I'm glad I dodged it.

We're in such a good spot. It's nice in all the big tournaments now we've got that group. The camaraderie is back. It helps on the road a lot.

Q. The start of this season, how does it feel compared to the start of last season?

MAX PURCELL: I am definitely in a different place. In saying that, I don't think my tennis has changed too much over the last year. I think I've been able to consistently play singles week in, week out and put the results on the board. A little bit more pressure coming in this year to back up the year I had last year, but it is what it is. I'm happy with however it goes. I'll see how it goes, yeah.

Q. If you had to name one emotion for this summer, what is it? Nerves? Excitement? Determination?

MAX PURCELL: All the above, to be honest. I'm nervous to get going. I probably will be on center court, so I have the big crowd in the big match. I have Rafa as well in doubles. Yeah, a couple of big players first up.

Yeah, nervous, excited to get out there and start. I feel ready. Last year was a long year, but I still feel ready.

Q. You played a lot of tennis last year. What did you do to reset?

MAX PURCELL: I had my pre-season this year in Bali. It was quite nice. It was supposed to be wet season, but I didn't have much rain. It was really hot and humid. To get ready for the hot summer here, it was good. It was also nice to be in a tropical location and enjoy my off-season as well as train hard.

Q. Any goals for this year that you'd be willing to share?

MAX PURCELL: I mean, I wanted to finish last year, 2023, top hundred. I would have loved to finish 2024 top 50. It's kind of the same goal there, try to finish this year top 50, but just get more consistent results.

Q. What are your memories of watching these tournaments as a young player? What inspiration did you take?

MAX PURCELL: I mean, every Australian, this is the month of the year that we grow to love tennis when we're young. I just remember always waking up. It would be 11:00, and I'd get to sit in front of the TV four weeks straight from 10:00 and watch the tennis.

I'm a little disappointed I've never been able to play my home tournament in Sydney, besides the ATP Cup in the start of 2022. But Australia, it's all my home. Anytime I can play here, I will.

Q. Do you remember any particular players that inspired you?

MAX PURCELL: I remember really early on watching a lot of Rusty and Pat. Pat coming to the net a lot. Kind of the way I play as well. That was a big part of why I loved coming to the net. I loved watching Patty play. Him and Rusty are my main two.