AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 26, 2024

Hsieh Su-Wei

Jan Zielinski

Press Conference

SUWEI-ZIELINSKI/Krawczyk-Skupski

6-7, 6-4, 11-9

THE MODERATOR: Congrats. The first champions of the 2024 Australian Open. Jan, as you said on court, when you saw Su-Wei's name on the players looking for a partner in mixed doubles, I'm sure you're happy with...

JAN ZIELINSKI: Oh, yeah, yeah, for sure. Like I said on court, I didn't know until the last minute who am I going to play with. I was coming into Melbourne not really aiming for the mixed doubles, as I mentioned, and after previous matches I lost four times in the first round last year. So I was coming in just to have fun and, you know, see how it goes.

When I saw Su-Wei's name on the looking list, I was, like, oh, actually, this could be the best partner I ever had. Yeah, let's give it a try, let's text, let's see if she wants to play. She agreed on the same day, her coach agreed to play on the same day.

Yeah, I was just looking forward to have some fun on court, seeing how it works out, how it plays out, and I knew before we stepped on court, Su-Wei is a very experienced doubles player. You know, she has a ton of experience under her, and she can carry us a long way.

Yeah, it ended up being a decent run, I would say.

THE MODERATOR: Su-Wei, about that championship point that you both saved with a few smashes?

HSIEH SU-WEI: It was tough, because Neal was catching a lot of these smash point. I was putting really high, somewhere else. Also I was thinking this way, this way, this way, and he was everywhere. So I was a little bit thinking too much until the match point, their match point I was putting away, so that's good, it helps a lot. Of course my partner finish match point on our side, so it's great job (smiling).

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Congratulations to both of you. Hsieh Su-Wei, just in terms of this is your first mixed doubles title, I believe, so how does that feel to get through it? What do you think was the magic between the two of you to get this done?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Of course it's very exciting and very different than the doubles, because I have win a few doubles. Last year I was in two finals, I was very chill. Probably the chillest player on the court. I was not even feel nervous on the court.

But with mixed doubles, it was exciting and my partner is very good. I know he's very good from the baseline, at the net, and the serve. I just need to do my stuff to put the ball inside the court and pass the net person. This is my job, very clear. He's doing his job so I'm doing my job and we're doing good (smiling).

Q. Jan, I know you played at the United Cup a bit with mixed doubles as part of the format there. Curious if maybe that helped at all? It's rare to get to practice mixed doubles except at the slams.

JAN ZIELINSKI: Yeah, for sure it got me some confidence going. As I mentioned before, I went 0 for 4 in the last year's Grand Slams, and this year I started with a win. The season started with a win in the mixed doubles, which is pretty unlikely and surprising to me.

Yeah, that was for sure a little bit of a kick of confidence and showed me, oh, maybe I can be okay. I mean, I won the mixed doubles gold medal at the Youth Olympic Games 2014 back in the day. So back in the day I thought I was pretty good at mixed. Last year I didn't, and now I think I'm good again maybe. I don't know. It's changing (smiling).

But yeah, it's a great feeling. I'm very happy I was able to do it with such a legend on court and magician. Yeah, it was a great run.

Q. Jan, you're the first Polish player to win a mixed doubles Grand Slam. What does that mean to you?

JAN ZIELINSKI: It means a lot. Since yesterday I was getting a lot of messages, a lot of statistics that there was four Polish players lost in the finals before. Had match points even.

You know, it started crumbling in my head today when we were up a lot in the super-tiebreak, and then things started getting out of control a little bit. We were down a match point. Saved the match point. I was, like, I don't want to be this next guy that, you know, we had chances again and people are going to be talking, like, you know, again, chances but there's a curse.

But Su-Wei said before the match when we were walking onto the warmup that she's a curse breaker. Yeah, she is. Thanks to her for breaking the Polish curse in the mixed doubles finals.

Q. Su-Wei, you said this year's Australian Open will be your last singles tournament.

HSIEH SU-WEI: Singles Grand Slam tournament, yeah.

Q. What's your future and plan on singles? Will you play other tournament singles?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Yeah, I still have a few special rankings, so I will play a few tournaments until I finish them. I will not continue to play singles for sure this year, because I haven't too much fitness. So after two, three match, if I play two match in singles I feel okay, but after two match I start to feeling tight, tight on the muscle or something.

So I don't want to affect the doubles, because I still thinking the doubles is really fun, and I have a great partner, I want to enjoy more in tennis, not to get injury and retire, out of the tournament. No, I'm not going to do this (smiling).

So I try to slow down and play less tournament and try to manage the fitness and the body will go to be more healthy on the court, and play more fun tennis.

Q. Why are you the curse breaker? Have you had a history of breaking curses?

HSIEH SU-WEI: Okay, there is a curse in Taiwan. If you shake a hand with a person, then you're gonna have really bad result after that, and there's a few players that's that. But me, I'm the only person I shake the hand and I still win the championships and then I win the Grand Slam next year. So I say I'm the curse breaker (smiling).

Q. What does winning at the Australian Open mean to you?

JAN ZIELINSKI: Well, for me, it's a great comeback story. I've lost in the finals. Last year it was my second time playing Australian Open. Made it to the finals. Lost a bittersweet -- it was a bittersweet ending losing in the finals.

Then, yeah, coming back here, not achieving it in doubles, which was the main priority obviously, but achieving it in mixed doubles, it's something special. I obviously can't wait to come back here next year.

HSIEH SU-WEI: To win the doubles.

JAN ZIELINSKI: To win doubles, yeah, and mixed maybe.

HSIEH SU-WEI: I'm already clicking my box.

Q. Jan, Iga, Hubi, you're the one that walks away from the Australian Open with a title here. How does it feel here to be able to do that for a country that is quite tennis mad at the moment?

JAN ZIELINSKI: Well, it means a lot. Not only, like I said, for myself, but it means a lot to the fans, to all my family, to all my friends that have been supporting for years.

That sacrifice allowed for me to be where I am right now, so it's not only my success but all the coaches that, you know, I met throughout my tennis career, my family, my closest family that sacrificed a lot.

Yeah, it means the world to me to be able to lift that trophy and while lifting the trophy thinking about all the people that have helped me along the way. Yeah, it means a lot.