adidas International

January 17, 2004

Todd Woodbridge

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Look, there's still plenty to achieve in tennis and in life, isn't there? But I've got to tell you, I'm a little happier and fulfilled than I thought I would be about today. The crowd was fantastic. I didn't expect to have -- I don't know what I expected. But it was a full house who knew what they were watching today, you know, the verge of breaking a record and seeing a part of, I guess, tennis history written. I don't know, it's something that... I'm more speechless than anything. I didn't think I'd be like that.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Satisfaction, really. To be able to say that I won more than anybody in the history of doubles tennis is something I never began in my career to go after; but I got there, and I'm pretty happy with that.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Yeah, that's the thing, I think, that caught me off guard today is the fact that everybody there -- I've had a couple comments already sort of saying they had hairs on the back of their neck -- or hairs stood up because they knew it was an occasion. I guess that doesn't happen a lot in normal sport - maybe Davis Cup and things it does. But they saw the significance of what happened out on the court today. To win it at home, it was a perfect script, really. I tied the record in Stockholm with Jonas, in his hometown, and broke it in my hometown. I've got to say I'm glad I did it here. I played in Doha last week where I could have broken it, and I'm pleased that that didn't happen. This was perfect.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Didn't hold back, no (laughing). But I don't know, just happened this way.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: I actually -- no, not very much. He mentioned to me at Wimbledon this year, he says, "It looks like you're going to break my record," and just wished me good luck. That was all. He's one of the older players that I don't know very well. Because of my association with Ray Ruffels, who played on the tour for such a long time, I've had the benefit of being able to meet a lot of great champions of our game. I would have liked to have known him more. John McEnroe is the one that was more animated about the fact that I was getting close to him than Tom Okker was. Obviously, there was a story the end of last year where Mac wanted to tie the record with me. But I've got to say I'm pretty happy to be past both of them.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: Geez, (laughing). Not today. But that's something that -- I'm going to continue to go out there, and I want to continue to win. I enjoy winning. I've got to tell you that's the reason I stay out here; it's a bit of a drug, that feeling you get when you win. And I guess the next goal that I'll set myself is owning the most Grand Slam titles. I'm still chasing John Newcombe. I have the most in the Open era Grand Slam tennis doubles. But in terms of an Open era and combining Open and amateur, I'm still chasing Newk. So he's one of the great Aussie champions that I admired and looked up to as a young player. He's still got something on me that I can try to achieve.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: I think, without exactly, I think it was 18. Might have been about 13 in the Open era and the others in the amateur days.

JONAS BJORKMAN: No, probably not (smiling). These days, you know, we struggle hard to get the TV sort of showing tennis back home. We didn't even have the proper TV channel showing the Davis Cup match against Australia last year, and against Brazil. So I wouldn't expect too much. But we're trying to work hard, and we're trying to promote it as good as we can. Mats Wilander and Yoachim Nystrom, who's the new captain and assistant, has started already to do a lot of work. In the end, hopefully they will watch a little bit more tennis and less soccer and ice hockey.

JONAS BJORKMAN: It's great. Like I said before, it's nice to be part of I will say two true champions. I had the possibility to play with Mark Woodforde once. Unfortunately, he got sick. But to play with both of them, it's been a pleasure. You know, there was sad news for everyone when Mark retired. It was great news for me because I had the opportunity to play with one of the greatest in the game. And that was an awesome opportunity for me to win big events, and that's what we've done and achieved. We got one more that we're really keen to win, and that's the French Open. But, obviously, every Slam we want to do well. So, you know, I said earlier this week, you know, I really hope we can win either Sydney or Melbourne just because having the chance for Todd to -- his celebration of breaking the record back home. It couldn't be a better finish, I think, doing it in Sydney.

JONAS BJORKMAN: Well, I think both -- I would say as a team, if I start as a team with Mark and Todd, they always played differently because you see especially the new generations coming up, you see them hitting the ball as hard as they can, and sometimes not with too much plans where and how to win the points. And that was the difference with these two, because they played the doubles very smart. They used the angles, they also was always trying to look for the weakness of the opponents. With the great tradition of doubles in Australia, I think they learned it the right way. And, tactically, they always been really, really good. That's why I think it's been great for me to take advantage of playing with Todd. He's so smart out there on the court, finding ways how to come back in matches where you're down, and also trying to find ways of how to work the ball out there. And I think that's definitely something that is very unique, I think, these days.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: No, not yet. I did have a heap of messages on my phone, so I haven't had time to get to them yet. But I'm sure that if I don't speak to him tonight - which, I'll probably call him actually myself, because he's followed everything that I've done since I finished. I know I get the odd e-mail saying, "How could you have lost to them?" So I'm sure if he hasn't called me, I will speak to him before the day's end.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: If I'm playing well and winning, then perhaps. One thing that I talk about in tennis, I'm not gonna tell you when I'm going to retire, I'm not gonna go on a world tour of, "Here I am, say good-bye to me." I'm going to go when I'm ready. The reason I don't like retirement is because I'm always going to play tennis. I'm always going to be involved in it, I'm always going to be playing something. And if I stop playing tournaments, I'll still be around. So I'll never retire from this game.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: It will be difficult to say good-bye to the exhilaration you get when you win tournaments and break records, but there's also more to life, as well, and that's something that I'm looking forward to, actually, is going out and finding new things to do and setting other goals and seeing what else I can do with my life. You know, I've got kids that have to grow up and become adults, and I've got to teach them. It's part of life, and I accept that I'm not always going to be in the limelight. When that happens, that'll happen.

JONAS BJORKMAN: I think it's possible for another two years. Because the way he's been hitting the ball from the start of this year, it hasn't been that good, I think, for the last two years, actually. He didn't nearly even have a break after Davis Cup. Obviously, it was something that made him go on even more now. He's more keen than I've seen. So, you know, I think we can work him for another -- this year, but I think even for another year.

TODD WOODBRIDGE: There you go (laughing). He'll answer it for me.