NITTO ATP FINALS

November 22, 2020

Nikola Mektic

Press Conference

KOOLHOF-MEKTIC/Melzer-Vasselin

6-2, 3-6, 10-5

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. First of all, congratulations on a great tournament and win. What were you happiest with today with the match, besides winning, like in the actual match?

NIKOLA MEKTIC: I mean, I'm very happy the way we started. Obviously it's the Finals. We have never been in this situation, so there were some nerves involved.

We really took the pressure great. I mean, we started great. Opened it up with a break, and then just continued to play very good.

Yeah, but, I mean, throughout the whole week these guys were fighting really hard, and we knew that the match not gonna be simple.

It went to the third set, but, I mean, we were ready for it and we stayed focused. We played a very good super-tiebreak. Luckily we won.

Q. How satisfying was it after the US Open, and you guys had a lot of good runs this year but weren't able to finish, to finish the year this way?

NIKOLA MEKTIC: It's unbelievable feeling. It's not just the way to finish this year. This is something to remember throughout the whole life.

This is for sure my biggest achievement of my life and of my career, so this is something that I will remember forever. Yeah, like you said, it's a great way to finish the year and then a lot of reasons to celebrate now.

Q. Was this a tournament that growing up you always sort of followed and dreamt to be here at some point?

NIKOLA MEKTIC: Definitely. That was one of the first tournaments I have ever seen back when I discovered in, I don't know, 1995, 1996 when I discovered tennis.

I was a big fan when I was a kid. I remember I was crazy about tennis. I was watching all of those matches, remember those Masters in Germany, in Frankfurt and Hanover, the court without the doubles -- well, that's interesting actually now (smiling). When I won doubles, there was actually no doubles, you know, the court without the lines.

Yeah, one of the memories I have when I was a child, and definitely it's a dream come true to hold the trophy today.