DAVIS CUP FINALS

December 3, 2021

Borna Gojo

Team Croatia

Press Conference

B. GOJO/D. Lajovic

4-6, 6-3, 6-2

Croatia - 1

Serbia - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. From Turin to Madrid. You were excited in Turin. This afternoon, is that the most excited you've been after a big win?

BORNA GOJO: Yeah, I would think so because it's a special match. Croatia against Serbia is always a big match for us. Yeah, I'm very happy that I was able to win.

Yeah, it's definitely very special.

Q. Did you feel any different going into this match compared to the others? Perhaps a bit more expectation on your shoulders after what you'd done in Italy?

BORNA GOJO: Yeah, I mean, obviously I know all of you guys were always looking at the rankings and thinking, Okay, we don't have much chance. To be honest, I always expected myself to win no matter who I play against. It was the case against Australia, Italy and today.

For me, I always put pressure on myself because I know I can play. Yeah, I'm just happy that I was able to show it today.

Q. In Turin you were talking about your ranking. You said you had issues, injuries, earlier in the year. What you've achieved over the last couple of weeks, can you comment on the importance of these results going into 2022.

BORNA GOJO: Yeah, obviously it gives me a big push, a big lift to do well in the pre-season and believe in myself that I can actually do it. I can always say I thought I can, but I think I showed now with these wins that I can actually beat those guys.

But it's a long season and a long road to get where I want to be next year. Yeah, this definitely gave me a big push.

Q. You said on the court after the first set your captain really helped you. You were getting a bit down on yourself. Give us insight into what that conversation was, how you managed to turn the match around?

BORNA GOJO: Yeah, obviously I came into the match and started playing really well. 4-1, Love-30, I just got a little bit too relaxed. Maybe my shot selection wasn't as good as it should be.

Captain just help to remind me what we agreed on before the match, what we worked on, what he told me to do. He managed to put me back on the right track to do what I needed to do to win.

Q. How much does the environment here help you to play your best tennis, having access to a coach on the court, having a team surrounding you? Different than being alone. How much does that all help?

BORNA GOJO: Definitely. I already said that in one interview. Some matches I played here, you don't feel great. If I was playing for myself, I have a bit of a tough character. I'm quick to get mad and throw racquets and all this stuff.

But with the team here, I feel much bigger responsibility to keep pushing, no matter what happens. Like today, first set was obviously shouldn't happen, but I was able to get back to work and focus.

Yeah, I'm just heal happy that I have them here because they manage to keep me in check at times when I would get extra emotional if I was on my own.

Q. You touched on what happened in the first set after you had the 4-1 lead. Second set was going in a similar way. What did Vedran say to you at that stage or what did you do to stop the first set being repeated in the second?

BORNA GOJO: Obviously that game at 3-2 was huge to break again. I think when it happen in the second set, it was not the same as in the first. In the first it was more me, my bad shot selection, just getting a bit too relaxed. In the second he played a couple of good points. When the balls get big, it's a bit slower conditions here. You can get broken.

Yeah, Vedran said, Don't worry about it, you're playing good now, just keep it up and it will come. And it happened.

Q. For sure your level is better than your ranking, 279, and you know it. If somebody would have told you that you would have beaten 27, 33, 61 in the world in 10 days, would you have believed? Would you have said, You're crazy? What was your feeling about it?

BORNA GOJO: I mean, obviously I wouldn't get the chance to play those guys many times, so I don't have the opportunity.

When I play for my country, I say always I believe I'm going to win. If someone tells me in Davis Cup, You're going to play good, you can beat these guys, of course I believe it. Of course, I'm a little bit surprised that I won all of those matches.

Again, I say I believe every time I go out on the court playing for my team, yeah, it's obviously very big and surprising for everyone. Yeah, I'm just happy that I managed to do it.

Q. How much do you think your life will change after this? Tonight maybe Mektic and Pavic may win the decisive rubber.

BORNA GOJO: Marin is still playing.

Q. Normally the rankings is related to continuity. If you don't have that ranking, it means that you are not able normally to win matches after match, tournament after tournament. How do you think these things will change? Working is not enough. You must also do something else. I don't know what.

BORNA GOJO: Yeah, I mean, it gives you a big boost of confidence to win these matches. It gives you a push, as I said before, to work harder.

I don't know. I don't think it will change my life much, but I hope it will change my approach to tennis because I probably wasn't the most determined guy out there.

So, yeah, I just hope I'm going to be able to give my hundred percent into tennis and I hope it will work out.

Q. This win, does it have a particular meaning because you won against Serbia? Between Croatia and Serbia, there is a big rivalry even if there is a big friendship between the players, you respect each other. You go back in Croatia one day and you are a hero after what you've done.

BORNA GOJO: Yeah, obviously we are all friends and we all know each other. It's always respect and friendship first.

As I said before, it's a special match obviously. It's a big rivalry. We want to win badly. They want to win badly. I'm really happy that I was -- as I said, it was a bit more special to me that I was able to win this match.