AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 15, 2023

Thanasi Kokkinakis

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Thanasi, one half of our doubles champions and home favorite in singles. How good is it to be back in Melbourne Park?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, it's the best. I'm living in Melbourne now. I love this city more than anything. Just the buzz and the atmosphere around a Grand Slam, especially in the state you're living in, is pretty special.

Yeah, stoked to be back.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Obviously you got another good week in Adelaide this week. How different is the mindset compared to 12 months ago going into the tournament? How are you feeling? You look fresh.

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, I'm definitely up and about. I think I've got a bit more in me this time than I did last year.

Yeah, although I won the tournament in Adelaide sort of last year, I feel like I'm playing better tennis this time around. I'm really happy with my level going into it. I feel like both matches I lost in those two weeks I could have won.

I'm happy with where I'm at. First hit on the court is today a little bit later. Get used to them. Yeah, I'm ready to give it all on Tuesday.

Q. How important was last year as you come into this year? In other words, that was still a new experience for you, to win a title and then have to back up and play a major straight after. I know you didn't have a day off last year. Having that experience and putting it in for this year, a difference?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, a little bit of a difference. I got a Tuesday start this year, which definitely helped. I probably needed one more last year. I'll take it when I can get it.

It's good. I probably would have done a couple things differently last time. I took a whole day off last time instead of maybe going on the courts, try and train the day before I play. This was last year.

Now I've got a few days. I'm motivated. There's a silver lining, I still wouldn't have changed it for anything, winning that title last year in Adelaide. This year I come in a little fresher, a couple more days up my sleeve to get used to it. I'm all focused for Tuesday.

I'm feeling good. Hopefully I can have a couple good days and, yeah, see what I can do.

Q. You talked about the zoo-like atmosphere from last year's round one match. Fabio, we know, loves it, anything could happen. What are you expecting out of that matchup? What could happen?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Probably more of the same, to be honest. It was crazy last year. The guy I played last year was a lot more low-key, kind of relaxed.

I know it's going to be a crazy atmosphere. At least I think I know what to expect this time around. Still gives you chills every time you walk out there.

Last year was something. I was expecting it to be loud, but I wasn't expecting it to be like that. That was crazy.

I think I'm ready for it this time around. I'm mentally in a good spot. Yeah, I'm going to lap it up. Last year I was trying to kind of combat the crowd a little bit by kind of being relaxed and try to focus on myself. I don't think I brought enough energy.

This time, yeah, you don't want take it for granted, I'm going to leave it all out there.

Q. The crowd, they didn't think you were living up to what could happen...

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Not at the start. At the start it was all cheers, obviously. When then things were going too well, I was copping a bit. It's just part of it. You kind of expect it after the crowd's had a few too many during the later part of the day.

Nothing personal. Yeah, just a couple rowdy fans having a go. It's fine.

Q. How would you describe what Ash's championship last year meant to Australians, tennis fans, sports fans, people in general around here?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, it was huge. What Ash did for tennis in Australia was massive. I knew Ash really well. We traveled together from a young age. We even stayed at the same housing family a couple times on the road in Europe.

I've known Ash. Really nice girl. Really nice family. Yeah, she deserved every bit of it. I'm happy she went out on her terms. I know Nick said he would probably do the same if he won a title. Honestly, I'm probably not far off if that happened as well.

It's a tough sport. Very mentally and physically draining. Hats off goes to the guys that are at the top year and year again. It's pretty impressive.

Yeah, Ash, I think the whole Grand Slam last year for Australian tennis was massive. To see the support and atmosphere and buildup it got, it was crazy.

Q. Can you imagine what it might be like if an Australian man won?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: No. Chaos. Honestly chaos, yep (smiling).

Q. A question about your doubles partner. After everything that went on since your juniors finals here back in the days, his early success, his downsides, now the great year he had last year, do you think he gets treated fairly by the press in general and by the national press from Australia?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, I mean, I think so. I think sort of some of the stuff he does that maybe people see as negative gets thrown in the spotlight a little bit more than others because of maybe he's had a reputation for it. A few things, if other players did it, wouldn't be as sort of focused on as when Nick does it.

He's no saint at the same time. He's done a couple things that are probably warranted. I think some of the stuff is unfair.

At the end of the day he's just finding a way to try and do as well as he can. There's a lot of pressure on him. He feels like he's trying to do as well as he can. Sometimes he copes with it. Everyone copes with stuff in different ways.

He had a phenomenal year last year. He's going to continue to give it his all.

Q. You were just saying you're playing better now. Last year the ranking went up and down a little bit for obvious reasons. As you start this year with those results in Adelaide, what have you set yourself? What's the target?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I want to reach my career high again. I was able to do it last year. I think first time in seven years. I don't know if that's happened before, someone reaches their career high and then hits it again sort of seven years later.

Yeah, I don't know how I fell on the exact same number. It's pretty unlucky. I'm going to try and beat that. My goal is try and win another title this year. I want to try to break into the top 50.

I just want to be healthy and keep playing and improve my game. If I do that, then I think the ranking will follow.

Q. Have you watched the Netflix series that came out a few days ago? What do you think that does for the sport?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: I've only seen the first episode. I saw a screening of it a little bit before it came out.

So, yeah, it was cool. There was a few bits, a couple behind-the-scenes stuff that I wish the cameras were there for that they didn't quite get, which would have made it a little more entertaining.

But I think anything like that is only good for the sport. Everyone knows what it did to Formula 1 and how much that blew up. Hopefully it can do a quarter of what that does for tennis. Yeah, the more eyes we can have on the sport, the better.

Q. On what you were saying about your goals for this year, winning a title, ranking, how significant was it to limit the damage this week, to keep your ranking inside the top 160, not going to drop too far...

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: Yeah, it's a big help. I mean, I was prepared for whatever was going to come my way. You saw the level of competition those two weeks. Had a tight match first round in the first week and a tight match first round in the second week.

Tennis is a game of fine margins. I felt like I had a good chance to make the final, maybe go better in the second week. That's tennis. I know I'm going to have a lot of opportunities.

My ranking could have looked really ugly after those two weeks. I've been there many times. I've come from unranked and very bad rankings in the past. I know where my top level is at. If I'm there mentally and physically, I think I can get it back up there pretty quick.

Q. You had a few injuries over the past few years, but recently you came and beat Andrey Rublev. How does it feel to be back at the level you were?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: It feels good, mate. It's just a reward of why we do the hard work, the time that isn't looking so good when you're rehabbing or you're just back on the court and you're not playing good tennis, you feel like you're kind of a shell of yourself, it kind of makes it all worth it.

Looking at how the Adelaide crowd embraced me, the atmosphere there, how many people have come up to me and said, I love the way you're playing, that energy. It honestly means a lot and gives you confidence going forward to know that's what people think you can do, that's what you're capable of. It's good hearing that and having those wins to kind of validate the hard work.

Q. So you won the Australian Open doubles title last year. Do you think you can back it up this year?

THANASI KOKKINAKIS: No (laughter). I don't.

Yeah, last year was something we didn't expect. I remember people messaged me after every match we won being like, You're going to win this thing.

I'm like, No, someone's going to beat us. We're going to lose to a doubles team, for sure.

It became a possibility from the quarterfinals, a legit thought, we can be better than these guys, we can win.

We're going to go out there and give 100%. Hopefully we're both healthy going into it.

If I was to say I'm expecting to back it up, I'd be lying, yeah.