AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 13, 2025

Sebastian Korda

Press Conference

S. KORDA/L. Klein

6-3, 0-6, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Tell us how you felt out there today, Round 1.

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, pretty good. Tricky match. At some point was playing really good tennis the whole time and just had to find a way. I'm happy with the way I played.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. What's that like to go from playing a final, was it yesterday or two days ago --

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Two days ago.

Q. -- and then flipping a switch and suddenly being in a Grand Slam? I feel like you have done that before?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, I have done it once before in Parmo (phonetic) when I won my first title.

It's tricky. We finished the match 8:00, 9:00, in Adelaide, got on the flight next day at 10:00, got here at 12:00. Rained the whole day. I haven't hit since this morning. It was the first time I hit here. I didn't even hit on-site. Went to go play a match and hope for the best (smiling).

Q. So I guess are you looking at it as, well, I played well, I had a good week, I went to a final. Or on the other hand, you're crunched?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Honestly, I think you just throw it out the window. It's a new week, you have to reset. It's a new opponent, new tournament.

Tennis is what you did last week. It doesn't really mean anything this week. You just kind of buckle down and get to work again.

Q. Does that mean you didn't get to celebrate?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Not really, no (smiling). We had some room service. That was about it.

No, but I was pretty happy with making the final my first tournament back. I didn't know if I would be back this soon. Yeah, just grateful for playing tennis again.

Q. The way the match went, when you have a set where you lose 6-Love, because it's 6-Love, is it easier to reset than with a 7-6, 7-5?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Yeah, I think some guys don't like winning 6-Love. It's definitely tricky. I just tried to change a few things.

He was playing some incredible tennis. Just winner after winner, really. It was definitely tricky, but yeah, just stayed patient and found a way in the first game of the third set and kind of just rolled with that for a little bit, yeah, and close it out.

Q. Do you feel like the younger guys, younger than you, not that you're particularly old, but there is a group that's younger than you at this point, are they demanding something else sort of like out of the sport, out of the players that came up even five years ago like you did?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: In which way? Like the tournaments? The players?

Q. I don't know. Like the terms of engagement, how the game is played, how it's evolved. Does it look different to you at all than it did when you first arrived?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I would say guys are just solid in every wing of their games. I think there is a transition now in tennis where guys are going to the net a little bit more. Obviously everyone is serving pretty well. Everyone is returning, moving incredibly fast.

I think it's definitely getting faster, and I think guys are trying to evolve every parts of their games. I think the guys that struggle with some things or another, they kind of get left behind. I think everyone is doing a great job and just becoming great in every shot in tennis.

Q. Obviously both your parents played to an incredibly high level. Do you remember when you first beat either of them?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I have never beaten either of them. That's the problem (smiling). Last time I played my dad I think I was 13 years old, and my dad, I think he either bageled me or double-bageled me, and we never played again.

I'm sure if we played now, I would hope to win. But I just don't want to play him. He's forever my idol, and it would be weird to play him in a match and beat him.

Q. Would it have been a big thing when you were younger to try to have a win over him?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I don't think my dad would give it to me. My dad was, I guess, trying to make me tough and he wasn't going to give me anything easy (smiling).

Q. When you say "faster," you mean the ball moving faster?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: Everything. Footwork, speed, everything is just lightning. The way that Alcaraz moves is insane how fast he is. I think everyone is super athletic. Everyone is sliding off their right and left foot like Sinner is. It's just becoming very tricky to get the ball by guys.

Q. Do you have to not go back to square one, but you say, wait, I've got to learn some new skills here?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: No, I think everyone -- yeah, it's a chess match right now. You've got to figure out ways to win points and it's becoming harder and harder, for sure.

Q. Interesting you think more people are coming forward more often in matches?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I think it's turning that guys are going to start coming a little bit more. I'm definitely working on it. I know a lot of the Americans are coming forward, as well. I think it's going to be a massive part of the game the next couple years, for sure.

Q. When you say you didn't know whether you'd be able to come back this quick, when did you start to think that you could come back this quick?

SEBASTIAN KORDA: I mean, I always wanted to come back at this point. I didn't start serving full on until -- gosh, what day is it today -- until, like, December 20th was kind of like the first couple days where I was really serving around 100%.

So it's January 13th. Not too many days. But yeah, I was just happy to be on court, really. It's been a long time.