AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 13, 2025

Aleksandar Vukic

Press Conference

A. VUKIC/D. Dzumhur

6-7, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations on your win today.

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Thank you.

THE MODERATOR: Could you please walk us through your thoughts on the match.

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, very tricky match. I think these best-of-five sets, very different, a lot longer. This one had a lot of momentum swings. I think won like eight points at some point and he wins next six. I don't know if I have ever experienced that. Yeah, it was a lot of ups and downs.

But then to get through it at the end after losing actually 6-4 in the fifth last year in the first round was, yeah, it was a nice feeling.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. This is your first direct entry into the Australian Open and your second win here. You mentioned it was a topsy-turvy match, a lot of nerves. What do you feel you improved on to get the result today, and what do you feel you could improve on in your next match?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, I think, like, every match is so different. Every time I play a Grand Slam, more experience. Now I have played more and more five-setters, so you kind of know the feeling more.

I think, you know, having the crowd support is massive, obviously. Last year I played a fellow Aussie, so it's always very tough. You don't feed off that as much.

This year was very positive, because you go through some dark places, as well, through these matches. So to hear them in some of those moments, it kind of just gets you like you're reborn.

Just the work that I have done in the offseason, I had a long offseason. I had eight weeks. I called it early, so really focused on my fitness, had six weeks of pretty intensive fitness.

I was just trying to back myself to kind of the work I did.

Q. You mentioned last year you cracked the top 50 for the first time in your career. Do you feel you're slowly building yourself into some form? What are your goals and expectations off the back of your great run last year?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, I mean, I think last year was the first full year I have had on the pro tour where I basically played week in, week out against the best players in the world. It was a massive learning curve, and it almost felt like I do belong in this stage.

Now it's kind of like, Okay, that's great, but it's also I cracked the top 50 a year and a half ago, and I cracked it really quick, and maybe didn't feel as comfortable as I do now with that. So obviously to get back there would be the goal.

But it's also the year's so long, it's tough. All I can focus now is the next match. I have nothing really, no numbers set, but trying to go as high as I can.

Q. How much did that fifth-set loss last year burn? How much were you thinking about it today, that sort of thing?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: It hurt a lot, obviously. I think like any five-set loss, actually thinking about it now, I lost in five sets I think the year before, two years before that, as well, in the first round. I think maybe 6-3, 6-4 in the fifth, as well.

You're kind of drawing on that, but I think you just become a bit more confident a bit more with the experience. I actually drew upon my Wimbledon one where I did win that 7-6 in the fifth. That was my most recent one that I had. So I kind of was thinking about that, and it was, like, more of trying to have more positive ones, as well.

But yeah, you do take on that and try to get any edge you can.

Q. Talking about the Australian crowd support, but can you quantify a number how much of a difference it makes? 20%? 30%? Something else entirely?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, it's tough to put a number on it. I think, you know, I think it helps probably. Probably helped around that much, I would say.

But it's also the enjoyment factor. We travel the year -- you travel with us, as well -- so we travel the year so much that it's just like having these three weeks, and especially these two weeks here, you just soak it up a lot more.

It's more I reckon even the guys that lost yesterday, I know that they were thanking the crowd as well. It's something that just kind of stays with you, and, like, we just look forward to playing here.

Q. When you're in these moments, these big five-set matches and you have the crowd roaring for you, are you able to live in that moment at all, thinking about the next point, the strategy, thinking about instructions?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: Yeah, not as much. Trying. End of the fifth, all you want to do is get the crowd riled up a bit more. But I just need to calm down a little bit, need to compose myself. Half of me is let's go, and half is let's simmer down a little bit.

I think I have learnt to use it and handle it better the more I play. I think initially when you start playing it's so exciting, so you're just... You want to always feed off it, but you also have to play tennis, you have to find ways to win.

It's using the combination that I think gives you kind of the best results is all.

Q. When you get into this pattern of playing in your home Grand Slam, do you allow yourself the ability to enjoy the wins and the moments? Are you just get into a routine mode, rest up, recovery, next opponent, practice, that stuff?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: A bit of both. Grand Slams are longer, you have a day off. I think tomorrow I have a day off. Tonight I won't really think about the next match. I will just enjoy this. From tomorrow, start kind of going through the game plan, hit, recovery, all that.

You definitely enjoy it, because otherwise who knows how many more of these you're going to play? It is a tough combination. But yeah, it's tricky because it's, like, you don't want to settle for one round here or you don't want to over-enjoy it, then you're just kind of a passenger in a way, and letting the opponent win.

Tonight I will enjoy and tomorrow I will prepare and try and win on Wednesday.

Q. You mentioned about the Aussie crowd and playing locally really spurs you on. It was a very good day for a few other Aussies, as well. Does that spur you on or are you locked in? This crop, having 14 Aussie men in the main draw, you draw on that personally or you just focus on your matches and take it one step at a time?

ALEKSANDAR VUKIC: No, you definitely notice it. You spend time together, so you want to know. You hope that they do well, as well.

You know, like today, I think after my match everyone had one which I think I was talking to my fitness coach. I was, like, It was so good, seven for seven or something. Usually we're scraping around here or there. To have that number, it's just, like, Oh, wow, it is kind of changing in a way.

No, you definitely watch it. Sometimes, like, you go through and see the TVs and sometimes you go and not look at it, because otherwise you're stuck there. They have Aussies and have good matches on. It's a really good time for Aussie tennis, yeah.