ADELAIDE INTERNATIONAL

January 16, 2026

Tomas Machac

Press Conference

T. MACHAC/T. Paul

2-3, 6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Tomas, you're through to the final for the Adelaide International. How are you feeling after that win today?

TOMAS MACHAC: Yeah, it was very difficult match today because I wasn't feeling well from the first set. Then I found my game, found my rhythm, and then I was playing great tennis. I couldn't give Tommy any big chances, but I was playing very, very well, so happy with that afterwards.

THE MODERATOR: We'll go to questions in the room.

Q. Did you feel like that match was a lot on your racquet? The first set you were obviously quite, looked like you were quite frustrated, and missing shots that you wouldn't normally like to miss. In the second set you really dialed in on those and were hitting a lot of winners.

TOMAS MACHAC: Yeah, well, I'll just say, Tommy is a great player. You have to play your best tennis to have a chance to beat him, so I knew that. I was trying to play my tennis, but my body didn't allow that from the beginning. I was feeling a little bit tired.

Then the only thing is that you have to keep fighting, you have to keep believing that your body will give it to you, this chances, this game. So since beginning of the second set I started to feel my shots. I started to feel more aggressive with my legs, and with my powerful shots. Then I was just trying to keep that level as long as possible, and I managed to make it to the end.

Q. Did you notice in the third set he was sort of reaching for the back a little bit? On a couple of his serves he just had to pop over for a little bit of time. Did you notice that he was struggling physically for a while?

TOMAS MACHAC: Well, I saw Tommy at the physios, that he was, he had some issues with the back. I knew that he's solving something. But he won yesterday the match 6-3, 6-2 afterwards, so I was thinking that everything is fine. But everybody sometimes play with something.

I was trying to focus on myself. And then, as you mentioned, I saw him serving much slower. And then all of a sudden, 30-all, he started to serve 210. So I knew that he was struggling with the back, but I think he did it on purpose also to change my rhythm or something, because I was returning great the first serve. Of course, he had something, for sure, but I think it was also some change in his game.

Q. You mentioned physically with yourself. Are you carrying anything around? Are you feeling okay physically?

TOMAS MACHAC: Well, I don't have any pain. But the problem was that I had pain in the end of the year. I was struggling with my right knee a lot, like two, three months. I didn't have the greatest pre-season as most of the players, so I have to deal with that.

But as you see, I find my body in the second and third set, and I could continue other two sets. So I was very happy with the body what it allowed me.

Q. And you'll be playing the winner of Fokina and Humbert. What are your thoughts on those two? Obviously you won your title against Fokina last year, and you've beaten Humbert in a big semifinal as well. What's your thoughts individually on those two guys?

TOMAS MACHAC: Yeah, both players are great. Humbert has few titles, for sure. I don't know how many, but a lot, I would say. When he has his game he's one of the best players for sure.

Davidovich is playing his best tennis. Right now he's very consistent, he's playing all of the tournaments very well. It will be a very difficult final. But in the final you don't have any easy match. So I'm looking forward to that and let's see who is going to win, but I will definitely enjoy it.

Q. You mentioned your knee injury. How hard has it been physically, and do you think, I guess, the physical and the injuries, is that the only thing holding you back from, I mean, I know you've been ranked top 20, but from getting further up in the rankings?

TOMAS MACHAC: Well, I try not to focus on the ranking. Because if I would focus on the ranking I would feel lots of pressure and I would not focus on my game. So this is something what I'm trying to not deal with.

But the only problem is when you play, for example, for me, Vienna and Paris was nice tournaments to play in the end of the year, and I couldn't play a hundred percent because I was struggling a lot with the right knee. Then, unfortunately, it came also to the pre-season.

But now when I started to go to Australia without pain, I was very happy that I could be here. And as you see, I was feeling great also in Adelaide or, I mean, in Brisbane. I was feeling my game, I was trying to play my game, and this is something what I tried to focus on, to just be myself on the court and be very grateful that I don't have any pain. So this is something what I try to, how to say, repeating myself.

Q. Did you do anything differently in the brief off-season, pre-season to strengthen the knee?

TOMAS MACHAC: Yeah, yeah, I had lots of things. Like I have great guy, chiropractic in Czech, so I spent some time there. He was very focusing on that part of the body, and trying to get me better as soon as possible. It was taking a longer time than we expected. Then I started to work again and it comes back. So it was not easy period for me. But now very happy with no pain, so, yeah, happy with it.

Q. What would a second title mean entering the AO? What would it do for your confidence entering the major?

TOMAS MACHAC: Well, of course, if you finish the tournament with a trophy in your hands it's something different, because it's not easy to win a tournament, especially with this competition. The players are playing great, and it's very difficult matches. So, yeah, final is always special.