AUSTRALIAN OPEN

February 1, 2026

Ziga Sesko

Press Conference

Z. SESKO/K. Hance

4-6, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Welcome to the press conference for Ziga Sesko. First of all, Ziga, congratulations on your Australian Open finals win. What an achievement. Can you tell us what winning a Grand Slam means to you?

ZIGA SESKO: Yeah, first of all, thank you, but yeah, winning a Grand Slam is I think what every kid is dreaming of. So to be able to actually achieve it, I mean, I don't even feel it now, but I'm sure tomorrow or later on I will feel very, very special.

I'm very happy with my performance this week. I think I had some ups and downs in my game, but mentally I stayed really solid throughout the whole tournament. I was keeping the focus really good, changing the tactics if I needed to.

So, yeah, I'm just very happy with the week. My mom and brother came also from Slovenia to support me. Big trip for them, so yeah, it's been great to share the moment with them.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Ziga, well done. That was a really high-quality two hours. Was that the best match you've been involved in as a player?

ZIGA SESKO: I would say it was the most special one, for sure. I mean, to play in such a big court under the closed roof, so the audience gets even louder. I think the crowd was really enjoying the match. I was enjoying it also. They brought a lot of energy into the match. It was really fun to play.

And I think, yeah, Keaton is an amazing player, first of all. He prepared well for the match. He knew what he needed to do, the tactic and stuff. He played well first set.

Then I kind of changed my tactic as well. I was trying to step more forward, transition to the net a lot. I mean, I was getting the points on that, so I just stick to that game and believed I can do it.

Yeah, it was a great win. For sure the best of my life, yeah, the Grand Slam final.

Q. That was a big crowd. Did you expect that many people?

ZIGA SESKO: Yeah, I heard there is quite so many people coming to the finals here, but yeah, it was really, really special. It got loud in the third set quite a few times, so I think it was unbelievable, yeah.

Q. What was it like playing on Rod Laver Arena being the opening act for Djokovic and Alcaraz?

ZIGA SESKO: Yeah, as I said, it was super special. Just to play on this court, but especially with the roof closed, I like fast conditions, so I think with the roof closed, there is no sun, there is not a bit of wind, you know, so the conditions get basically perfect, and I can develop my game really well.

So, yeah, I mean, I was just trying to be as relaxed as I could in my first Grand Slam final and produce best game I can.

Q. Congrats for the win. Rafa was around yesterday. I'm just curious if you got to catch Rafa and if he gave you any advice? What do you think makes it special from the academy, because so many young players are winning these titles right now. Why do you think is working so well?

ZIGA SESKO: So, I didn't see Rafa. I heard he was here around, but unfortunately, I didn't see him. But on Rafael Nadal Academy, yes, I just moved there.

Actually this year I will start being there. I did my preseason there for three weeks. So I did a really good job in the preseason, improved my game, changed my forehand a bit, changed the serve.

Yeah, it's working. I think it's working pretty well. Yeah, and I'm thankful for the team and support I received from, yeah, the academy. The coaches were calling me every day, waking up early in the night for them at, like, 3:00, 4:00 in the morning to watch the matches.

It means a lot to me, and I'm, yeah, very thankful.

Q. Are you anticipating playing more of a pro season this year or more of a junior season? I saw you're listed for Davis Cup next week. If you could just speak about sort of how you are feeling about that.

ZIGA SESKO: Yeah, so my plan was -- I mean, I have a flight today in the night, so I'm going back to Slovenia, because the official meeting of the team is supposed to be today, but -- I mean, it is today, but I cannot make it, no chance.

Yeah, they wanted me to arrive as soon as possible. For sure I will take a few days off. I need some rest now from the tournament, from the big trip ahead of me.

But, yeah, regarding the season, the plan before the season was to play mostly pro, professional tournaments this year, but after winning a Grand Slam, I don't know, we will need to make a new plan maybe (laughter).

Q. You seemed to really feed off the crowd's energy, sort of especially in the stressful situations. Is that something that you pride yourself on?

ZIGA SESKO: Yeah, I mean, I got a lot of energy, a lot of motivation from the crowd. I heard some Slovenians as well, the chants. We are a small country, so it surprised me that that many people came to watch, actually.

I don't know if they traveled just for me. If they did, I'm really happy they did, and I enjoyed it a lot. Also, there were a few groups of people cheering for me, screaming after every point, so it just feels special, you know, that they like my style, I guess. I was, yeah, getting a lot of energy from them. So big thanks also to the crowd today.

Q. You're the first Slovenian boy to win a junior singles Grand Slam title. How does that feel? What does that mean to you?

ZIGA SESKO: I mean, to be honest, I didn't even know. I'm trying to stay, like, how do you say, to know as less as possible. I also didn't use my phone in the last couple of days.

I got a lot of notifications from my friends, Slovenians, but I was not replying to many of them, because you know, I'm very thankful for their support, but I want to keep my focus during the whole tournament. So I will, for sure, reply to all of them now, but I think I did a really good job staying, like, in the zone throughout the whole week.

It's been a long week. I had some good wins. Yeah, now I can enjoy (smiling).

Q. Ziga, what's your public profile like in Slovenia? Will this get much attention there?

ZIGA SESKO: I mean, I don't know. For now, I had some interviews, but I mean, I'm born and raised in a small city in Slovenia. It's only 15,000 people, 10,000 people, I think. The city is called Hrastnik.

I mean, I started playing tennis there in the recreational club with my dad, so I have a lot of supporters from there, from the city. But throughout the whole Slovenia, yeah, I think I was pretty much known, but we will see what happens after this one (laughter).

Q. I was wondering, how did you get into tennis? How did your progression look like coming from, as you said, a small city?

ZIGA SESKO: Yeah, basically I was -- you know, my father was a table tennis player, and when they build the courts in our town, he just fell in love with tennis and started playing.

There is only four clay courts outdoor in the summer, and in the winter it's too cold. We don't play. He was playing in the summer, and when I was younger, we spent as a family most of the time on the tennis, like, club, because it's a good, really nice nature over there. The kids are playing around with the ball and stuff.

So, yeah, my first tennis hit was with my dad, for sure, in the home club. So when he finished his session, I wanted to play with him, and then it just progressed. I mean, my dad is still very involved in my tennis, but when I was younger, he was my main coach.

Then we added another coach who was helping my dad, so we did 50/50. After, when I was, like, 11, 12 years old maybe, I moved to a club 20 minutes away from our town. It's called Litija, in the club where I still am registered in Slovenia. I started playing with the group sometimes. I had a coach over there also. So just, you know, to play with other kids, not always alone.

Yeah, after, my coach became Nik Razborsek, the coach of Kaja Juvan right now, the WTA player, so we were for quite sometime in that club in Slovenia. After he started working with Kaja, and he didn't have that much time for me anymore, we decided to go to Italy, and I was practicing in Piatti Tennis Center, in Bordighera, Riccardo's academy, for one year and a half.

Basically when I finished primary school in Slovenia, I had a chance to do kind of online high school and be outside, not, like, physically in school.

So, yeah, I improved really, really much. My body grew a lot. Like, I got tall. I had some pain because of that growing. Yeah, the fitness coaches and physios did really good job there developing my body.

I improved tennis-wise a lot also. I'm thankful for everything they did to me, all the support. Yeah, basically this year when I left Piatti Tennis Center, we were traveling with my dad mostly this year. Last year, sorry. So too, I don't know, he was with me in Wimbledon, let's say, when I did quarters last year.

Yeah, we did the whole progression basically from J200, J100 in the start of the year. I was ranked 170 the start of 2025 to, yeah, finishing 23rd, I think, 22nd. Yeah, we did a good year together.

Our Davis Cup captain was also helping us, Grega Žemlja. He was ex-No. 43 in the world, I think, ATP. I was working with him, also. He came to me to US Open.

Now for the preseason, I went to Rafael Nadal Academy, and I'm going to be there this year, yeah.

Q. The Grand Slam Development Programme, how has that helped you?

ZIGA SESKO: Yeah, I mean, they invited me to come here. It's not my first one. I was with them last year in December. It was Mexico-Florida tour for J500 in Merida and Eddie Herr Orange Bowl in Florida.

Yeah, it was not my first time. I'm really glad they invited me. It's a good thing, I would say. The coaches really give you different opinions, you know, than your own coaches, and you can improve fast.

Yeah, they give you the support. You can travel, yeah, with them. So I came also here. There were different coaches than before. There were Will and Roberto. They changed the coaches for Australia. Yeah, we just got along really well with Will and Roberto. They're super nice guys. Will is a great coach. We spend a lot of time together. Yeah, we managed to get a good week here.

Q. They pay for your flights and hotel and stuff, the program?

ZIGA SESKO: Yeah, the program is paying for the trip and the hotels. As me, as a player, usually I just need to pay, like, extra food if I need, stringing, and entry fees, yeah.

Q. I noticed you won a much higher percentage of net points. Is that something you also pride yourself on?

ZIGA SESKO: I mean, I would say that's the point of my game. I really like to go for it a lot, because I play an aggressive style.

I would say I have a pretty good volley, so I think, yeah, I won a couple points with the volley today. That's what my dad is trying to tell me, to be aggressive, keep moving forward. That's what we worked a lot on last, yeah, period.

So I think I really developed that skill really good to transition forward to the net, finish with the volley or smash or whatever.

Yeah, that is paying off in the matches. It's helping me for sure.