Roland Garros

Thursday, 1 October 2020

Paris, France

Kevin Anderson

Press Conference


K. ANDERSON/D. Lajovic

6-2, 6-4, 4-6, 3-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What drives you and motivates you?

KEVIN ANDERSON: I mean, I feel I have. There's still a Grand Slam that I have not won. I've been in a couple finals. That's probably my biggest motivating factor. We have Masters Series, there's a lot I can do there, as well.

In terms of goal setting and achievements, I mean, there's no shortage of that. Then I just think, I mean, the process, that's something I've always really enjoyed. I mean, it's setting a target, it takes a lot of work. There's ups and downs, but you're feeling that process, putting in that work on and off the court. It's what I love doing.

It's not always easy, but I think that's one of the big motivating factors for me as well, just this opportunity to keep pushing myself, figuring things out, improving. Just that whole process.

Q. Have you thought what you might do when you do eventually retire?

KEVIN ANDERSON: No. I mean, even though I've had all this time, you think maybe this would have been a time to sort of assess some options. But I think part of it is just my mind is not there yet. It's fully focused on my career, what I still want to achieve.

I've not really even taken the time to sort of look what might be happening post tennis. That day will eventually come, but hopefully it's still quite a few years away.

Q. With the setting up of the new players association, what I don't quite understand is what would be the status of the players council with the ATP when that association is around? Could you be a member of the association and be on the players council?

KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, I mean, I've done a couple interviews on this topic. It's been just an interesting set of timing because once it was announced during US Open, it's just been week-to-week-to-week. It's pretty tough as players to be competing like this, then to figure out what's going on behind the scenes, off the court, too.

I think what you mention is one of the reasons I personally believe that the two entities can't coexist. We have our structure how it is. I feel like there's a lot that needs to be better. I've always said that. I feel like we've managed to accomplish a lot within the structure. I feel like the new management that's come in, their vision is really exciting.

As a current council, we're putting the pressure on, saying, We are supporting you, but we definitely expect you to get this through.

Yeah, as I said, within that there are challenges of our structure, but I don't see how the PTPA can coexist with the tournament. That's one thing that you brought up, one of several things.

I think there's still more to, I guess, find out. Unfortunately I wasn't privy to any of those conversations, so I don't understand what their long-term strategy is, how they're going to go about it.

There's a lot of unanswered questions. I think just with us competing so much, it's been a little challenging to sort of figure that out. As the weeks go on, hopefully we'll have a better understanding and idea to see what is exactly the PTPA. Obviously there's a lot of players within it, but how is it going to take that step representing players within the tour.

As you correctly mentioned right now, we've got council members who represent players, board members. Yeah, it's definitely a bit of an unknown question.

Q. People can be a prominent member of the players council and...

KEVIN ANDERSON: That's why we had asked Novak and Vasek to step down. Then John, as well, when John said he feels like he wants to go the PTPA path. Sam Querrey felt the same way.

I feel like you can't sit on the council and then the PTPA. Seems like it's a bit of a contradictory idea. Within the structure, within the council, I'm the first to say it's not perfect, but within it, I mean, you have to believe it, you have to give it a chance.

I don't feel like you can sit on both.

Q. Where are you playing next after this?

KEVIN ANDERSON: Yeah, sort of depends. For right now with so much uncertainty I've signed up for everything. My next tournament will be St. Petersburg.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports
102087-1-1044 2020-10-01 19:42:00 GMT

ASAP sports

tech 129