Machac to Tennis Majors: “I traveled to Australia with big doubts about whether I could even play”
Fresh off his title in Adelaide, Tomas Machac arrived in Melbourne to face a daunting Australian Open draw – featuring Grigor Dimitrov, Stefanos Tsitsipas and Lorenzo Musetti (No. 5)— and called back Tennis Majors to share his state of mind after a resilient start to 2026.
Tomas Machac, portrait | © Tennis Majors / UTS
Fresh off his title win in Adelaide, Tomas Machac arrived in Melbourne as quickly as possible to immerse himself in the Australian Open. The draw has not been kind: he faces Grigor Dimitrov in a high-stakes opener, with a potential path through Stefanos Tsitsipas (No. 31) and Lorenzo Musetti (No. 5). However, given the current form of his opponents, the Czech appears well-positioned for a deep run. Following his first training session at Melbourne Park, Machac reflects on his quick transition and his resilience following a challenging second half of the 2025 season.
Tennis Majors: Let’s first talk about the feeling of winning an ATP title so close to a Grand Slam. You’ve mentioned being tired. What is the dominant feeling: joy, relief, or maybe only focus?
Tomas Machac: First of all, it was definitely relief because I wanted to win Adelaide title very badly. When you’re playing a semifinal or a final, you always want to secure the title. After the relief, came the joy. But because you have to catch a plane the same day as the final to arrive at the Grand Slam site, it’s not always easy to celebrate. I didn’t really have time; I was already practicing today in Melbourne. For an hour, followed by 45 minutes in the gym. A normal day for me, a standard session, but it wasn’t an easy practice at all. I didn’t change anything. Winning a title before a Grand Slam is great preparation, but you don’t have the time to enjoy it as much as it requires.
Tennis Majors: How do the conditions in Melbourne compare to those in Adelaide?
Tomas Machac: Adelaide is a very dry place, so the conditions are different. I would say Brisbane and Melbourne are very close to each other, whereas Adelaide is a bit of an outlier. I actually think the conditions in Adelaide are much harder than here. Once you practice two or three times on the surface in Melbourne, you get used to it. I like the conditions here in Melbourne and I’m pretty happy with them.
Tennis Majors: Looking back at Adelaide, when the tournament started, did you consider yourself a contender? Or did you discover round by round that you were close to your best?
Tomas Machac: I think it was definitely during the quarterfinal with [Jaume] Munar. I realized I had a good chance to play for the title because I was playing great tennis. Personally, when I’m playing the first or second round, I don’t really have those feelings of thinking about the title or the final yet. But once I reached that level of my best tennis, I realized that in this shape, I can beat almost anybody. By the end of the tournament, I realized there was a big chance to take the title.
Tennis Majors: During that match against Munar, what clicked specifically? What made you feel like you were playing a different level of tennis?
Tomas Machac: In that match specifically, I was playing great from the very first ball. I just wanted to maintain that maximum level until the end. I played the whole match well and realized I had found my rhythm. I didn’t have any issues with my shots – whether it was the return or the serve – and I didn’t have any doubts in my head about any part of my game.
Tennis Majors: Last time we met at UTS in London, you were dealing with knee pain. A lot has seems to have happened in six weeks. How did you balance rest, recovery, and your build-up, considering you performed so well early in the season?
Tomas Machac: It was a very difficult period. After I arrived home from London, I didn’t play for about 10 to 12 days because I had a small tear or issues with the knee. I couldn’t practice; I was just healing. When I started practicing again, it looked good initially, but after four or five days, I started to feel it again. I received some treatment and traveled to Australia with big doubts about whether I could even play. I didn’t know if the knee was healed. However, after two days of practicing in the Australian heat, everything started looking good and I felt more confident. During the tournaments, I stopped feeling any pain in Brisbane. I actually didn’t practice that much, so I was very happy to manage that kind of tennis with almost no practice.
I don’t have specific expectations for this season results-wise; I just want to play my tennis and enjoy it.
Tennis Majors: How are you shaping your goals for 2026?
Tomas Machac: I have just one target: my body. I don’t have specific expectations for this season results-wise; I just want to play my tennis and enjoy it. That is the only goal. When I have that mindset during tournaments, I play my best tennis. I don’t want to change anything about that mindset.
Tennis Majors: Looking back at your career so far, what moments or levels of confidence would you like to replicate to stay happy on court?
Tomas Machac: I think this recent tournament showed me what I should do, and that is to have no expectations. I want to spend time on court without overthinking whether I am playing well or badly. That is the first thing. Then, I want to enjoy myself and play my game against every opponent. For me, the results come from that state of mind. Of course, everyone wants to be Top 10 or World No. 1 – that is everyone’s ultimate goal – but that isn’t the reason why I do it.
Tennis Majors: You play Grigor [Dimitrov] in Melbourne, which is a tough first round. In Adelaide, you mentioned you aren’t playing tennis to have easy draws and that you’re happy to share the court with great players. Can you dig into that mindset?
Tomas Machac: If I play my tennis, I can beat almost anybody. Of course, everyone prefers an “easier” path, and facing Grigor in the first round is not easy. He is very experienced and has made many quarterfinals and semifinals at Grand Slams. But it shows me that if I beat him, I have the level of tennis to go far in this tournament. That is my mindset.
Tennis Majors: Are you the kind of player who looks at the entire draw, or are you a “match-by-match” guy?
Tomas Machac: When the draw comes out, I usually know the potential matchups for the first three rounds or so. I don’t look further than that. In Adelaide, I was looking as far as the semifinals. After I beat Munar, I had to ask who was next – whether it was [Davidovich] Fokina or Tommy Paul, the first two seeds. I didn’t know. They just told me, “You’re in the bottom half, you play Tommy.” So, I look at maybe two or three matches.
I like the city, the conditions, the balls, and the courts. I like almost everything about the Australian Open.
Tennis Majors: Last year you lost at the third round in Melbourne, against Novak Djokovic on Rod Laver Arena (6-1, 6-4, 6-4). Does this tournament suit you in terms of the surface and the environment?
Tomas Machac: For me, Australia is one of the best stops, especially Melbourne. I like the city, the conditions, the balls, and the courts. I like almost everything about the Australian Open. I’ve played great here even when I was younger, so it’s a nice tournament for me. I realized this as soon as my first visit in 2021, during the Covid period. I played the qualifying in Doha, qualified there, and then came to Melbourne. I remember losing to [Matteo] Berrettini in the second round.
Tennis Majors: You are probably one of the few players with good memories of that specific year…
Tomas Machac: Well, I was one of the guys who spent 14 days in hard quarantine without a window! So I remember that very well. But in terms of the conditions and the surface – absolutely, it suits me.
