I will play in Australia. This year has been tough for me – I was gaining momentum, felt like I was in great shape, was almost at the top, and then this happened. In such moments you either stop and let the situation break you, or you keep moving forward.

It's a constant cycle. First comes success, then difficulties appear, and then you rise again. The main thing is to maintain mental resilience, and I think I handled it quite well.

I think it's normal. I'm not a person who bangs his head against the wall and tries through sweat, tears and pain: "Die, but do it". If it's not working – let's put on a show. I have this understanding: if it's not working – then screw it. We're not losing a cow, as mom always said.

Well, I'll lose – but at least it's fun. It's better that I lose and my monologue appears on the internet. Maybe I served underhand somewhere, people laughed, I laughed. And I'm not so upset.

Of course, as an athlete I don't like it. I don't like it when I start playing badly. But we're all not immune to this. Especially athletes who aren't in the top three or four [...].

But, in my opinion, it's better to serve underhand, laugh, hit with the racket handle and leave the court with a smile, rather than at 1:5 and 15:40 win a point and show your fist to the box. For me this is incomprehensible. When I watch matches and see "Fight to the end"... I'm not that kind of person. They always told me this, but I never understood.

You're losing 1:4 with two breaks – well, just finish it 1:6 and start the next set. What's the point of resisting? It also depends on what tournament it is, how important it is to me, what's happening at home. Maybe I miss my son and wife and don't want to be here at all. And I have to run around in 45-degree heat, even though I don't like it, I want to go home. And nothing is working. Screw all this, I'm going home. That's my philosophy.

Probably a couple of times. When I was sitting on the bench in Hertogenbosch, talking about f***ots and others. I often say something to myself on the benches. And this was the only time in my career when it came out. And I wasn't ready.

Same thing with Dominic Thiem. We (with the team) often said that I lose to such guys (disabled). In the end I said all this on court too. Then I approached Thiem when we met in Astana, explained: "This and that, they translated correctly to you, bro". He replied: "Okay, forget it".

These are unpleasant moments. With Thiem – the most unpleasant. And in Hertogenbosch – just offensive. It's like eavesdropping in the locker room, recording and throwing it online.

Otherwise – no, I don't care.

You can't really call it a conflict. We pushed each other a bit. And in Phoenix – yes, that's on video. Was I ready to go out? Do I have a choice, I don't understand? The person shows disrespect. Says at the net directly: "Sooner or later you'll get punched in the face". I said: "Well let's see you punch me in the face" – "Let's go" – "Well let's go".

Then we met before the gym, he says: "Let's go" – "Let's go". But we're in America, what's there to talk about? Whoever would have hit whom – and we would have immediately gone far away for a long time. That's where it all ended.

I started playing for Kazakhstan in 2016. When you switch to Kazakhstan, nobody pays directly. They gave me conditions.

Kazakhstan provides the process. You have a base throughout the country. You come anytime, train, use doctors, recovery centers. They pay for trips with coach and fitness trainer.

But it wasn't like I switched – they transferred me a million dollars.

Initially they paid for trips and team. When I rose in the rankings, I no longer needed this. We discussed continuing cooperation and came to the conclusion that I'm grown up and independent.

Now there's a salary [from the federation]. This other amount is much less than when they paid for the team. But it covers part of the process – and that's great. My tongue would never turn to ask for more from people who helped me in the most difficult moment.

What do they ask in return? Only to play Davis Cup, represent the country.

I don't see any reason why he can't get back into the top 10 next year. He's capable of showing excellent results. But he has never reached a Grand Slam semifinal, and I wouldn't want that to become the main stamp when summing up his career.

I really want him to finally make that breakthrough and reach a Grand Slam semifinal. Is he emotionally imperfect? Of course. But who is perfect? We all are like that. But he can literally demolish opponents with forehand and backhand shots. Do we want to see a bit of Safin-style madness in him? Absolutely.

I don't identify with either of them: they play differently than I do. I think Carlos improvises a lot: he makes more mistakes, but also wins points more spectacularly. Sometimes he doesn't have a clearly structured game plan, which makes him unpredictable and interesting for the viewer.

Jannik is a more methodical and focused player, with a more clearly defined game model. He adds new elements gradually — that's exactly why he's so consistent and loses very few matches.

Sometimes it seems like Carlos acts carelessly, but if you look at the results — he's had an incredibly even and reliable season at all key tournaments. So I even find it amusing to hear talk about his lack of focus — the numbers say the opposite.

Hard to ever count Djokovic out in the race for a 25th Major, but the obstacle in the form of Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner is huge, and the window of opportunity for Djokovic is narrowing.

I don't like betting against the GOAT, but I have to say "no". [...] In 2025 Djokovic reached the semifinals at four Slams and lost three of them in straight sets to Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz.

On one hand, Novak Djokovic will likely have to beat at least Carlos Alcaraz or Jannik Sinner — if not both — to win his 25th Grand Slam title. [...] He's already approaching 40, but Djokovic plays best when he feels he has something to prove.

No. I say this with all possible respect to the GOAT. [...] At this stage it's hard to imagine he can get through both Sinner and Alcaraz at the decisive stage of a Grand Slam.

The heart says "yes", but the head says "no". It's getting harder and harder. The ageless Novak will have to go through many outstanding players, and I think seven wins in best-of-five format for the 25th title might be an insurmountable task. But betting against him is costly: legends are the exception, not the rule.

My coach and best friend and I were making small notes. We tried to adapt to the court dimensions. It will be interesting, I really want to see the court and its dimensions already. The idea of fair court dimensions is excellent, and one serve is an advantage for me. Serving is my strong suit.