The Tennis Conversation: Austin Krajicek, the ATP's newest No. 1-ranked doubles player

THE BREAK: Djokovic & Swiatek Take Home More RG Hardware

Last year at Roland Garros, Austin Krajicek and Ivan Dodig narrowly missed out on capturing the men’s doubles title when three championship points slipped through their fingers. A year later, the American-Croatian duo erased the bitter taste from their mouths by getting across the line on Court Philippe Chatrier with a 6-3, 6-1 victory over Belgium’s Sander Gillé and Joran Vliegen.

The triumph in Paris marked Krajicek’s first Grand Slam title—an effort that also enabled the 33-year-old to vault to No. 1 in the ATP doubles rankings. The former Texas A&M standout reflects on his journey to this point in The Tennis Conversation:

Where to begin? You win a match that nets you both a maiden major trophy and the No. 1 doubles ranking. You head home across the pond directly afterwards. Tell me about the whirlwind.

KRAJICEK: It's been, like you said, a whirlwind for sure. It hasn't really quite sunk in just yet. It was pretty cool to be able to knock out a couple big major goals of ours at one go, especially in Paris after we had such a difficult finals last year and having to deal with that. It was awesome to get it done at the same place. We had a nice little quick celebration in the player’s area after the match and then we had an early flight the next morning, so I went home to share it with my wife, and my mom and dad were in town as well. We were able to have a nice little get together and just kind of enjoy some quiet time after all the chaos.

Speaking of chaos, have you caught up to all of the different texts, DMs and phone calls you've received? That's probably one of the most challenging parts coming off a big win like this—acknowledging everybody who has reached out.

KRAJICEK: It is, 100 percent. It was actually overwhelming how much support I felt, from all my friends and from college, from juniors, from the tour and locally here in Dallas. I mean, our support team here has such a great family feel, so it was really meaningful to get all those messages. I've definitely tried to keep up with it. It was a little bit difficult, but it's been pretty cool to say the least.

Was Roland Garros the one Grand Slam event you and Ivan had your eyes on winning the most, in the sense that there was some unfinished business to complete?

KRAJICEK: We definitely had that feeling a little bit. Obviously we would've liked to win Wimbledon, US Open or the Australian Open between those. That's what makes tennis so strange—you have the best week of your career, you're on such a high going into the finals, and then two hours later, you're completely devastated. So to be able to come back and win Roland Garros after last year really did make it a little more special. We tried not to think about that going into the tournament, but I would be lying if I said that wasn't in the back of our heads to try to finish the job. And then of course being bundled with the No. 1 ranking was an amazing as well. Those are two lifelong goals I've had since I was five years old. It was very overwhelming at the end.

You seemed to save your best for last in that final. Like many, this tournament was all about surviving. You started by being pushed to a final-set tiebreaker, which is never easy. In the third round, you were two points away from exiting. What stands out about this run specifically, and why it went your way?

KRAJICEK: All the Grand Slams have certain matches that are pretty difficult that don't go your wa,y or where you get into a tough position. So for us, this tournament started immediately like that. We were down a break in the third and then we're able to find a way to win that third-set tiebreaker. I think we had maybe three matches that were over three hours, so we had some real battles this year.

I thought our game plans were pretty solid this week. Physically, we were both healthy and in a good position there. So then it just comes down to executing at the tight moments. The margins in doubles are razor-thin. It can come down to a point or two each match.

How important was getting over the line at a 1000 event in Monte Carlo before making an even bigger statement? Turned out to be quite the bookend clay-court swing.

KRAJICEK: Ivan, my partner, has a ton of experience at the top. He's been one of the best players in the game the last 15 years. I don't know if he necessarily needed that tight match to prove it to himself, but in a way maybe I did. We had a couple tough losses in finals of Masters events, so to get it done finally, that was another big goal of ours this year.

All those finals accumulate. You still have nerves in those moments no matter what you do, but at least it puts you in a position where you're a little bit more aware of what's going to come, and you're more comfortable being uncomfortable in those situations. All helped us prepare for another big moment we had in Paris.

To come back and win Roland Garros after last year really did make it a little more special. We tried not to think about that going into the tournament, but I would be lying if I said that wasn't in the back of our heads to try to finish the job.

Now that you and Ivan have spent all this time together, why do you think you work so well as a unit?

KRAJICEK: Doubles brings another drama element into the picture where you're spending a ton of time with your partner—a lot of times, more than your significant other. So you have to get along on the court, off the court; the personalities have to match. As far as the tennis aspect, I think our games match up really well. Ivan's obviously one of the best returners and we both play an aggressive style.

The mentality side I think is an underrated aspect in doubles, matching up with your partner in a way where you look at match preparation the same, practice preparation the same. Anybody can deal with winning, but when you have tough moments and lose some difficult matches, you come together as a team in those moments. How you rebound from that and your work ethic going forward, I think we match really well on that outlook. It's rare to find a guy that you really see eye to eye with.

There’s a cool stat that ties into your pathway to the tour and rising to the top of the rankings. Twenty American men have become world No. 1 in doubles—and all 20 played NCAA tennis at one point. If you could identify one or two aspects from the college experience that helped shape who you are today as a tennis player, what would those be?

KRAJICEK: It is a really cool stat and an honor to be in that group. The college route for me is still one of the best decisions I've made. When I was 17, 18, I was a bit on the fence of going pro or going to school. Luckily Coach Denton and Coach McKinley were able to convince me to go to Texas A&M.

That route not only helps you develop from a tennis perspective, but also from a life perspective. You learn time management skills better, you're able to develop physically. A lot of the really difficult parts of the tour, sustaining it over the years, is being able to deal with it mentally, not just physically. On the road, you're dealing with losses all the time and you have to have good time management skills. Maturing as a person was a huge benefit for me from the college experience.

I was fortunate enough to win the NCAA doubles event in my last year with my partner Jeff Dadamo. Going to the US Open after that with the wild card was surreal, and a good step for us to be able to transition from the college ranks to the pro level. It’s an unbelievable pathway in more ways than one, but the level as well, I think, is a little bit underrated. The standard of play has significantly increased over the years.

Speaking of life on the road. You’re home for a quick pitstop, and set to play your first match as No. 1 next week at Queen’s Club in London. What’s the mindset going into the grass swing, given you’ve checked two significant goals off the list?

KRAJICEK: We're excited to get to the grass. It's short, but it's always one of my favorite seasons of the year. To be honest, our games arguably translate better than on the clay.

There’s something about Wimbledon as well that's unique. It's always an honor to compete there. It's been a dream of mine to play on Centre Court. We're in the UK the whole time. It'll be nice to be in the same place for a month and just compete.

To wrap up, I heard some dogs barking in the background. Is there anything more dependable than coming home to your pets, knowing they have your back, win or lose?

KRAJICEK: Absolutely. It's tough because you always want to be home, but it's something you can always rely on as well. We two big Goldendoodles, Tucker and Moose. One's 80 pounds and one's still a puppy. Like you said, whether you win or you lose the final, they're just as excited to see you.

Everyone always asks my wife and I if we have any kids yet, and we always say, ‘Well, we have two big dogs, which keeps us busy.’ They're a huge part of our lives and it does make it a little bit difficult for my wife to come to some tournaments. They’re so spoiled that either my parents come stay with them or her parents to come down. They wouldn't make it in a boarding situation.