Australian Open Media Day roundup: Iga Swiatek the perfectionist, Coco Gauff the veteran, and Rafael Nadal's perspective

WATCH: Preview the Top 16 seeds in the men's and women's singles draws at the Australian Open.

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Tennis' top players met the media on Saturday at Melbourne Park and dished on their preparations for the first Grand Slam of the season.

Why does Coco Gauff think she's a veteran amongst some of her fellow Americans? How has Novak Djokovic felt so far in his highly-publicized return to Melbourne? What's on Iga Swiatek and Rafael Nadal's minds ahead of the fortnight?

Read on for some of the highlights of Australian Open Media Day.

Iga Swiatek: "I think I'm always going to have this part of me that is a perfectionist."

Coming into a Grand Slam as the consensus world No. 1 is not a new position for Iga Swiatek to be in. The Pole started what became a historic 2022 season with a semifinal run at the Australian Open, but she says one of her goals for 2023 is to keep loose.

"I think I'm always going to have this part of me that is a perfectionist. When I'm not feeling comfortable on court, it's kind of hard to not be harsh," Swiatek said.

"On the other hand, the most important thing is kind of to find this balance that on court, for sure I want to get better and better, but off the court, the things that happen on the practice day don't have to influence my whole day and my whole mood. I think these are the things I've been working on. It's for sure getting better.

"We care so much and we give ourselves to this sport that it's sometimes tough to find this balance. But I'm getting better at it, for sure."

Swiatek will face Germany's Jule Niemeier in the first round, a rematch of their round-of-16 clash from last year's US Open. Siwatek won that in three sets, from a set down.

"You saw how intense that match was, how tough," Swiatek said. "It's not going to be easy. But on other hand, any match in Grand Slam is always more intense and more stressful than other tournaments. I'll be ready for it.

"It's nice also that we played not so long ago so I can take a lot from that match. Now I know how her ball feels on the racquet. ... But she has the same. So we'll see."

Rafael Nadal: Recent losses are "part of the business."

Rafael Nadal called his upcoming first-round match against young Brit Jack Draper "probably one of the toughest first rounds possible," and was effusive in his praise of the 21-year-old left-hander.

"Young, powerful, growing very, very fast on the ranking, playing well," the 22-time Grand Slam-winner assessed.

"Probably, a big challenge for me at the beginning to start the tournament. Let's see. I'm here to just give myself a chance. I know he's playing well. He has a lot of positive things, and probably a great career in front.

"I hope to be ready to fight for that first round and let's see what can happen."

After going 0-2 at the United Cup, Nadal also said he's keeping a slow start to the year in perspective.

"I have been losing more than usual, so that's part of the business," he said. "Just accept the situation. I think I am humble enough to accept that situation and just work with what I have today.

"I need to build again all this momentum. I need to build again this confidence with myself with victories. But it's true that I have been losing more than usual.

"I need to live with it and just fight for the victories, no? By the way, I didn't play that bad the first two matches the year. I lost against two great opponents, but having very positive chances to win both matches. I already have been here for three weeks, practicing every day with that conditions, with the best players. That helps a lot in general terms.

"My situation, I don't know what can happen on Monday, but my personal feeling, without a doubt, is better now than three weeks ago, in general terms."

Story time with Coco Gauff: What she learned at mini golf with Ben Shelton and Christopher Eubanks

Coco Gauff made her Australian Open debut just three years ago, but the 18-year-old American might already be more worldly than some of her older friends on tour.

"Compared to other players, I mean, obviously I still have a lot less years than them," Gauff said. "But there's some, like I was joking about this last night. I did mini golfing with Ben Shelton and Chris Eubanks. This is [Shelton's] first time out of the country. He played main draw US Open, but first time out of the country. I was just saying like, I'm a vet compared to you, even though he's older than me. I think I've been on tour four years now.

"I don't know how I feel like. I definitely feel like more experienced and like I belong. I don't feel like the new kid, but I don't think I feel like quite a vet, but I don't feel like I'm the new kid. I feel like I'm in the middle of the pack."

After reached the fourth round in her Australian Open debut, Gauff was beaten earlier than she'd hoped to be in each of the last two years. She opens her tournament against Katerina Siniakova of the Czech Republic, who beat her last fall at the Billie Jean King Cup Finals in Gauff's last match of 2022.

Novak Djokovic: "If I do hold the grudges, probably if I'm not able to move on, I wouldn't be here."

This time last year, Novak Djokovic was on his way home from Melbourne after a long, drawn out legal process that ended with his deportation from the country over his COVID-19 vaccination status.

Sitting on the press conference dais on Saturday, the nine-time Australian Open champion said he just wants to move forward.

"If I do hold the grudges, probably if I'm not able to move on, I wouldn't be here," Djokovic said. "I have to say that the amount of positive experiences I had in Australia overwhelm the negative experience maybe of last year.

"My impression of Australia, my vision of Australia, has always been very positive, and that has reflected on my performance. My results are a testament to how you feel here.

"I was really looking forward to come back and play tennis because that's ultimately what I do best, what I always wanted to do, what I wanted to do last year.

"I'm really looking forward to play in front of the people and hopefully bring them some good fun and good vibes."

Nick Kyrgios: "It's a privilege to go out there and feel that Australia wants me to win and to be one of the favorites."

Eyes are always on Nick Kyrgios when the mercurial Aussie takes to the court at his home Grand Slam.

But they might be tuned onto him more than ever in 2023: The defending champion in men's doubles with his good friend Thanasi Kokkinakis, Kyrgios will also make his season debut at Melbourne Park as one of the stars of 'Break Point,' tennis' documentary series on Netflix, that premiered on Friday.

It's a moment in time he said he's relishing.

"I think everyone wants to get to a position in their sport or their profession, be one of the best and have that expectation and pressure," Kyrgios said. "It's a privilege to go out there and feel that Australia wants me to win and to be one of the favorites. It's a good feeling."

Though an ankle injury prevented Kyrgios from taking the court at either the United Cup or in Adelaide prior to the Australian Open, the No. 19 seed says that he has no concerns about his lack of match play.

"I have always been a player that doesn't need too many matches," he said. "I played 12 to 13 events last year. Felt like that was a lot of tennis. I'm always going to have to keep that in mind. Obviously, there are players that need a lot of matches going into a Grand Slam. But me, I just like to feel fresh, I like to feel like I've got everything under control.

"There's so many capable people here. There's always talk about me being a favorite, big expectations. I'm just trying to take it a day at a time. There's so many people here that can cause damage. I'm just doing everything right at the moment."

Kyrgios opens his tournament against Roman Safiullin.