"I don't miss playing at all. Even here I'm not hitting balls with them, I'm just feeding, on the sidelines. I'm really happy to sit and watch."
Erakovic's achievements were probably underrated in this country, as she was the lone flag bearer on the WTA tour for so long.
She played more than 600 main draw singles matches, including 44 at grand slams, where she reached the third round on four different occasions.
Erakovic also made five singles finals (winning a title in Memphis) and broke into the top 40, and also enjoyed a plenty of success in doubles (eight titles from 16 finals).
Those are the kind of numbers that Tennis New Zealand can only dream about at the moment — as they look to unearth the next prospect — but Erakovic has relished the chance to help the current crop.
"I still remember the first time I came and watched Val [Ivanov] and Erin [Routliffe] hit down at Merton Rd," said Erakovic. "It was nice to talk to them, see it from the other side and help any way I can. It's been very rewarding actually."
"In this role, the biggest difference is not focusing on yourself. You have a whole team to look after and a whole lot of different personalities. It's about reading what works for each player and easing the tension in that way."
It's been hard to assess the performances this week at the Fed Cup, given the standard of the opposition.
Many of the players in Wellington don't even have rankings and one Mongolian player was using a racquet that was four or five years old.
But the Kiwis have looked unified and confident, and concentrated on maintaining their standards and getting the job done, beating Mongolia, Singapore and Pakistan in the group stages, before taking care of the Philippines in Saturday's final.
Valentina Ivanov won the first singles rubber 7-5 6-1 over Shaira Hope Rivera in 82 minutes. It wasn't all one way traffic, as the 18 year old Kiwi was broken twice in the first set, but the result never looked in doubt.
New Zealand No 1 Paige Hourigan then wrapped up the tie, with a convincing 6-2 6-3 victory over Marian Jade Capadocia in 68 minutes.
"We have all been really focused on success," said Erakovic. "Everyone has given me their best effort and been really dedicated, no matter who they have been playing."
It's been a procession – the home team hasn't dropped a set all week in the capital – but the result means New Zealand progress to Asia Oceania Group One, for the first time in a decade.
But whether Erakovic is still involved for that step up next year is a moot point, as she focusses on a long held academic ambition.
"I've committed for this year," said Erakovic. "It means throughout the year being in touch with the girls, see how they are going and being a mentor if they need and want one."
"But I'll be starting first year health science at Auckland [University) soon, and will be 'in the books' as they say. So my time is very limited and Tennis New Zealand were very aware of that when they signed me on."
If all goes well — and her grades are high enough — Erakovic will progress to Medical school in 2021.
"It's something I've been interested in for a long time, and the sciences were always my favourite subjects at school," said Erakovic. "If tennis didn't work out I probably would have gone down this path. So I am going to give it a try; I don't want to wake up in ten years and wonder if I could have done it."
