Roland-Garros 2025 - Tommy Paul : "Quand je joue au tennis, je pense à la pêche parfois"

Tennis Actu TV

01/06/2025

Le marathonien Tommy Paul, qui a remporté ces deux derniers matchs en cinq manches, a enfin pu se montrer autoritaire pour sortir Alexei Popyrin, en huitième de Roland-Garros 2025. Un succès 6-3, 6-3, 6-3, qui devrait faire du bien au physique de l'Américain. Il disputera son tout premier quart de finale à Paris. Son retour dans le Top 10 est quasiment acté. Paul confirme tous ses progrès. Il aura tout de même fort à faire contre Carlos Alcaraz ou Ben Shelton.

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00:00BNP Paribas, partenaire des plus belles histoires de Roland Garros, aux côtés des ramasseurs de balles depuis plus de 50 ans.

00:30I definitely like the three-setters a little bit better, and just excited for more matches.

00:40Well done, Tommy.

00:43Was there something different about your game today that allowed it to be such a business-like performance,

00:51or your body, or was the opponent that made it less than four hours?

00:59Yeah, I think today it could have been a very different match.

01:05He had, I think, 10 break points and only broke that first game of the match,

01:10and there were a lot of times where I was down low 40 or 15-40 on my serve,

01:14and those are games that can change the match easily.

01:17Some of those for him to go up a break, some of those for him to get back on serve with me,

01:21and ended up winning those points and holding serve in those games,

01:26and that really can change a match.

01:28So it could have easily been a battle again, but luckily, I mean, I clutched up on those points.

01:35In terms of feeling the ball more consistently or tactically or anything like that, it's just sort of...

01:46I mean, they're all different players that I've played, so every match is tactically pretty different.

01:53But yeah, I mean, I thought I returned better today.

01:56I put more returns in the court, and I mean, at the end of the day, in men's tennis,

02:02it's the serve, holding serve is like the biggest thing.

02:05So that was something I did well today.

02:06On that, on a surface where the free points on serve you might get with a hard court, let's say, or grass don't come,

02:20what is the key for you to locking it down when you are facing all these holes on your serve?

02:29So I think on the clay, like you said, you don't get free points as much on your first serve,

02:36but you do get punished more on your second serve.

02:39So it's pretty important to have a high percentage of first serves.

02:43And even today, there were times where I feel like I wasn't putting in a ton of first serves.

02:47But to back that up, I think, you know, the first couple balls,

02:52not putting yourself in a defensive position was very important for me today.

02:57I mean, if you guys watched, it was, once he got on offense,

03:02it was tough to get out of defense for me.

03:06So that was a main goal for me is to really off the first ball,

03:11like hit a ball to where I can stay neutral or get on offense.

03:14And, I mean, I thought I did a pretty decent job of that.

03:19Could you talk about your work with Brad and how he's helped you over the years?

03:26I presume you're still with him, but how has he helped you,

03:30your game on court and also off court?

03:33Oh, I mean, could talk about a million different things.

03:38But every year we have like one kind of thing that we really focus on,

03:44I mean, along with a million others.

03:46But, I mean, I think Brad's been the most important piece in my game,

03:52like for me to be where I'm at today.

03:54He was the one who really pushed me to get there.

03:56I can't say enough nice things about him as a guy or as a coach.

04:00And, I don't know, he just has a really good tennis IQ.

04:05Like, he sees stuff that I don't even feel when I'm on court,

04:09and we take that to the practice court.

04:11So, I trust him wholeheartedly on everything that he sees while I play.

04:17We'll have arguments every now and then.

04:19But, for the most part, I mean, he's spot on.

04:23And the key thing you're focusing on this year with Brad?

04:27I mean, it's always – the key thing is always getting to the net more,

04:30playing more aggressive.

04:31Obviously, on clay, it's a little tougher just because of your court position.

04:36You're so much farther back.

04:37So, we're – you know, every clay court season we've kind of been adjusting

04:40and figuring out where's the best position for me to start points and play points.

04:46And, I mean, we've really moved back.

04:48Like, I'm stepping way farther back in the court and extending points

04:52and kind of using my off-court work more on the clay

04:56and using my body and using my legs.

04:58And, I mean, I guess just, yeah, using that.

05:04Hello, Tommy.

05:05I saw on your Instagram that you like fishing.

05:07Yeah.

05:08This activity helps you on your tennis on the court.

05:11I don't know.

05:12Maybe it brings you more serenity or not.

05:14Yeah.

05:15I get a lot of questions about, like, the connection between the two.

05:17But, I don't know.

05:19I mean, for me, it's just like a getaway.

05:22I don't – when I'm fishing, I'm not thinking about tennis.

05:25Sometimes when I'm playing tennis, I'm thinking about fishing.

05:27But, yeah, when I'm out there, it's like a complete, like, separation from my job, from tennis.

05:36And, I mean, I think that's really healthy.

05:43What are you thinking about with the fishing when you're on court?

05:47I mean, anything.

05:49Right now is like the prime time season in South Florida for fishing.

05:52So, I'm seeing a lot of great fish get caught while I'm away.

05:56and it's kind of breaking my heart.

05:58But, at least some people are catching them, right?

06:03Yeah.

06:04I'm just curious.

06:05Have you bumped into Ben since you've walked off court, since he's next up?

06:10Did you see him?

06:11Yeah.

06:12I saw him in the training room right after I was going to take my tape off.

06:15And, yeah, he was in there.

06:18He's in good spirits.

06:20What did you want to know about him?

06:22Did he say anything to you?

06:24Did you try and pump him up?

06:25Or does that happen?

06:27Or do you guys just leave each other alone before matches?

06:29Yeah.

06:30I mean, he, like, dabbed me up.

06:32Like, great job.

06:33I saw him and his dad.

06:34I mean, they're great.

06:35And I saw Foe, too.

06:36And it's the same thing.

06:37Like, tell him, all right, I did my part.

06:40Now it's your turn, you know?

06:41Like, we want, I mean, I want all three of us in the quarterfinals, you know?

06:46I mean, it would be amazing for American tennis to have all three of us there.

06:50Thank you.

06:51It's good to follow up.

06:53Do you have a question?

06:56Sorry.

06:57Yeah.

06:58Specifically with Ben, what would that be like out there together, here in particular,

07:08playing each other for a semifinal spot?

07:11It would be awesome.

07:13I mean, I, it's not like, it's just a tennis court, you know?

07:18It's, I mean, give us anywhere and we'll play a great match.

07:24I'm convinced.

07:25And I think it's more, like, for the people who are US tennis supporters that really want

07:32to see that.

07:33I mean, we want to win.

07:34Like, we want to play each other.

07:36He wants to beat me.

07:37I want to beat him.

07:38We don't care where we play, like, anything like that.

07:41We're competitive guys.

07:42But US tennis hasn't seen this in a while.

07:45So, I'm excited for that.

07:47And if I could ask, if we pretend for a moment that it's not him, if you could kind of size

07:54up the matchup against Carlos.

07:56Yes, I mean, we played actually here not even a year ago at the, at the Olympics.

08:01And I felt like I played a decent match.

08:06I know a lot of things that I could have done better.

08:08And I had a couple set points, I think, in the second set.

08:11Ended up losing in straights.

08:12Obviously, the guy can play amazing tennis here.

08:15I mean, defending champion and everything.

08:17But, I mean, I think we would go into the match with some, with some good new ideas.

08:23Thank you.

08:25Thank you.

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