Tennis News

Medvedev: 'I Don't Like To Live In The Past'

When Daniil Medvedev arrived at the 2019 Rolex Paris Masters, he had made the final at six straight tournaments he played. The Russian was the talk of the tennis world. As the third seed prepares for the final ATP Masters 1000 of the season this year, he has no intention of looking back.

“I don’t really like to live in the past. Either it was good or bad, I want to move on. I want to think more about the future,” Medvedev said. “What I’m doing in the present, when I’m in practice or a match, I just want to do the best I can. So in the future it will also help. Even if you lose some matches, if you work hard then in the future it’s going to come back.”

Medvedev won four titles from nine finals last year. He is still trying to reach his first championship match of 2020.

“Of course the higher you go, the tougher it is,” Medvedev said. “I want to say that even if I lost something, I for sure won something, also. I try to progress every day, and then to see, to look for the future.”

The good news is Medvedev is still the No. 5 player in the FedEx ATP Rankings and it’s not like he hasn’t enjoyed impressive results. The Russian made his second Grand Slam semi-final at the US Open, where he lost against eventual champion Dominic Thiem.

“I’m feeling not so bad. Of course, [my] confidence could be a little bit higher when you go further in the tournaments. But physically and mentally I feel ready for the end of the season. I don’t feel burnt out, so that’s the most important [thing],” Medvedev said. “I’m ready to fight and ready to show my best.”

Medvedev, who has already qualified for his second consecutive appearance at the Nitto ATP Finals, has time to make a splash before the season ends. As far as how much progress he feels he has made, the 24-year-old believes it is tough to say because of the COVID-19 pandemic, causing a five-month suspension of the ATP Tour and altering the schedule.

“When we came back it was [a] different situation. It still is. Tournaments are still a little bit different,” Medvedev said. “It was tougher to, in one way, schedule the season. When I say this, usually you know how the season goes. You have your preseason, then you play tournaments. You know when you go to vacation. You know when you come back from vacation.

“This season is really different. So it’s tough to compare to other seasons. So talking about me as a player, I’m trying to progress every day.”

Medvedev will play two-time Grand Slam finalist Kevin Anderson or lucky loser Laslo Djere in his first match at Paris-Bercy.

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Paris Masters: Britain's Joe Salisbury withdrawn after Covid-19 contact

British doubles player Joe Salisbury is withdrawn from the Paris Masters after “sustained close contact” with someone who is Covid-19 positive.

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My Masters 1000: David Goffin

David Goffin made his ATP Masters 1000 debut at the 2012 Miami Open presented by Itau and has since reached five semi-finals and one championship match at the level. The Belgian, who will open his Rolex Paris Masters campaign against Norbert Gombos, spoke to ATPTour.com on Sunday about his favourite Masters 1000 memories, the trophy he would most like to lift and the biggest victory he has earned across the nine elite events.

Which ATP Masters 1000 host city is your favourite and why?
It is not an easy question because the Masters 1000 [events] are always super nice tournaments. If I had to pick one, I would have to say Monte Carlo. It is probably the nicest centre court you can see on Tour with the sea. The sun is coming back in Europe and it is the beginning of the clay season, so it is quite nice after Miami to go back to Europe and start to compete there.

Which Masters 1000 would you most like to win?
I would say Indian Wells because, for me, even if it is in the same category as the other ones, it looks a little bit bigger. With the stadium and the facilities, everything just looks a little bit better. It looks big. For me, it is like a fifth Grand Slam.

Do you remember your Masters 1000 debut, when it was and where?
I won my first round before playing Nicolas Almagro [at 2012 Miami]. I was already very happy to be in the main draw for the first time. I was playing well and that year I won the [Le Gosier] Challenger right after and then I played well at Roland Garros. It gave me a lot of confidence there to qualify and win a match in the main draw. I played a great match. Almagro was better, he was playing so well at that moment, but I always had good memories and played well in Miami.

What do you consider to be your best Masters 1000 win?
In Monte Carlo, the win against Novak Djokovic [in 2017] was a great match and had a great atmosphere on a great centre court. I was playing very well and I made a good result. I lost to Rafael Nadal in the semi-finals. Everything was there, so it is one of the greatest memories I have there.

What is your favourite off-court memory at a Masters 1000?
I love playing golf and [Indian Wells] is probably the week I play the most. It is a golf paradise there. Sometimes I try to go and play golf when I am not on the court. I have to go quick after my practice sessions. I take the car and I go to the golf course.

What is your dream match at a Masters 1000 (who would you play & at which tournament)?
It is not easy to say, but I would say Novak in the Indian Wells final. It is the best challenge you can have. He won those tournaments so many times, Indian Wells and Miami. I played him in the semi-finals in Miami [in 2016]. It was a very good match. If it were in the final of Indian Wells, it would be even better to have that challenge. Or it would be Rafa in the final of Monte Carlo.

Toughest match you’ve played at a Masters 1000?
When I played Rafa in the Monte Carlo semi-finals it was just too good. I played Andy Murray when he was playing very well in Shanghai [in 2016]. I felt that it was very tough for me. I have never beaten Novak on hard courts at a Masters 1000. Those ones were the toughest I would say.

Greatest match you’ve ever seen at a Masters 1000 event?
Before it was best-of-five sets in the final… The match between Roger Federer and Rafa in Rome [in 2006]. I don’t know how many hours they played, but [there were] match points saved and, at the end, Rafa won. This is one of the most exciting matches I saw.

What’s the toughest part about the Masters 1000 events?
It is the best players in the world. From the first round until the end, you have a tough opponent… You have to be sharp from the start. It is very tough because you have a lot of matches, sometimes six or seven matches in a week. It can be very tough physically, especially when you go to end of the week and it could be Novak, Rafa and Roger from Friday to Sunday. It is very tough and the toughest part is you physically and mentally have to be sharp from the start.

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Coric Solid On Serve In Paris; Lopez To Play Nadal

Borna Coric, the No. 15 seed, knuckled down to beat Hungarian qualifier Marton Fucsovics for the third time on Monday at the Rolex Paris Masters.

The Croatian produced a quality serving performance to win 7-6(5), 6-1 in one hour and 46 minutes for a place in the second round where he’ll meet Australian Jordan Thompson or Federico Delbonis of Argentina. Coric won 35 of his 48 first-service points.

“It was not an easy match and every time we have played it’s been very tough,” said Coric, in a post-match interview. “It’s always been a very physical match. In the tie-break, I went for my shots that maybe weren’t logical, but it paid off. In the second set, I started to play much better and played at quite a high level at the end. I played one bad game at 2-1 in the first set, when I missed two first serves, but pretty much the rest of the time I was serving huge. I feel like I’m starting to play some good tennis.”

After an early exchange of service breaks, Fucsovics locked in and led 3/0 in the tie-break before a concentration lapse let Coric back into their third ATP Head2Head meeting. Fucsovics hit a backhand long to end the 62-minute opener, then Coric raced to a 3-0 lead in the second set en route to his 16th match win of the 2020 season.

World No. 24 Coric recently reached the St. Petersburg Open final (l. to Rublev) for the second straight year. Fucsovics drops to a 14-10 match record in 2020.

Elsewhere, 39-year-old Feliciano Lopez set up a second-round match against fellow Spaniard and World No. 2 Rafael Nadal after a 7-6(11), 6-1 win over Filip Krajinovic of Serbia. Lopez saved six set points at 3/6, 6/7, 8/9 and 10/11 in the first-set tie-break.

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Millman Returns To Top 40, Mover Of Week

No. 38 John Millman, +7
The Australian, who captured his first ATP Tour trophy at the Astana Open (d. Mannarino), has risen seven places to No. 38 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. The Australian was forced to save two match points against Tommy Paul in the Nur-Sultan quarter-finals. He is the fifth player to lift his first ATP Tour trophy in 2020, but remains five places off his career-high of No. 33 on 15 October 2018. Read Nur-Sultan Final Report

No. 32 Lorenzo Sonego, +10 (Career High)
The Italian, who started the season at No. 52 in the FedEx ATP Rankings, rose 10 places to a career-high No. 32 after he reached his second ATP Tour final. The 25-year-old, who qualified for the Erste Bank Open, improved to 1-3 lifetime against Top 10 players with a shock 6-2, 6-1 win over World No. 1 Novak Djokovic in the quarter-finals, but lost to Andrey Rublev in the Vienna final. Read Vienna Final Report & Watch Highlights

View Latest FedEx ATP Rankings

Other Notable Top 100 Movers
No. 5 Daniil Medvedev, +1
No. 18 Grigor Dimitrov +2
No. 55 Tommy Paul, +4 (Career High)
No. 60 Frances Tiafoe, +4
No. 73 Vasek Pospisil, +8
No. 77 Egor Gerasimov, +6
No. 82 Pedro Martinez, +11 (Career High)
No. 84 Emil Ruusuvuori, +14 (Career High)
No. 86 Kevin Anderson, +25

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Daniel Claims First Indoor Title In Hamburg

A LOOK BACK
Tennis Challenger Hamburg presented by Tannenhof (Hamburg, Germany): Taro Daniel started well and he finished even stronger. In January, the 27-year-old kicked off 2020 with a title in Burnie, Australia, and on Sunday, he concluded his ATP Challenger Tour campaign with another crown. Daniel dominated in Hamburg to cap the season in impressive fashion. He routed Sebastian Ofner 6-1, 6-2 to lift the trophy.

It was the seventh Challenger title in total for the Japanese and his first indoor crown. After earning a pair of deciding-set victories to open the week, Daniel dropped a combined eight games to streak past the finish line. He needed just 70 minutes to blitz Ofner in Sunday’s championship.

“I had a great week in Hamburg and kept developing my play,” said Daniel. “Today I made it very difficult for my opponent and never let him get into the game. I am very happy and hope that I can take the momentum with me into the next tournament.”

Under the tutelage of Sven Groeneveld, Daniel rises eight spots to No. 114 in the FedEx ATP Rankings. Two years removed from reaching a career-high No. 64, when he captured his lone ATP Tour title in Istanbul, the Japanese is mounting another charge towards the Top 100.

AnyTech365 Marbella Open (Marbella, Spain): The Puente Romano Club was the centre of Spanish tennis on Sunday, as home hopes Pedro Martinez and Jaume Munar battled for the Marbella title. Martinez would cap a strong week on the clay of the AnyTech365 Marbella Open with a 7-6(4), 6-2 victory.

Two weeks after finishing runner-up to another Spaniard, Carlos Alcaraz, in Alicante, the 23-year-old was hungry to emerge with the trophy. He dropped just one set all tournament, concluding with straight-set wins over recent Iasi champion Carlos Taberner and recent Lisbon winner Munar.

“This title means a lot to me,” said Martinez. “It was the icing on the cake to a good year. I have had a negative balance in Challenger finals, but to be able to win here in Spain gives me a lot of confidence. The truth is that I feel very satisfied.”

That ‘negative balance’ Martinez mentioned was a 1-3 career record in finals on the ATP Challenger Tour, entering the week. Two years after lifting his lone previous trophy on the circuit, in Bastad, the Spaniard made the most of his week in Marbella. He rises 11 spots to a career-high No. 82 in the FedEx ATP Rankings.

Martinez has been a breakout star since the tour’s restart in August. He secured his first ATP Masters 1000 match win in Rome, where he also earned his first victory over a Top 50 opponent (d. Querrey). Then, the 23-year-old battled to the third round at Roland Garros as a qualifier to make his Top 100 debut. And he concludes his season in style, reaching back-to-back Challenger finals and lifting the trophy in Marbella.

A LOOK AHEAD
Lorenzo Musetti returns on home soil in Parma, competing in his first indoor hard-court tournament since February. He is joined by top seed Gregoire Barrere, J.J. Wolf and a pair of fellow 18-year-olds in Giulio Zeppieri and Jack Draper.

The week’s other tournament will be held on the carpet courts of Eckental, Germany, where Kamil Majchrzak leads the field. Alexei Popyrin is seeded second, while Ilya Ivashka and Evgeny Donskoy are also in action. Sebastian Korda will look to carry the momentum from a fourth-round finish at Roland Garros. The #NextGenATP star remains in search of his maiden Challenger crown.

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Scouting Report: 10 Things To Watch In Paris

This week’s Rolex Paris Masters is the final ATP Masters 1000 event of the season. There is a lot at stake, with the Nitto ATP Finals singles and doubles fields still to be completed.

World No. 2 Rafael Nadal leads the way as he attempts to win his third title of 2020 and his 87th tour-level trophy overall. If the Spaniard wins his opening match at Paris-Bercy, he will hit the 1,000-win milestone. 

ATPTour.com looks at 10 things you should know ahead of the tournament.

Paris Draws: Singles | Doubles

1) Nadal’s Pursuit: Nadal will try to win his first Rolex Paris Masters title. The Spaniard has enjoyed success in Paris-Bercy, reaching at least the quarter-finals in his seven previous appearances. But he has not yet lifted the ‘Tree of Fanti’ trophy. Nadal can tie Novak Djokovic’s record if he wins his 36th Masters 1000 title. The lefty will begin his run against Serbian Filip Krajinovic or countryman Feliciano Lopez.

2) Super Tsitsipas: Reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion Stefanos Tsitsipas will make his third appearance at this event. The Greek star made the quarter-finals last year before falling short against Novak Djokovic. He will start his pursuit of a first Masters 1000 title against home favourite Ugo Humbert or Norwegian No. 1 Casper Ruud.

3) Red-Hot Rublev: Nobody carries as much momentum into Paris as Andrey Rublev. Since play restarted in August, the Russian has won three ATP 500 titles (Hamburg, St. Petersburg and Vienna) and he leads the ATP Tour with five tour-level trophies in 2020. The fifth seed, who will play Hubert Hurkacz or lucky loser Radu Albot in his opening match, is trying to win his first match at this tournament (0-2).

4) FedEx ATP Battle For London: Only one singles spot remains at the Nitto ATP Finals after Rublev triumphed in Vienna on Sunday to guarantee his spot. Currently in pole position is Argentine Diego Schwartzman, who is trying to earn his first berth in the season finale. The Rolex Paris Masters sixth seed will play Frenchman Richard Gasquet or American Taylor Fritz in his opening match. Italian Matteo Berrettini, who competed at The O2 last year, is 210 points behind Schwartzman.

5) Medvedev Indoors: Third seed Daniil Medvedev has won three of his past five ATP Tour titles indoors. Will he make it four indoor titles by triumphing in Paris? The two-time Masters 1000 champion is 1-2 at Paris-Bercy, but he owns a 63.6 winning percentage indoors. The Russian will begin his tournament against Kevin Anderson, the man who beat him in Vienna, or lucky loser Laslo Djere.

6) Former Champ Khachanov: The only former singles champion in the field is big-hitting Russian Karen Khachanov. In 2018, he lost just one set during a magical run to his maiden Masters 1000 title. Khachanov earned four consecutive Top 10 wins to triumph, culminating with a victory against Djokovic in the final. This year, Khachanov opens against qualifier Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.

7) French Wild Cards: Four French hopes received wild cards into their home Masters 1000 event: Benjamin Bonzi, Hugo Gaston, Pierre-Hugues Herbert and Corentin Moutet. Last year, Moutet, who had qualified, pushed Djokovic to a first-set tie-break in the second round. Herbert will be competing in the main draw for the seventh time.

8) Gaston & Paris: One of the breakout stars in Paris less than two months ago at Roland Garros was #NextGenATP Frenchman Gaston. The 20-year-old lefty thrilled fans from around the world with his drop shots and overall creativity en route to the fourth round, in which he lost a five-set thriller against two-time finalist Dominic Thiem. Gaston won a round in Rolex Paris Masters qualifying last year and he will make his main draw debut this edition against ninth seed Pablo Carreno Busta.

9) Doubles Battle: The FedEx ATP Battle For London is heating up on the doubles side with four spots remaining at the Nitto ATP Finals. The four teams currently in those qualifying positions are all competing in Paris: Wesley Koolhof/Nikola Mektic, John Peers/Michael Venus, Jamie Murray/Neal Skupski and Lukasz Kubot/Marcelo Melo. Kubot/Melo, who beat Murray/Skupski in the Vienna final, could play them again in the second round in Paris.

10) Singles Stars Playing Doubles: Several singles stars have entered the Paris doubles draw, including Tsitsipas, Medvedev, Alexander Zverev, Felix Auger-Aliassime and Alex de Minaur. The top seeds are Robert Farah/Horacio Zeballos and the second seeds are reigning US Open champions Mate Pavic and Bruno Soares.

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Why Heavy-Hearted Rublev Is As Motivated As Ever

Nobody on the ATP Tour is hotter than Andrey Rublev. With his Erste Bank Open triumph on Sunday, the Russian lifted a Tour-leading fifth title in 2020 and he is now tied with World No. 1 Novak Djokovic for the most victories this season with 39.

Judging by his on-court efforts, you’d never know he’s playing with a heavy heart. Last month, his grandmother passed away.

“This tournament is really special for me because my grandma was also Austrian, so I have Austrian blood,” Rublev said during the trophy ceremony. “It’s a really special title for me.”

Rublev spent a lot of time living with his grandparents growing up, especially during his school years. His grandmother was one of the most important people in his life.

“The school was right next to the house of my grandparents. I was always living with them,” Rublev said. “Grandpa was always driving me to tennis practice and then my mom was coaching me during the tennis practices. Then grandpa was driving me back home and grandma was always preparing the food, doing homework with me. She was one of the main people in my life.”

Rublev was born in Russia and his grandmother moved out of Austria when she was young. But his family connection, especially given her recent passing, made triumphing in Vienna even more special.

“We were thinking to [get] Austrian passports, but when we realised I am able to do it, it was too late, 20 years later, something like that,” Rublev said, cracking a laugh. “In the end it’s nice because my grandma has a sister and they are living in Vienna. It’s a nice story.”

It’s extra motivation for Rublev, who has enjoyed the best season of his career. The 23-year-old began the year with two ATP Tour titles and now he has seven. With his Vienna victory, he guaranteed himself a spot at the Nitto ATP Finals, to take place from 15-22 November at The O2 in London.

“Of course I would not believe it [at the beginning of the season], but in the end it happened and I’m really grateful for that,” Rublev said. “I’m really grateful to all the people who are around me, to my team, all my friends who are always surrounding me because at the end they make me who I am and without them for sure I would not be able to do it.”

The World No. 8 is the fifth Russian singles player to qualify for the Nitto ATP Finals in the event’s 50-year history.

“I’m happy that I will compete in London for the first time. I’m really looking forward [to it],” Rublev said. “There are still so many things I need to improve and it’s going to be a really good challenge for me to see what exactly I need to improve to be at that level, to be able to compete against the top eight players. It’s going to be a great experience for me.”

Rublev has shown he belongs amongst the sport’s elite this season. Just this week, the Russian defeated World No. 3 Dominic Thiem in straight sets at the Austrian’s home event. While he has big dreams like many players, Rublev won’t stray from the formula that has gotten him this far.

“Of course I think for all of us the goal is to be No. 1, to try to win Grand Slams,” Rublev said. “But of course I try to be realistic and now the main thing for me if I want to be a better player is to improve the things I am missing, [the things] that I can do better and I should do better. If I want to be on the next level, I need to improve them.”

The right-hander consistently speaks more about how much he needs to improve compared to discussing the success he is having. Rublev knows that to stay at this level and continue ascending the FedEx ATP Rankings, he cannot rest on his laurels.

“I’m not expecting nothing. I just want to do my job as best as I can, to enjoy tennis, because this is what I really love,” Rublev said. “Of course these results give me confidence that I’m on the right [path], that I’m doing more or less the right things. Of course I can do better and I should do better, but it gives me confidence that me and my team and my friends are moving in the right direction. We’ll see what’s going to happen next. I’m really looking forward [to it].”

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How A Vacation With Giannis Antetokounmpo Inspired Tsitsipas

Stefanos Tsitsipas has achieved Greek history during his opening years on the ATP Tour and is one of the most recognisable athletes from his country.

But a recent vacation with one of the other leading sports stars in his country — two-time NBA Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo — has inspired the Greek ahead of his final events of the year on the ATP Tour.

Tsitsipas and Antetokounmpo spent time together in Athens last month, shortly after the reigning Nitto ATP Finals champion’s semi-final run at Roland Garros. The 22-year-old used the time not only to recover from a leg injury, but also to seek advice from Antetokounmpo about his experiences competing in elite sport.

“I had a really good time with Giannis, and once again, I understood how humble and what a nice guy he is,” said Tsitsipas. “I think there was plenty for me to learn from him. The fact that we are both playing different sports at such a high level [means] we have a lot of things that we [can] relate [to].

“I was very happy to talk with him and discuss the differences of our sports, work ethics and just basically our lives. I had a very good time with him. I met his wife, I met his little son that was born a few months ago. Overall, it was a great experience.”

Forget all these stuff, give me some of your skills @Giannis_An34!

☺️?? pic.twitter.com/2zZmUzI2W7

— Stefanos Tsitsipas (@StefTsitsipas) October 25, 2020

The 2020 ATP Tour season has proven to be a mental and physical challenge for players. The Tour suspension due to the COVID-19 pandemic halted Tsitsipas’ great run of form, which included back-to-back final appearances in Marseille (d. Auger-Aliassime) and Dubai (l. to Djokovic).

But by taking time away from the sport, like he did recently with Milwaukee Bucks star Antetokounmpo, Tsitsipas has gained a greater understanding of how he can continue to elevate his game during this difficult period.

”I’m still trying to improve in all of departments. I wouldn’t say necessarily I have become better [this year] and that was also something I discussed with Giannis once I was in Greece having my vacation: how sometimes there comes a moment where you feel like you’re reaching your limits, but then there are certain things where you do things wiser and you don’t overtrain.

”Little things like this that [don’t] necessarily make you elevate your game, because, for sure, there is a maximum at some point. You [can’t] be ‘God mode’. It’s impossible for a human being to do that.”

 

View this post on Instagram

 

What did i get my self into ??? #The3Musketeers

A post shared by Giannis Ugo Antetokounmpo (@giannis_an34) on Oct 15, 2020 at 3:58pm PDT

One area where Tsitsipas believes he has clearly improved in 2020 is in his mental approach to the sport. The second seed in Paris has kept his composure in tough moments and earned his first comeback from two sets down against Jaume Munar at Roland Garros in September.

”I think this year my attitude has improved a lot,” said Tsitsipas. “My tranquility and how calm I am on the court has given me a lot of match [wins] and also a lot of confidence [to keep] believing in myself when tough situations show up in a match.”

Tsitsipas is excited to have another opportunity to play on the ATP Tour in Paris. The Athens native is making his third straight appearance at the ATP Masters 1000 event and will open his campaign against Antwerp champion Ugo Humbert or Casper Ruud.

”I feel good. I don’t feel exhausted, because I have not played that many tournaments this year, so I don’t really have a reason to be exhausted,” said Tsitsipas. “The part that makes it more tiring than usual is the virus itself and all the things that keep showing up and the changes that are happening. I would say that is the biggest challenge that we are facing right now.

”But tournaments, I would love to play every single week, honestly. If I could play every single week, I would sign up in a tournament every single week and play. But, for sure, I’m trying to keep my body at a good balance, not overdo it and put emphasis and attention on the important tournaments.”

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First-Time Winner Spotlight: John Millman

John Millman entered the Astana Open with a 4-7 record since the resumption of the ATP Tour in August. But the Australian battled hard throughout his week in Nur-Sultan to improve with each match and capture his maiden ATP Tour title.

Millman, who was forced to save two match points in his quarter-final victory against Tommy Paul, is the fifth player to capture an ATP Tour trophy in 2020 after standing a point from elimination. The 31-year-old is also the fifth player to capture his maiden tour-level trophy this season, following in the footsteps of Ugo Humbert (Auckland), Casper Ruud (Buenos Aires), Thiago Seyboth Wild (Santiago) and Miomir Kecmanovic (Kitzbühel).

ATPTour.com caught up with the World No. 45 after his victory to talk about his week in Nur-Sultan, his tough journey to success and the key figures who helped him on his way to his first ATP Tour crown.

What does it mean to you to win your first ATP Tour title?
I am so relieved. I am happy. It has been third time lucky for me. That was my third final and I am just thrilled. There are a lot of people back home that have put in a lot of hard work and I am just glad that I can be the accumulation of that work.

Do you think the experience of playing in two previous finals helped you to get across the line today?
Probably not. It probably builds a bit more pressure. [You put] more pressure on yourself. All week, I have played quite free. I have really enjoyed the conditions here and the hospitality that the Kazakhstan Tennis Federation has shown. It has really motivated me to extend my stay and make the most of this experience. I am glad that I won it today. It would have played on my mind if I hadn’t, but it is always tough when you play against Adrian Mannarino.

When you faced two match points against Tommy Paul in the quarter-finals, what were you thinking in those moments and how does it feel to be holding your first ATP Tour title after coming so close to defeat?
When I was facing those match points in the quarter-finals, I wouldn’t have thought that a couple of days later I would be lifting the trophy. But it is something that I have built my brand on, I guess. It is the one thing I can control: to never say die and never quit the fight.

I was lucky that I managed to get through that one. I am really lucky. Tommy was playing some good tennis and probably deserved to win, but it is funny. Sometimes when you are so close to going out of a tournament, it is funny how quickly you can turn that around. It just goes to show you are never out of a fight until it is over.

During the ATP Tour suspension, you spoke about not wanting to stagnate as a player. How do you believe you have grown as both a player and a person this year and how satisfying is it to reach this goal after everything that has happened in 2020?
Something that I definitely wanted to do was to win an ATP Tour title. I have obviously won lots of Challengers and I have done well in Tour events and at Grand Slams, but it is a whole other thing to make that breakthrough and to win an ATP Tour title. That was definitely one of the goals, so it is very satisfying to get to that goal.

It has been a testing year and it has been a really trying year… [From] family letting me use their backyard court to do a bit of practice on during the peak of COVID-19 in Queensland to this long slog that we have experienced in this bubble lifestyle. It is not tennis as we know it, but I have appreciated everyone and their efforts for making tennis possible. Whether that is back home in the backyard or over here.

I have always looked to improve. You have to at this level. You can’t stand still. There are so many very talented players knocking on the door and you have got to continue to improve and continually get better. I think the key thing this year is to try to mentally stay with it because you can go a little bit crazy.

It has been a long trip and I haven’t been home since before [the Western & Southern Open] due to the restrictions and quarantine measures that Australia has put in place. It has been a really long trip and it is nice to get the reward after enduring a battle like that.

Could you take a moment to acknowledge some of the key figures in your life and career who have helped you to reach this milestone in your career?
It is definitely my mum and dad, for sure. They never forced me to play tennis at a young age, but they always encouraged me. They have always been such positive role models. Some of my friends and family have been unbelievable supporters and I have been lucky to have supporters outside of my friends and family that not only support you in good times like now, but in tough times when you are coming back from injury or maybe you are not winning so many matches. That, for me, is a true supporter and I have got plenty of them.

I have got to mention the missus, she has been unbelievable. It is a shame because she has been travelling a bit more with me and it is a shame she is not here this week. All the coaches I have had throughout my time, whether that is Milton Rothman or Gary Stickler back in the day when I was growing up or someone like Peter Luczak, who has been doing more weeks on the road with me recently. It is a shame he is not here, because he has been working so hard with me since [the Western & Southern Open] and putting in the hours. This is a sweet moment and I guess we will have a beer when we see each other next week in Bercy.

You were out for almost a year after shoulder surgery in 2013 and also had groin surgery in 2017. Was there a moment in your career where you thought this day might not come?
For sure. I have had two shoulder surgeries and one groin surgery. After the second shoulder surgery, I was working in the city part-time at a brokerage firm. Tennis was one of the last things on my mind and I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to come back, be able to play or be able to get back to any type of level that I was at before.

I have had some really good people around me, whether it was my surgeon, my strength and conditioning coaches or my therapist. They have helped me and have really given me that confidence in myself that I could get back and I could compete at a high level. I am extremely grateful that they have taken part in this journey and I am just hopeful that I have given them some things to cheer about along the way.

We know you enjoy music and other sports. What do you consider to be your biggest passion outside of tennis and can you tell us a little bit about that interest?
My biggest passion changes. I love watching Liverpool, I love watching the Las Vegas Raiders, I love a bit of NFL. During [the pandemic], I have really enjoyed golf. One of my biggest achievements aside from winning the Astana Open was to become the C-Grade club champion at Brisbane Golf Club. My photo is up there as the C-Grade club champion. It is nothing to write home about. I have played a bit of golf during the COVID-19 period and I think it is just really important to get that release outside of tennis.

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