	products recent interviews FastScripts archive about ASAP Sports

Our Clients:

Browse by Sport

Find us on

Subscribe to RSS

Click to go to
Asaptext.com

View our
e-Brochure

ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2019

Antoine Hoang

Paris, France

A. HOANG/D. Dzumhur

6-4, 0-6, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. This is a first Grand Slam match, first win. What is in your head?
ANTOINE HOANG: A lot of things are happening. It's a first, as said.

And I did not expect a win. I did everything to have this result. But when one has such a victory, it's a lot of pleasure. I've been expecting this for a long time. I've been practicing for this result. I'm relieved.

And the show must go on, and I hope that it will go as long as possible.

Q. Lionel told me that you tried to remain level-headed. Your joy was quite controlled. You did not explode out of joy, but it seemed that you're boiling inside. How do you manage to balance this attacking game with your brainy temper?
ANTOINE HOANG: It's true that I'm quite introverted ever since my early age. On court I try to play the game, and this is quite contradictory.

But being introverted helps me to keep some discipline, some consistency. At the end of sets, for instance, at crucial points, I manage to go ahead to remain cool, and this is how I got the result I wanted.

Q. Your opponent was showing a lot of emotions. It was even painful at times. Is it hard to keep your emotions? Did you not look at him?
ANTOINE HOANG: I tried to stay focused. And I told myself, if he's reacting like this, if he's angry for just a moment, it's just because he was nervous. And I thought, then I'm not the only one with all these emotions.

The more he was upset with everything, the better it was for me. And the crowd supported me very much, actually, and didn't like him that much in the end, so it was great.

Actually, it did help me to stay poised, composed.

Q. You talked about a mental coach before such a Grand Slam. On what did you work with her?
ANTOINE HOANG: The aim was to approach the match, to try to reach my targets. I don't have so many, but the aim was to stay focused on my objectives. To encourage myself from the beginning to the end, even if there are mistakes, even if the match is not perfect.

During the second set, I don't know what I did. I made a lot of mistakes. And then during the third set, I tried to be up again.

Even if he broke me, I tried to be up again. I tried to hold my own. The public reacted well.

I've been working on this on a daily basis, how to keep a positive mindset. I like to have attacking shots, so sometimes I make mistakes and it's hard to follow this mentally because you may wonder, Why are you making such mistakes? And this is actually what I think about myself too. I try to be stable and composed, mentally speaking.

Q. You had a first win in Montpellier. Now you have a Grand Slam win. What will it change in terms of points?
ANTOINE HOANG: The aim is to be part of the top 100. By the end of the year, I will have more points. I don't know which ranking I will have. Financially it will also help me to pay a structure and to invest in my project and to have more coaches, with a tennis coach, with a physical coach, on a more consistent basis. I will talk about it with my staff, if it's good for me.

But, yes, it's a source of motivation, as well, because working all year long we see then, in the end, that it pays off and this is a good incentive. It actually compels me to continue next year, and we will see what happens this week.

I have a lot of messages from people who are happy for me. It's a great pleasure to share this with my relatives.

Q. I think you actually have a university degree in sports, so you could teach sports. And you're about to play second round. Was it your aim to pursue your studies? Is it a Plan B? Is it a desire of yours?
ANTOINE HOANG: That's a good question. My parents pushed me to study so that I could have a Plan B. I don't know if it's a good idea. But when one has a project, we should actually push it as far as possible at 20, 21, 22.

And now I'm giving myself 100% to this project. I'm not thinking about teaching with my sports degree. Maybe I'm arriving on the tour later than others, but I still have a lot of beautiful years ahead of me. I can evolve and progress. I do not regret what I have done so far.

Q. What is harder for you? To do a backhand or to clench your fist?
ANTOINE HOANG: Well, as I said, I'm quite introverted, so encouraging myself and showing expressions is not easy for me, but I'm working on it.

The mental fight is important and sharing also emotions with the crowd is important. I'm making efforts to do so. I'm trying to encourage myself when I tend not to. It's very important.

Maybe if I won today it was thanks to this because I encouraged myself.

The objective for the next match is to do the same from beginning to the end. To encourage myself, to be as positive as possible, and to move forward.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

ASAP Sports, Inc. | T: 1.212 385 0297