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THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 14, 2019

Gustavo Fernandez

Wimbledon, London, England

G. FERNANDEZ/S. Kunieda

4-6, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Finally after two losses in the final, you are a Wimbledon champion at last. How does that feel?
GUSTAVO FERNANDEZ: Unbelievable, unbelievable. Actually I still can't believe. I think my mind is not processing right right now. I'm just too emotional.

I work really, really hard for this. To achieve it, it feels unreal. So I'm really, really happy. I will try to take these emotions and try to enjoy it a lot.

Q. What makes grass so hard to play on?
GUSTAVO FERNANDEZ: Well...

Q. Or different?
GUSTAVO FERNANDEZ: It has a lot of variety. It's hard to keep the same idea and not change it all the time because the bounce is not the same, you cannot run as good as the other surfaces.

I like to build the game before. I like to play long rallies or more long rallies, try to build the game from there. So in grass, we don't have much chance to do that. You have to go straightaway to take the shot.

It makes it a little bit different. But once you get used to do that, learn how it works, it has its charms.

Q. It was an incredible comeback after the first set. When did the switch happen for you? There was a clear momentum shift watching it.
GUSTAVO FERNANDEZ: Well, I was trying to get on the match. I think I wasn't strong enough with the idea in the first set. I think I was playing good, but not tactically enough, strong enough.

I think I was changing too much, and he was taking too many spots. I wasn't hitting the ball as hard. When I lost the set, at the end of the set, it has already changed.

Once the set was done, I thought to myself, I've been here two times, I know what I have to do, if I want to do it right. I'm not going to wait one more time. I'm going to start to try to hit the best I can and keep focused on the idea that we had with my team. If it works, good. If not, good for him.

It start to pay out. I think after that I started to get more confident. Then I took the lead. At the first, he was playing better than me.

Q. Third final, third three-setter. Has anybody told you you can actually win in straight sets?
GUSTAVO FERNANDEZ: No (smiling). I guess it's part of winning here, you know.

I'm just happy that I did it. I don't care the way. I just think I played great tennis and I deserve it today.

Q. Talking about another three: three out of four this year. There's one more left. You crossed the line here at Wimbledon. US Open you've been a finalist before.
GUSTAVO FERNANDEZ: We'll see. We'll see. I don't know. I'm just very happy that I pulled this week out because I was really, really, really -- I really wanted to win here. It was something that I proposed to myself couple years ago when I saw that I had the chances.

I think today it's enjoyable day. We will think tomorrow about the future.

Q. After two three-set finals against Stefan, anything you changed last year in terms of your approach coming here, trying to get the title?
GUSTAVO FERNANDEZ: I think the experience helps a lot. I'm playing a lot better this year than I was maybe the years before. But also it's the work of every year. I think the first two finals that I lost, they're also in the back when I won today. They're part of the process. It's a process.

I tried to skip stages, but I think sometimes you got to go through them and learn from them. Once you know it, you try to do different than the mistake I did last year. I think I did it very well today.

Q. Who were the children you were celebrating with on court?
GUSTAVO FERNANDEZ: It was my two nephews and my son's coach -- my coach sons, sorry. I'm really happy to share with them because it's the first time my brother came to see me live, to play.

Q. You talked about Shingo, the inspiration he has been for you over the years. When was the first time you became aware of him and his incredible record?
GUSTAVO FERNANDEZ: Since I learned from wheelchair tennis. I heard it maybe in 2006. He wasn't No. 1 in the world at that time, but I watch videos on YouTube. He was coming up. Then in 2007, he get to No. 1.

I saw him for the first time in the World Team Cup. He was the one that raised the level up. He changed the sport. He's a sport changer. We look up to him during my whole life. We learn from him, then we try to do our personal work.

I think that's why it's absolute honor to play against him. He make me a better player. I think I push him, too, to try to be better.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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