ROLAND GARROS

October 3, 2020

Daniel Elahi Galan

Press Conference

N. DJOKOVIC/D.E. Galan

6-0, 6-3, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You spoke the other day about what it might feel like being out there. I'm wondering what it did feel like being out there in Chatrier against Novak Djokovic?

DANIEL ELAHI GALAN: Hello. Everything felt different. Like the court was huge, like huge, huge, huge. And it was the first time I was playing stadium that big in my life (smiling). I just, at the beginning, just felt like I didn't know where I was standing, like nothing, you know.

Also I was playing him that -- I don't know. Of course he's superior than me, but you also feel like you have to make everything perfect or you will lose 0, 0, and 0. And I was 0 and 2-0 and I was worried about it.

But, yeah, later I was able to enjoy this a little bit.

Q. What about the way he plays, he moves, he hits the ball? What was the thing that left the strongest impression on you?

DANIEL ELAHI GALAN: Read the forehand. You watch videos and you watch him on TV, and like, I don't know. It seems like he's not playing that fast, like he's playing a lot heavy, you know, like with a lot of spin. But today it was like a rocket, every forehand.

I was not able to even react. I don't know. Maybe I was not moving. I don't know (smiling). It's confusing, but seriously I felt like he was a rocket every time he was hitting his forehand.

I actually felt more comfortable when I was playing to his backhand, because he was going deep but at least he was, like the speed of the backhand it was like something I could, like I could adjust, you know.

But the forehand, I couldn't. He was winner down the line, winner cross, and it was just really hard.

Q. Were you surprised that you played with the roof open while it was raining? Did you think about stopping? When you sort of slipped there, Novak walked to the sideline and basically said, Okay, we can't play anymore. Seemed like you were going to keep going even though you had slipped there.

DANIEL ELAHI GALAN: Yeah, well, the point before, after I finished the point, I told the umpire, It's, like, really wet. I'm starting to, I don't know, to -- yeah. It's getting slippery. He said, No, but for me it seems fine. But then it happened.

I don't know. Maybe he didn't believe me. I don't know. But, I mean, that's, to be honest, it was just one point, but doesn't really matter.