ROLAND GARROS

September 30, 2020

Diego Schwartzman

Press Conference

D. SCHWARTZMAN/L. Giustino

6-1, 7-5, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just a couple of questions. Matteo Berrettini yesterday was talking about he's getting used to these conditions. He's stringing his racquet differently, three kilos lighter. I wonder, when you made the transition from Rome to Paris and these conditions, have you done anything different with your equipment, tension, anything like that?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Who said that, three kilos' difference?

Q. Matteo Berrettini.

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: No, no, I'm playing with the same strings, same everything, same tension that I played in Rome. I didn't change.

I think obviously many guys are changing the tension, changing a few things to play better here because the conditions are different than the last few years here in Roland Garros because of the weather and because of new balls.

But I didn't change. I didn't change. I'm playing the same way and doing the same things that I did in Rome because I did great, so I don't want to change nothing (smiling).

Q. I'm curious whether you think in retrospect you might have had any kind of advantage in losing early in New York by being able to do well in the clay court season? This turnaround seems to have been tough for people, especially on the women's side who have played deep into the US Open. Do you think that's factoring into the competition?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: No, no. I mean, I want to do my best in all the tournaments. I didn't do really well in US Open. It was not very good for me. A few players did great in US Open and had the different conditions to arrive to Rome and then play here.

But when you are winning matches, obviously you get tired and is not easy to go to the next tournaments. But I was practicing, and I don't like to practice when the competition it's happening. I want to play matches. So after US Open I tried to practice, I tried to improve, I tried to get confidence when I arrived to Rome, and then I'm here on clay. So nothing. I like to play matches.

Q. Just a couple questions on your doubles partner in Paris, Federico, who is currently playing Benoit at the moment. For us who don't really know Federico, what's he like if I said what's the first thing you think of when you think of Federico?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Well, we know each other since we are 10 or 11 years old. We are around, you know, around tennis many, many years, and I know him. I know his family. I know everything, people who is around him and he knows every single one who is around me.

It's great how he's doing maybe the last one year and a half, two years. He's playing well. He's a solid player, a strong player. He's really practicing hard, trying to get confidence in his legs, his rhythm on court.

He's improving. He's top 100 right now, playing really well. I don't know. He was fighting against Benoit the first set, but he's improving.

If he gets the confidence, he's going to improve because sometimes already he's getting nervous and it's a new tournaments, new Roland Garros, first Grand Slam, so it's a new life for him. But I'm really happy to have him around in the same tournaments.

Q. For us who look at his age and he's 28, I believe, making the breakthrough now, others have made that breakthrough before, top 100, around there. Any reason do you think for that? Obviously he's the brother of Guillermo and maybe some comparisons. Why do you think the breakthrough is coming now?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Yeah, at the beginning is not easy for him because of his brother, the comparison and everything was not easy, have Guillermo as a brother. Not because of him, he's a really good guy, but because of what he did in tennis.

But I'm not sure which ones are the keys to break the top 100. Is different for everyone. You can see right now guys with 18, 19, 20, that they are already there. They are winning tournaments. Is difficult to say something.

I think every player have a different feelings. That's why some players are there before and someone is late.

Q. How are you feeling about the conditions of the court compared to where it usually is when the weather is warmer and the court is drier?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Well, I like. I like the conditions. It's slow. The ball is not bouncing really high.

I start to get the confidence back in Rome playing at night with slow conditions.

When I arrive here and I saw the weather and I saw the new balls, I was thinking, okay, I have a good opportunity to keep playing in the same way. That's why for me the conditions right now are good, but also, I know that is not going to be like this every day.

So far I'm doing really well with these conditions, and I like it.

Q. A couple months ago you were on that show Tennis United and you gave everybody a nice dance. You stood up, gave everybody a nice dance. If you win the French Open will you give us a dance? What will you do if you win the French Open?

DIEGO SCHWARTZMAN: Well, more than one, for sure (laughing). More than one, yeah, yeah. I can say that. Yeah, I can promise that for sure.