ROLAND GARROS

June 6, 2021

Alfie Hewett

Gordon Reid

Press Conference

HEWETT-REID/Houdet-Peifer

6-3, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: We have here the 2021 Roland Garros wheelchair doubles champions in men's. We are ready for questions.

Q. Gordon, the second time you've beaten the French convincingly. What went into today's performance compared to yesterday?

GORDON REID: I think we were just a lot tighter with our mistakes, didn't give as many cheap points away. We sustained the pressure with our movement, following our short balls in to make them hit targets.

Yeah, I think we were just more solid than them and we were more patient, and they broke down before us.

Q. Alfie, from 1897-1905 there were a pair of British brothers called the Doherty brothers who won eight Wimbledon titles and two US Opens. You've now surpassed that by one Grand Slam. What does that mean to you? Something you'll look back on with pride?

ALFIE HEWETT: I think what we're doing as a doubles partnership is very special within wheelchair tennis. We've created a good bond on court. Obviously the last four or five slams have proved that. We're a force to be reckoned with right now. We're playing some of the best tennis as a doubles partnership that we have in the seven, eight years that we've been working together.

To have the results come through, I mean, so convincingly today, it speaks volumes of how far we've come.

Q. And on the title?

ALFIE HEWETT: It was a long time ago. I don't think it's quite the same now. To still have those titles is very pleasing for us.

Q. I think this is your fifth straight slam title. Explain to me what makes your partnership such a special, successful partnership. You've been working together for a long time. What makes it so it works so well?

GORDON REID: I think it's just the combination of our personalities and also our style of play on court. I think we both have quite different games. We're both different personalities and characters on the court. I think the balance and combination of the two, the way they work together, yeah, we bounce off each other personally and then also our tennis bounces off each other, as well.

Also just I think the amount of time and work we put in together as a team to try to keep improving, to make sure no stone's unturned. Yeah, I think all that put together is kind of the recipe.

Q. Alfie, would you agree?

ALFIE HEWETT: Yeah, absolutely. I don't think I can add much more. We've created a good bit of chemistry over seven, eight years now. We always look to improve even when we've had setbacks in the past, we've always bounced back in a good way. We're a bit different on the court, our styles and personalities, but I actually think in this partnership it works so well.

Q. In terms of the Paralympics, looking to Tokyo, I think you got a silver in Rio, you'll be keen to get a gold. How much of a confidence boost is this roll you're on right now?

GORDON REID: Yeah, I think winning breeds confidence. Obviously the more we win, the more the confidence builds. Also the performances we've been putting in together help the confidence, as well.

But we know that the Paralympics is a massive competition. There's quite a few teams out there that are dangerous. They all have their eyes on the same goal, as well.

One thing, we won't be as complacent because we failed at the final hurdle last time. We know we're doing everything we can to keep improving and giving ourselves the best chance to go one step further this year.

Q. What is it like to play in front of a crowd again?

ALFIE HEWETT: Yeah, great. I was buzzing about it. It's been, what, a couple of years now I think since we were last in front of a crowd. I think personally I kind of got used to just of the silence of being on a tennis court, having to pump yourself up, make the noise yourself.

Today we knew there would be a little bit of a crowd with the French in the final, as well. Going into it I think it definitely helped jeer us upcoming into it. I think the tennis spoke for itself because there wasn't much crowd noise.