ROLEX MONTE-CARLO MASTERS

April 12, 2022

Ugo Humbert

Press Conference

P. MARTINEZ/U. Humbert

6-4, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. I suppose there is a lot of disappointment and frustration, especially after that second set. You started off well, you were dominating, and how are you now that you lost?

UGO HUMBERT: Given what I did during the past weeks or month, I am overall quite satisfied with my level. I was able to play a tennis that I hadn't been able to play for a long time.

Today there were ups and downs, but between 1-Love to him up to 5-2 I played well in the second set. I was trying to step up and unfortunately I lost focus. This is because I didn't play many matches.

There is that serve game that I didn't play well, and I'm disappointed I wasn't able to push him to play a third set. Congratulations to him, but I played two good sets. Now I'm going to remember only the positive from that match and try to do better next week.

Q. Can you talk about the fact that last season and the beginning of this season you were feeling very tired? How are you able now to find your energy and dynamism again? How did you manage the situation?

UGO HUMBERT: It's a very tough challenge. I had very tough moments. I played many, many matches not feeling well, and I feel I lack confidence. When I felt good there were some points I had no doubts about how to play them, and now I start having those thoughts and hesitating, so it's a very tough challenge.

I'm trying to find solutions day after day, and I will try not to think about what happened in the past and just be in the present moment. This is what I did in the second set today. This is the greatest challenge I have to face right now.

Q. Can you explain the situation with the vaccine? Are you sure that it was a bad reaction to the vaccine? Your communication was a bit vague. We didn't know if it was because of the vaccine or not, but the end of the season last year was ruined for you.

UGO HUMBERT: It's very difficult to say. I'm absolutely not a doctor. I did all the possible tests, and we found nothing. It was crazy. The doctors said there might be a connection with the vaccine, but it was useless to keep searching, because we don't exactly know enough about the vaccine yet.

But ten days after my shot in Toronto, of course I had played a lot, but after 45 minutes or one hour, I had cramps everywhere, and at the end of the season it was very tough for me to practice. After an hour I was exhausted. I had to stop for three weeks.

I also reacted again to COVID when I was in Australia. I think my body had not recuperated enough.

Q. Did you talk about it with other players? Apparently other French players also were affected. You're not the only one.

UGO HUMBERT: No, I'm not the only athlete. I also heard others talking about it, and I know it can happen. I was part of that situation, but I really want to forget about all this. These were tough times. I prefer not to talk about it anymore.

Q. We didn't see Nicolas Copin in your team. Can you talk about your technical unit? Who are you working with exactly?

UGO HUMBERT: I asked them to let me be alone for some weeks, because I need to be alone for a while.

Q. So you didn't split with your coach?

UGO HUMBERT: No, not at all.

Q. Are you still in a negative energy, or do you feel that things are going a little bit better?

UGO HUMBERT: When I see what I did today and what happened in the past weeks, I believe there's a good evolution. I believe I'm in a good energy. I will just remember the positive things from the match today. I have to think positively, and this is going to be good for me.

Q. Your ranking doesn't allow you maybe to enter all the tournaments. What are you going to do? Try the quallies?

UGO HUMBERT: Yeah, I'm about top 50. Well, not yet, so I will try the quallies. I think in Madrid I missed it by one or two, so I will try the quallies.

But I really need to play those tournaments. I need to play matches, so I didn't really question the program. I know that if I play well, I can beat any player.