ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2022

David Goffin

Press Conference

D. GOFFIN/F. Tiafoe

3-6, 7-6, 6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Good to see your celebration at the end, what it meant to you. How does it feel to be back in the third round here?

DAVID GOFFIN: Feels really great, because it was a tough battle, especially when you lose the first set, when you have to turn it around. That was the case, so it was a tough one.

Physically was not easy, even if I was feeling great. At the end it's good that I managed to finish in four.

But it was a great match, great match, great intensity. I'm very happy to be in third round again. Means a lot, of course. Like I said, I'm playing well for the moment. I'm feeling great. Physically, mentally, my tennis is there.

So being in third round, it's not a surprise, I would say, if you see the last few weeks and months, but inside it is a small surprise. But I knew that I was able to do it again and it was a goal to go back to my best tennis. That's almost the case for the moment.

So I'm very happy. I will try to continue and play another good match in the next round.

Q. I will ask you about your next opponent, Hurkacz, you played him two weeks ago in Rome. How do you remember this match? It was a tough battle.

DAVID GOFFIN: He won already? He won the match?

Q. Yes.

DAVID GOFFIN: Yeah, yeah, it was a tough one, Hubi is such a nice guy, we practice together in Monaco. We played a really good match in Rome. Two times 7-6, and it was a very hard match. It was hot, long. Physically it was not easy. It was a really, really tough battle, close match.

But, you know, he's really talented. He's big guy. He's moving well for a big guy. He can slide on the clay, serving bombs, has a really huge kick and forehand after that.

He's improving every year. He was maybe in the top 10, I don't know, almost in the top 10 last year.

It's not an easy match, but we have a chance, for sure, because I won the last match in Rome. But here it's in a Grand Slam, and it's a different match, different atmosphere, different conditions, different balls.

First, I will try to recover and be ready for that match.

Q. 2012, that run, and playing Roger. Wondering if you could compare David of 2012 to David of 2022.

DAVID GOFFIN: It's 10 years' difference, but no, completely different, different body, I would say first, because if you see the images, I'm not the same guy.

Then was, yeah, so many tournaments, so many experience between 2012 and 2022 in 10 years.

No, it's tough to compare. It was just a match that I didn't know what I was doing, just hitting the ball against Roger, my idol.

Now it's completely different. I have more maturity, more experience. I know exactly what I'm doing. I control what I'm doing more, even more now after when I'm 31 years old and back from injury, back from tough period.

It's even more nice now to enjoy every win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. To talk about social network, we talked about it before. We know it's tough for players right now to have a lot of hatred, to feel a lot of hatred from people. How do you handle it? Can you understand that for some players it is difficult to tackle?

DAVID GOFFIN: We shouldn't read them. I receive so many of them from the public. Again in Rome, I have hecklers also insulting me in the crowd, in the stadium.

I try to remain focused and not to read. I know that they are there, but I don't read them. I try to get it out of my head. There are some words that you can ban from your social networks, but I still know that I have hundreds of messages coming in, nonetheless. That's the problems with the bets and the social networks. It's hard. It's complicated. I think it's a shame.

But I try not to think about this, because it's impossible to control this. I don't read them. I don't pay attention to it. I try to focus on what I'm doing, and that is it.

Q. There is a huge controversy surrounding Wimbledon. What's your opinion? What do you think about the exclusion of Russians and Belarusians? Are you set on going?

DAVID GOFFIN: Well, it's a Grand Slam. I am set on going. It's my favorite Grand Slam. I haven't done it for quite some time. Last year I broke my ankle at Halle, so I couldn't attend.

This year I want to attend. It is still a highlight of the year, of the grass season. I usually enjoy myself when I go to Wimbledon. So of course I will be attending.

As for Russians, this is a government decision. Of course those that are most disappointed are the players from Russia and Belarus. That's the way it is. We can't do anything about it.

It's a pity that points are not taken into consideration. Some will lose 2,000 points, like Djokovic or Berrettini cannot defend anything. Some have points to defend; some do not have points to defend. Nonetheless, it's a pity.

But it will, in any case, it will not be an exhibition tournament.

Q. We see you much more on courts expressing your feelings. It seems that you are less level-headed, that you actually enjoy being one with the public, much more than before.

DAVID GOFFIN: Well, I feel well after the first set. I needed that after the beginning of the second when there was a turnaround. I felt good, and I needed to feel the energy from the crowd.

It's not something that I do on purpose. It's just that I play well, I will feel good. And it helps me focus on my match. This is what happened in the second set or to wrap up the third set at the tiebreak.

I do that naturally. When you have such a wonderful atmosphere and you manage to win matches in four-setters that are tough, when you feel tired, when there is such a crowd, then you express yourself more. That was the case today.

So I'm quite happy with that.

Q. How did you happen to turn the match around after the first set? What could you say about the challenges that represents Hurkacz on clay court? Two questions in one.

DAVID GOFFIN: I can't remember the first question now.

Right, okay. For the first set, conditions were quite slow. It was more humid. It was grayish. So I was overwhelmed by his power shots. I couldn't manage to play carefree to counter him. His forehand was very heavy. He was committing no faults.

He was putting pressure on me from the serve onwards. Then I managed to play faster, to put pressure on him. He was less better in the rallies.

During the third and the fourth, I managed to dictate the rallies, and his serve was not as dangerous. During the fourth set he was still serving quite well. Then I managed to break him, because I found the opportunities to do so. The key was to make him run around and the time actually played in my favor.

Hurkacz is one of the nicest players on court, on the tour. We often practice together in Monaco. We had a wonderful match in Rome. We did twice 7-6. He serves very well. He's done a wonderful match. He's done a great three-setter. He's progressing on clay court, even if he's very tall, he actually has a great split steps.

He's progressing very much. He's young still. I will have to counter him just as I did in Rome, make him run around and tire him as I did today.

It will be different, because he has a lot of talent. He's got a great forehand. He's pretty much an all-arounder.

Q. Could we say that this match is something of a trigger for you for the rest of the season?

DAVID GOFFIN: I wouldn't say that it is like a trigger. I would say that it's a robust match, serious match, against a tough opponent.

I managed to have good matches with my average performance. I know that it is still good tennis, and I carry on. I still manage to have good matches, to have winning streaks. So I wouldn't say that it's a trigger, but it's actually in the wake of what I have been doing so far.