THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 3, 2022

Tommy Paul

Press Conference

C. NORRIE/T. Paul

6-4, 7-5, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: If you can share your initial thoughts on today's match, please, how you felt out there.

TOMMY PAUL: I mean, it's always a tough match with Norrie. It's always going to be a pretty competitive war. I mean, even if it's 2 and 2, it's going to be a grind with him.

I mean, that's how I came into the match, and he ended up breaking me early in every set. I was just trying to get back in the match every set, was trying to get back in the set.

He played a really clean match. Played the breakpoints well, played the big points well.

I mean, he's a good friend of mine. I hope he does well. I'm happy for him.

Obviously, you know, kind of gutted for myself.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I was just wondering, I watched the match, and we see the match, you obviously know Cam well, by the sound of it, just wondering if there's anything about his game possibly that is a bit underrated or perhaps that we wouldn't notice not actually being out there and, you know, playing him, what he does particularly well, perhaps, that's perhaps less noticeable.

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, I mean, I think he plays a very smart game of tennis. He knows his game, he knows his strengths.

He plays into his strengths, which is actually, the way he does it, is his biggest strength. Like, his mindset, the way he is when he steps on the court is probably his biggest strength.

He plays the lefty patterns well. You always know how he's going to play, but, I mean, he's good at it. He got top 10 already, and that doesn't just happen, you know. He earned that, and he played well.

Q. You were practicing together pretty much every day of this week. Why was he a person you wanted to practice with?

TOMMY PAUL: I mean, we practice a lot together all the time. He's a good friend of mine. I like him a lot. I don't think we've played too many doubles tournaments together. But, I mean, even when we're at the same tournaments, we'll go out to dinners together, do whatever. I'm pretty close with him.

I mean, I'm so happy to have played someone like him or a friend in a big match, you know, round-of-16 match. Obviously I wanted to win. Like I said, I'm happy for him. Wish it was me, though (smiling).

Q. This is your first slam fourth round. Obviously you're gutted with the match, but what do you take from this going forward? Seems your progress over the past few years has been steady, gradual, how do you reflect on that?

TOMMY PAUL: I mean, it's been a goal of mine to make second week of a slam.

You know, obviously on the first time, you want to not just make second week. You want to keep going, keep going, winning more matches.

I mean, our side of the draw was pretty open. I don't think it's a secret to anybody. I mean, I don't want to use the word "open," but, I mean, there's no like huge, huge names in our section.

I mean, obviously I wanted to keep winning this week. This is the best place in the world to play tennis. I wanted to be here a little longer, but I'm missing home, so I'll try and get on a flight as soon as possible to get back.

But, yeah, I can't wait to come back next year already.

Q. What message do you think the American players sent with their success in advancing further than has happened as a group in a long, long time for the weeks, months, and maybe years to come?

TOMMY PAUL: I think everyone just wants, like all the Americans, we just want to kind of do well in all the big tournaments. That's our goal. That's every tennis player's goal is to do well in the bigger tournaments.

I don't know what kind of message it would send. You've got to ask the younger Americans or juniors, I guess. I mean, I'm happy that we're all playing well and all performing on bigger stages.

Q. What do you think the success here can do to maybe generate even deeper advances?

TOMMY PAUL: What do you mean?

Q. Well, I mean, it takes steps to get to the deep end of majors, and so many guys did make it to this stage of the tournament. What do you think that might do to help as a group? Several guys maybe make deeper advances coming up.

TOMMY PAUL: I don't know. I mean, I think -- I mean, confidence is a big thing, you know. Everyone wants to be confident going into the match. My first three rounds, I was pretty confident going into all the matches. I felt they were all really winnable matches.

Against Cam, it was in a way nice to play someone in the fourth round that, I mean, like I've beaten before. Like, we've always had good matches. Even if the score is 3 and 3 or 4 and 4, it's always been pretty good matches, like I always feel like I'm in the match. Just confidence and having the experience, you know.

Q. You're a pretty chill guy on the court when you're winning and losing. Is that how you are in general?

TOMMY PAUL: Well, that goes up and down. Like I would say I try and be a pretty chill guy, win or lose on the court. If you were to watch me play like a month ago, man, I was getting mad out there.

My coach pulled me aside. We had a good talk. While I was in 's-Hertogenbosch three or four weeks ago, we had a tough, tough few weeks in Europe, and he pulled me aside and we had a good talk.

I mean, that kind of turned everything around from my mindset, like how I handle my composure on the court. That's what we have been focusing on the most probably.

I think I've done a better job. Like even today, obviously I don't think too much was going my way in the match, but I was fighting hard and I was keeping good composure. I'm happy about that.