THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2022

Tim van Rijthoven

Press Conference

T. VAN RIJTHOVEN/N. Basilashvili

6-4, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Tim, your initial thoughts on today's match.

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: Yeah, today's match, it was not like any other match. I think he's a very streaky player. Can play very well at times, can also make some mistakes at times.

For me it was just about keeping the ball in play and make him play a lot of shots, give him a chance to miss basically.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. It's been an incredible run for you on grass. What part of your game do you think is working brilliantly on this surface?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: For me the serve I think is working fantastic. I've only been broken the last, let's say, eight matches a couple times. So, yeah, I think because of the serve I can just set up my game very well.

I like to play aggressive, like to play a lot of forehands, also like to use my slice. I think all those things are very nice to have on grass.

Q. I wanted to ask you if there was any change in your game plan, mentality, in the week before 's-Hertogenbosch? What happened after Surbiton and the next tournament you won?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: Surbiton, I actually played a very good match also there. My opponent was also just playing very well. It was a close match. I think I lost 7-5 in the third set, but could have gone either way. So I wasn't too sad about that.

So nothing really changed. The mindset stayed the same. Just kept doing my thing. Obviously in 's-Hertogenbosch, it's my home country, so there's a lot of positive vibes there which maybe helped me also to gain the title.

Yeah, I'm just happy to be playing well also not in my home country, yeah.

Q. Obviously if he wins today, you'll play Djokovic next. That will probably be on Centre Court. What are your thoughts and do you think you can pull off the upset?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: I don't know. Did Djokovic play yet?

Q. Not sure.

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: Oh, he will play...

Before the tournament started, it was a dream for me to play him basically. So to be able to have that chance and to maybe even play on Centre Court or Court 1 is beautiful and magical.

Yeah, I go into every match thinking I can win the match. Also against Djokovic I'll go into that match thinking I can win that match, yeah.

Q. People on the court were shouting, C'mon, Tim. Are you aware of the history of that shout at Wimbledon? How does it feel to be the new man?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: I think it's Tim Henman you're talking about (smiling).

I think that's just a little bit before my time, so obviously I do know Tim Henman as a player. For me, it didn't really sound familiar. I didn't really correlate it to him, no.

Q. How did it feel being the new darling, the new Tim darling at Wimbledon?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: Good. Good.

Q. Tell us a bit more about your journey to this point.

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: It's been a long one. I've had my ups and downs, injuries here and there. Also struggled mentally. I'm just happy to be in the place I am right now. I hope to be there for a couple more years, or a lot more years actually.

Q. Can you tell us more about specific injuries, what they were.

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: They took about three years. There were three major injuries. I had a wrist surgery. I had an artery surgery, I think you call it. The other one wasn't a surgery, but it just took nine months to heal. That was an elbow. They call it a golfer's elbow. I got it while playing tennis (smiling).

But, yeah, those were the major ones.

Q. I'm interested in the atmosphere in your home country. Obviously football is very intense there, speed skating. Good tennis players as well. How do you feel the atmosphere is changing there? What is going on?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: I think the Dutch people are very positive about what's happening right now. They are just very happy that they can look after another player besides Griekspoor and van de Zandschulp, which they also love to watch, because I also love to watch them.

Now they have three players to watch out for, which I think they're very grateful for.

Q. Social media?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: It's exploding, yeah, yeah (smiling).

Q. Do you believe in momentum? If you do, was there a specific point you felt things turning? When people talk of your story as a fairytale, given the hard times you had, perhaps it wasn't quite the fairy tale that people think now.

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: Yeah, from the outside it obviously looks like a fairy tale because it came out of nowhere for a lot of people. Also, the ATP title for me came out of nowhere because I didn't even win a challenger title before. Played some finals. The level there is just also very high.

But, yeah, it's basically a sum-up of a lot of hard work, a lot of belief, and eventually very positive vibes just going into matches and going into practices. Yeah, that is basically what's happening right now, it's because of that.

Q. Obviously every player in the top 300, 400 can play tennis really, really well. Do you think the difference making it into the top hundred or winning tournaments is between the ears basically?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: Sorry?

Q. In the head.

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: For me it was in the head, yes. But for different players there is different things to work on. For another player maybe it's the serve, other players maybe the forehand, maybe the backhand. I always felt like it was in my mind, so it was the head for me.

Yeah, in the tennis game, it's one of the biggest parts I think, one of the most important things to have straight and be positive.

Q. Could you reflect on the entirety of this run that you've been on. Before 's-Hertogenbosch you were ranked outside the top 200. I think I'm right in saying you'd never won an ATP Tour-level match in the main draw. You won eight matches in a row, playing some top players. Are you amazed by what you've been able to do? Has this run changed your perception of yourself?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: Definitely. I never thought I would start off with an eight-match winning streak on the ATP Tour, no. Obviously it's a very big confidence booster. Like I said, grass really suits me, really suits my game. I think that also helps a lot.

But, yeah, I'm just kind of riding the wave right now, see where it ends.

Q. Did you say artery surgery?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: Artery surgery. I think it's artery. It's a vein.

Q. What was the problem?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: I have to look English words.

Q. I could just ask, you said before you walk into every match thinking you can win.

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: Uh-huh.

Q. Is that recent or did you always feel that way?

TIM van RIJTHOVEN: That's recent. I think it's the start of this year, so maybe like a couple months that I have that mindset. Yeah, it's basically going into every match thinking I'm the better player, even though it's maybe not always the case (smiling).