OMNIUM BANQUE NATIONALE

August 14, 2022

Pablo Carreno Busta

Press Conference

P. CARRENO BUSTA/H. Hurkacz

3-6, 6-3, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Pablo, first-time ATP Masters 1000 champion. How are you feeling right now?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, well, finally I won a Masters 1000. It's an amazing feeling. You know I work very, very hard all my career to finally be here.

It was very, very tough, but I think I make an incredible week, playing really good, being very positive all the time.

So very, very happy for the victory and for my level.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are you the most proud of for this title and this week?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Well, I need to be thank you for all my team. They make an incredible work with me more mentally than with the tennis (smiling). It's very important. They believe more in myself than myself probably. They give me the energy, the power, to be here, no?

All my team here, but also someone that is waiting for me in Cincinnati, and Walter, my fitness coach that is in Barcelona now. Well, thanks to all of them because they are very, very important to me.

Q. Obviously it's not your first title in your career, but where does this one rank in your career?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: It's not the first one, but it's probably or for sure the most important. It's a Masters 1000. It's something great to win these kind of titles.

Probably this year we didn't, well, make good results, but finally we can tell that we have our trophy, and it's a very, very important trophy.

Q. I remember last year when you won the bronze medal at the Olympics you were emotional. Today you were emotional as well. Two very different competitions. Can you compare the feelings between last year and today?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: It's tough to compare because the Olympics are the Olympics. It was a bronze medal. I didn't win like today. But I beat Medvedev. And beating Djokovic to win the bronze medal was probably the most excited moment of my career for sure.

It's true that today of course I feel very, very happy also. Is different, but I'm enjoying also both of them. I would like to continue enjoy.

Q. Who did you call first when you came back in the locker room? Your parents, your family?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Well, I have my father with me here. My father was calling my mother and my grandmother. So I spoke with them. After that I called to my Samuel that is in Cincinnati waiting for me. He arrives yesterday. Now we change the coach. Jose Antonio is going back home. I'm with Samuel. That's the both calls. Also to my wife that's in Spain.

So I will try to call a lot of people. But now in Spain they are sleeping. They were watching my match. When I finished, they were to sleep.

Probably tomorrow with more calm we speak with a lot of people.

Q. Can you explain why you always play your best tennis on outside hard courts? What is it about your game that matches well with hard courts?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Well, I grow up on this surface, on these courts, when I was at my hometown in Gijon. When I was young, I practice all the time in this surface so I feel very comfortable.

It's true that when I go to Barcelona when I was 15, I start to play more on clay courts. So that's why I play on both surface good I think.

But is true that in this part of the year, in August, when I come to America, to Canada and U.S., I feel really, really comfortable on court. Probably I make my best tennis here.

Q. Can you walk us through the incredible rally in the third set when you were able to make the desperation return in the back.

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: I don't know how to do this. I just try to put the ball inside the court (smiling). I run as much as I can. I know when he make the lob, I know it's going to be in, it goes on the line. I just tried to be as fast as I can and put the ball inside the court again.

Then I was a little bit lucky because the ball was on the line, and he couldn't make this much easy. After that I think it was an incredible point. It's just one point, but it was very, very good for the confidence.

Q. How much does this title give you confidence for the rest of the season and the US Open swing?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, probably not just in the US Open Series, but in the rest of the season it's very important. I won 1,000 points. I won a trophy, a very important trophy.

My game during all the week was very, very high. I play really, really good from the first match against Berrettini until the last one against Hubie.

I think I just need to continue this way, believe in myself, being aggressive, and for sure I will have chances to win matches in this season and I hope in the next ones also.

Q. You've been on the tour for 13 years. You've waited for a title like this for a long time. Was there ever a moment in your career where you didn't think you have what it takes?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: There was not an extra pressure. I know it's not easy to win these kind of titles. Not everyone was a Masters 1000 on his career. For example, Ferrer was No. 3 in the world and just won one. I know it's very difficult to win it.

It wasn't extra pressure to have this title. But it's true that now I have it and I will enjoy it, no? I will try to continue, no, not being focused just on the trophies, more on enjoy the moments, enjoy my game, enjoy the tournaments, the life in general.

I know in this moment of my career with 31 years old, I just need to enjoy, no? Probably I have few more years, I don't know, three, four, five, six, hope to be more but we don't know, so I have to enjoy a lot.

Q. You're 31, but your physical condition is impressive the whole week. Do you do even more work today? What does it take?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, working all the time in my fitness, eating good, trying to take rest good, trying to do everything good, no?

I have my physio with me, helping me with the recover after every matches. So I think is very important in this moment of my career to be 100% physically. I trying to do as much as I can to be 100%.

Is true that this week I won a lot of matches in two sets. That was very, very important to be ready for the next battle. But yesterday I played three hours, and today I feel very, very good on court.

Q. After the break early in the second set, did you feel Hubert was getting tired a little bit?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: I don't know tired, but is true that when I break in the second set, I was more confidence. I feel that, yeah, I can win this match, no? When I lost the first set just with one break on the first option that he has, I was a little bit down. But after the break I think that I was positive again. I tried to continue this way.

It was very important, no? After the break on the third set, I continue serving good and being aggressive. Finally I could (indiscernible) break again to win the match, but I was ready to serve on the 5-4.

Q. At the beginning of the year, Spain lost against Canada. Is there anything special coming here and winning a title?

PABLO CARRENO BUSTA: Yeah, I never thought on that (smiling). But is true, no? We lost in the final against Felix and Shapovalov. They played unbelievable during the tournament and also in the final. But my partner Bautista was playing amazing also.

Now in Canada I won the title. Probably if you tell me when we lost there, I say, Okay, I prefer to win here than in the ATP Cup (smiling).

Well, it's something anecdote.