QATAR EXXONMOBIL OPEN

February 21, 2023

Abedallah Shelbayh

Press Conference

K. SOONWOO/A. Shelbayh

6-3, 3-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. How do you feel to be the best player in the Jordan history at the age of 19?

ABEDALLAH SHELBAYH: I mean, it feels good, but, I mean, we didn't really have many players from Jordan. It's a small country. Tennis is not the biggest sport, unfortunately.

I hope it keeps on developing. I don't think we started yet, but, I mean, it's an honor for me to represent my country wherever I go, big tournaments or any tournament that I play. So to hear that is something that pushes me forward.

Q. Are you following the career of your younger brother Zaid? He's now the second junior player in Jordan.

ABEDALLAH SHELBAYH: Yes, I am following him. I try to keep an eye on him. I want him to reach this level and even better.

It's going to be hard, of course. I don't think he got the same chances I got, still didn't play as many tournaments. But who knows in the future? I hope I can be able to compete with him.

Q. Can you give us more details about your experience in the Rafa Nadal Academy? What have you taken from learning from Rafa?

ABEDALLAH SHELBAYH: Yeah, I went there at the age of 14, so it was not easy to leave my family behind at such a young age. So it took me some time to kind of settle in, and, I mean, I needed to be mature, took some time, and that helped me become more mature and helped me kind of perform better on court later on.

I know it was not an easy thing for me, but it was the best decision since tennis, as I said, is not a big sport in Jordan. If I would have stayed there, I wouldn't have been where I am right now.

I hope I can keep on getting better, yeah.

Q. What does it mean, Rafa Nadal to you?

ABEDALLAH SHELBAYH: Yeah, I mean, to be able to practice with him many times and hear many tips from him, as he spent so many years on the tour at the highest level, he gave me words of encouragement many times and a lot of tips on how to improve, what things I needed to do better in order to be able to compete at this level.

Q. How is your relationship with Ben Shelton, your teammate of university? When do you think it's possible to emulate what he was doing and now in the moment, for example?

ABEDALLAH SHELBAYH: Yeah, no, we are great friends. I'm happy for him. He had an incredible year already, or not even a year, actually, starting last summer.

What he's done is really impressive. It's like he kind of pushes me to get better since we were practicing together. I shared the day with him every day for a year. Yeah, I hope I can get to his level and start competing with them very soon, rather soon than later.

Yeah, I mean, I hope he can keep on doing what he's doing. I know he's going to reach the highest level in this sport.

Q. What is your big goals for this season, 2023?

ABEDALLAH SHELBAYH: Yeah, so I hope I can be able to play the three Grand Slams left: French Open, Wimbledon and US Open. I hope I can also finish in the top 150 maybe. Why not? It's not going to be easy, or even top 100. It's going to take some time. It's a long way, but I'm here for it.