ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2023

Hugo Gaston

Press Conference

A. MOLCAN/H. Gaston

6-1, 7-6, 6-4

Q. Can you give me your impressions of the match?

HUGO GASTON: He was more aggressive than me in the first set, so I tried to change that in the second, and it was better. I have some good moments, but I didn't keep that.

But, I mean, I'm really sad about the result, but I offer congrats to Alex because he played a good match.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. There were ups and downs, as you were saying in English, in this match. Is that a bit like what's been happening for you recently on the circuit? How are you feeling in this current period? Of course, you probably want to do better, but you're not achieving the results.

HUGO GASTON: Yes. Well, we will go through more or less tricky periods, and I'm in the middle of a difficult period now. I'm trying to change quite a lot at the moment. It's not paying off yet, but I know it will pay off. My team and myself are very confident, but, of course, I'm very demanding with myself and want to do better.

But, once again, I had some opportunities at the end of the second. I was 30-All in the game and 6-5 in the set. I could see that things could turn around quickly, but it wasn't the case.

These points are painful because we always want to play well at Roland, but I will be back next year, and I will play better.

Q. Regarding your fine in Madrid and the amount.

HUGO GASTON: Can we not speak about the match first, please? We'll talk about the fine afterwards, but let's talk about the match first.

Q. It looked as if you were physically having trouble getting into the match. You were walking slowly between the points. It all seemed a bit slow. Was that your feeling or not?

HUGO GASTON: No, it was quite complicated, though. Long rallies. Even if I got 6-1, it was still sticking at the beginning of the set, but I wasn't getting there. Then there's the heat. There's a bit of stress. We want to play well.

But the same thing for him, because he wasn't physically on his top form and make him run around. It was a bit like a game of chess between us.

But, no, I don't have any injuries. It was just a complicated match in Roland. I feel disappointed, but I will bounce back.

Q. To be back in front of the French audience on Court 14, which is quite hot, mentally it should have been quite good for you, no?

HUGO GASTON: Yes, I knew it was going to be a great atmosphere on Court 14. I had already played on that court a few years ago in the qualifications, and we always have a good time.

When you have seen what's been happening since the beginning of the tournament and what's happening on the court with Luca and Fiona, there's a lot of good things going on on the courts.

Unfortunately, I was not lucky, but it is a really great court because it's a little bit dug in, and it really resonates. We really feel the support. Yes, it feels good.

Q. You were talking about transitions. Marc did a lot of things with you. He wasn't just a coach. Do you feel like you have a lot to manage today and things that you didn't have to do when Marc was there?

HUGO GASTON: No. It's a relationship that came to an end. It came to a good end. He brought me a lot, and I can never thank him enough.

I'm continuing to work with Younes. Two different things, different character. Younes played at the top level, and that's what I'm interested in. He brings a lot of positive things to me.

Of course, it's not paying off yet, but, as I said, I'm very confident. We're all very confident. Even with Kevin. Of course, they're very different profiles, but we feel very good. We really get on very well together. We work well together.

Q. (Question off microphone.)

HUGO GASTON: No, I don't have more to manage because Younes is supporting me, and as I said, it's a different character, so he's managing things differently, like anybody. But no, I don't have more to manage, not necessarily.

Q. To carry on from that with regard to what Younes brings to you, what are you working on, above all?

HUGO GASTON: Well, necessarily he is bringing his experience. He's a top-level tennis player. He knows how you feel before a match, the apprehension you feel, and he also knows how to prepare. Even though everybody is different, you can always bring some understanding to the players.

As I said, it's not paid off yet, but I'm very confident for the future. I feel better and better. We're working a lot on the game. It's not paid off yet, but what we're working on remains between him and myself, but I'm very happy with the advice he is giving me and his contributions.

It's time.

Q. No, due to the amount of the fine, which surprised a lot of people and your action, what can you tell us about this?

HUGO GASTON: Well, first of all, I'll begin with something. First of all, it's to clarify the situation.

I saw the press. I didn't talk on social network because, of course, I knew somebody would ask me a question, but a lot of people have said that I wanted to cheat, and that is absolutely wrong.

All tennis players have actions that they don't control. It was frustration. It was the end of the first set.

I also heard that it was a repeated action, that it was a repeated action on the fact that I got a fine. But I've never done that type of thing because that's something that is not like me. And I knew directly after the match. I apologized to my opponent. The match went very well after that. There were no problems.

On the spot the chair umpire hadn't seen it, but, of course, it's not something that's good to do, but once again, it was just frustration. I wasn't cheating, and we never played the point again. I would never have played the point again.

Of course, you shouldn't do this, and I apologized to The Federation because they help me on a daily basis. But, once again, it's something that one shouldn't do. I acknowledge that.

I saw a lot in the press. It doesn't make me very happy because every time they're saying things they say they don't know whether it's true or false, but I know that it was just frustration. It's not a good action, but that's life. You don't always react as you should. I made a mistake. I paid for it. That's life.

But, once again, it was not cheating at all. It was just 100 percent frustration.

Q. Regarding the amount and the fact that ATP is tightening the fines, Benoit Paire said yesterday that he thought the amount was far too high, regardless of the action. What is your opinion?

HUGO GASTON: Yes, of course, I'm the person that it targets, so I can't -- it is a lot, and it's not the first time. I had a few fines at the beginning of the year as well, so they're increasing the fines to hit the message home.

So I know it wasn't good, but I understood. Of course, it will make me grow. The amount is excessive, but once again, if you don't control yourself -- I would have liked it to be lower. Not so that I could do it again, because that's not like me, but as a player, when you see that over a year there are a lot of young players that don't even earn as much as the fine, then it's complicated.

Q. When you have Damocles' sword over the head of you like this, because sometimes it's good to kind of shout and vent your anger and that's how some players get through the set, so do you feel you have to keep it all in, contain yourself?

HUGO GASTON: No, not contain myself because I'm somebody who, generally speaking, doesn't get angry quickly, and I don't get warnings at every match. Maybe I received three warnings this year. The three warnings cost me dearly. No, sometimes I wanted to break a racquet, but I'll have to hold myself back. Otherwise, it's just too expensive.

But, once again, I have no concern about that because I know what I'm worth. I know what I represent, and everybody here knows me and also knows who I am and where I come from.

This is not something I will be able to change, but I have to be careful, but it's not something that I'm worried about.