ROLAND GARROS

May 31, 2023

Ugo Humbert

Press Conference

L. SONEGO/U. Humbert

6-4, 6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. You had a tight match against Sonego in Monte-Carlo. How did you prepare for this match?

UGO HUMBERT: It was a totally different match. Of course I'm disappointed by my service today. I didn't play that well. I had difficulty in focusing. There was nothing tactically. So I'm disappointed by the match, of course.

I played better in Monaco, but the conditions were different. The match was different. I was a bit more tense today, and I was not able to manage and to cope.

Q. Regarding Court 14, which is specific, many French players have spoke positively about it. How was it for you to play on this court? You spoke about tension. Having these crowds pushing you, can it put you in more tension?

UGO HUMBERT: I've never won a match on Court 14. Indeed the atmosphere is fantastic, it's an incredible court, because people are very close to you, and I had difficulty in finding my routine, which I do usually, I like to have my calm moment between the points where I'm able to refocus on what I have to do, and everything was a bit bothered.

But the atmosphere was fabulous. I didn't have the solutions today. So I said with my team, We must try to find the solutions. It's the third time it happens to me this season where there is a bit more tension in an important match. It doesn't work out well, I don't feel well, and I start finding external solutions, and I didn't have the solution in my bag today.

So I will work and try to find it to make sure it doesn't happen anymore, because three times, it's too much.

Q. You have played a few good matches recently. Do you see this match as a stop point for you? Or what didn't work?

UGO HUMBERT: Well, I stopped, a stop point, well, ten months I was No. 160, I was playing a challenger in Granby, sleeping in the basement. Here I'm in the top 50, I've won 450 points on clay. I don't see that as a stopping point. So I'm very proud of myself. I did a beautiful season.

I didn't think I could ever play well on this surface, but I prove over the last week that I could be very good. For me it's not a stopping point. It will never be my best surface, but this season I scored points and I'm very proud of that.

Q. On what do you want to focus on the clay to continue progressing and finish by loving this surface one day?

UGO HUMBERT: I took a lot of pleasure this season, as I was saying to my team. I thought I couldn't play well on clay, but I'm very proud of having listened to Jeremy who told me, Well, be open this season. You'll see that you can play very well on clay. I demonstrated to myself that in the game I exchange a lot of things, I better understand what I have to do on the court.

Today I was not able to do it, but physically I have progressed, mentally I have progressed, also tactically. I think I'll have to continue working hard. What happened today, I will make sure it doesn't happen anymore and try to find solutions to avoid having this again.

But I see a lot of positives in all this.