ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2023

Daniel Altmaier

Press Conference

D. ALTMAIER/J. Sinner

6-7, 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 7-5

THE MODERATOR: Congratulations. What a battle out there today. Can you talk about your emotions during the fifth set, please.

DANIEL ALTMAIER: Well, first of all, I think it's been a great turnaround coming back after the fourth set, which was pretty much a roller coaster. Then, having the chance to break him in the fifth, getting the rebreak, serving all really tough. The emotions were crazy. And I think which was insane was obviously the crowd, and I thank the fans, you know, for the love of this game.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Daniel, I know you enjoy fishing. What did it feel like when you almost let Jannik off the hook a few times when you thought you had him? How did you manage to reel him in at the end? And do you think that your skills as a fisherman and your patience helped you catch the big one in the end?

DANIEL ALTMAIER: Well, I think definitely yes, because right before, a week before coming here I was fishing with my dad to calm down a little bit. So I think, yeah, in the fifth set maybe the experience of fishing a little bit helped me (laughing).

No, but I think against these type of players, I think they are just going to fight until the end. It doesn't matter if you have smash, if you have match point, nobody cares. I think they are so good competitors, and I think Jannik showed it as well.

This was just, I think, beautiful as well from my side. I always keep fighting to the end. Having match point down and coming back, this is just because, yeah, I was staying in the present.

Q. We saw your tears at the end of the match. Can you tell us what this victory means to you.

DANIEL ALTMAIER: It means a lot. I think personally in the last, let's say, the process of the last seven weeks it's been really good. I've been really working really hard and really being responsible for some things off the court, on the court. This is showing off in a very short-term, and I think this is beautiful.

That's why I think, like I said, I'm the one acting on the court, but behind me there are a lot of faces who are pushing me to my limits and to my full potential.

Q. If you could take us back for a moment to that fourth set when there were those two match points, particularly the first one that you were facing and you sent up that lob, if you can remember, what were you thinking going into the point, and how did that point play out from your side of the net, both in terms of he's got that overhead and then the way the point ended?

DANIEL ALTMAIER: Well, first of all, I think in that moment it's obviously not the easiest to speak about tactics because he was serving, you know. The first part of the point is bringing back the return as best as possible and then sticking to my game plan.

He took the offensive. He was the offensive one, and I had to react good to recover the point. I think this is what happened.

I think each point in tennis has its own story, and I think that's how that match point went, yeah.

Q. In general, when you are facing match points, do you play them any differently ever than another point? How is the approach in your head going into a match point because, of course, that's it if you lose?

DANIEL ALTMAIER: Well, I think personally that's the key, don't focus on really what is the score in that crucial moment. I think if you think about things which you can't control, you know, at match point, the score, you lost it already. You are out of your focus what you want to do on the court, you know, which decisions you want to make.

I think our brain has just capacity for doing to solve some problems and not all of them. So I think in that moment it's very, very important to stay in the present and what you really want to do, and try to execute as best as possible.

Q. As we said, it's a big win today, but could you just chat with us briefly about your tennis journey over the last few years. Did you ever doubt yourself, or did you believe that days like this were always possible?

DANIEL ALTMAIER: I think personally my journey has always been the fighting experience, you know, that I'm showing on the court or the character I am. So even though if there are difficult times, obviously there has been difficult times like everybody has, but I do have a strong character, which is pushing me daily.

So I think that the process has been, yeah, I was new at the tour; now I am since two years already on the tour. I'm probably not having the greatest results, but everybody has his own progress, and here I am right now.