ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2023

Arthur Rinderknech

Press Conference

T. FRITZ/A. Rinderknech

2-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Tough battle, Arthur. What are your thoughts about tonight's match?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: It's difficult right now to have any thoughts, but I will say first of all how good it was to play tonight in front of this French crowd. It felt like, even though I don't know this feeling, but it felt like an old Davis Cup match.

So it was really unbelievable for me. Just makes me want to come back and work even harder to be better and stronger and just win these matches next time here.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Did you ever imagine such an atmosphere in your dreams, so much noise?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Honestly, no. I knew there would be quite a lot of atmosphere, but then a few things accumulated. The match between Sinner and Altmaier lasted long, and then I don't know whether we got the people coming from Chatrier.

It was crazy. It was great. I really wanted to give them this fifth set. I could almost touch it. I was almost there but I didn't manage it.

But I think I played a good match. I won't forget that six weeks ago I was wondering with the doctor whether I should get an operation or not. I couldn't walk one meter left or right. So if I had been told I would be running like mad after four sets on Lenglen with a great player and give all I had, I could not have thought about that.

Q. Do you think you're paying for that, because you started very well, and then I wouldn't say you weakened, but you had trouble maintaining the rhythm?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Yes, I believe I started the match very well. With the audience it started well. I was rather aggressive, and he didn't get so many first balls, so it helped so I could use more second balls during the first set.

Then I got the impression that he tuned up with his first serve. He had more first serves going through. It was difficult to get points, because we know he's very strong on the first serve, and he's also very good with the forehand.

So it was difficult. I had to hold my serve. I went to catch a few points here and there, and then the umpiring was a bit strange. I didn't understand what happened. That's it, here and there, and then the break went through.

Q. You may not have known before the match, but you were the last Frenchman in the tournament. Was it some pressure?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Well, now that I heard it about 200 times in the stands, people shouting, You're the last Frenchman, you have to win, well, obviously I would have liked to be the last Frenchman in for quarterfinals or semifinals or whatever. But I was playing for the French public, for the tournament, for my family who were in the stands and who were in my box.

This is really very lucky for me, because, as I said six weeks ago, I didn't know whether I could play in Roland Garros, whether I could play over the next three months.

Q. It's not a good Roland Garros for the French people. Does it mean a bad feeling or do you think it will get better soon?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Are you asking me or are you asking me to speak in the name of all the French... Can you repeat your question? Because I'm not sure.

Q. The fact that there are very few French people winning, do you think there's a bad feeling or a good emulation?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: There's a good emulation. The French get on well together. At least I can tell you as far as I'm concerned when I see any Frenchmen or any French winning, whether it be the youngest or the oldest, with Arthur Fils and Luca Van Assche winning a lot this year, I'm really 100% behind them.

I was lucky enough to play in the Davis Cup. I'm really behind my friends Nicolas, Pierre-Hugues. I'm sure that they will both get back to their previous level to have a good few tournaments.

Q. You played against Popyrin in Australia last year. This was more or less the same position as Fritz tonight. Can you compare it? Do you think it's a good thing to have this kind of atmosphere in the tennis courts?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: I'm rather in favor of that, to have this kind of soccer match atmosphere, at least for the European soccer. It was almost like that. I believe there was a little bit more people on the Lenglen.

The Australian stadium was a bit smaller, but the Australians were even more drunk than the French tonight. I don't know what Fritz could feel tonight. I don't know if he had nice little notes from the stands, but that was my case.

It was a pleasure for me. It was the first time I had that. I had three or four times big atmospheres against me in Australia playing Australian players. So it was great to have this on my side this year, to be able to continue playing against great players and hopefully win against them.

Q. Talking about this atmosphere, some would say it was too much for tennis. I don't know if it's an issue of tradition or not. What would you answer to the people who feel that there is a minimum attitude to be kept and that you shouldn't be too excessive?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Well, I'm used to the U.S., and you know in the U.S. the public interact even in between the points. You can imagine here if it had been the case, the match would have been crazy.

Obviously, well, maybe in the U.S. the sound was a bit less. Well, during the points, it's too much, but as long as people don't shout during the points and things that have nothing to do with encouragements, then I'm in favor of that. It just makes the sports and the play, even the game, even better.