MUBADALA CITI DC OPEN

August 6, 2023

Daniel Evans

Press Conference

D. EVANS/T. Griekspoor

7-5, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: This is our 2023 Mubadala Citi DC Open men's singles champion. Congratulations, Dan. It's your first ATP 500 title, and it's very special here in D.C. this week. How would you summarize your performance overall?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I played, yeah, good tennis. The first round was a little scrappy, but I played very good tennis from then on in.

Yeah, very strange week. You know, we missed one day of tennis and played two matches on one day, so the weather now sort of sums up the week for me.

Yeah, but it's nice to win any tournament, but especially here. I have come here a lot of times, and it's an amazing week. I'm delighted.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. You said on court it was kind of hard for you to imagine a week like you have had even just a week ago. Could you kind of sum up your emotions throughout the week and what this win means to you?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, you know, last week I lost, having three match points, served for the match. Yeah, you try not to let emotions get in the way when you're in the tournament, and I was, you know, confident after the second round that I was playing well, but I had to keep telling myself it was match by match and not so long ago I wasn't playing great.

It was a good effort mentally to just stay in the present and keep, you know, fighting for each point, and I did a great job of that this week.

Q. What did you do during that long break? Was it hard to get back out there and pick back up?

DANIEL EVANS: I mean, I have been a little lucky in the sense I have played at night the last two evenings. So when I first played at night here, it was very different to the day, the optics, and when we went back out it was sort of evening so I was pretty used to it.

I got a quick start. Yeah, I didn't do much in the rain delay. Had a bit of food and, yeah, relaxed.

Q. I saw you on your phone as we came in here. It's quite late back home, but are you hearing from folks who were watching?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah. I'm hearing from friends that haven't had a lot to celebrate lately. They have gone out the last three nights. One of our friends has a bar, so they kept that open. I'm sure they'll have a few drinks still now.

Q. I'm wondering what was different this week for you, different compared to several tournaments leading up to this?

DANIEL EVANS: I mean, it was really only the grass I didn't play well. You know, I played well in Barcelona on the clay, and then I had some rough matches which I didn't get the best out of. I lost in three a few times or tight matches.

Then, yeah, I was playing well and I just couldn't get over the line. That's where you sort of lean on your team to, you know, keep you working hard and training and practicing hard.

You know, it's especially good to get the outcome I got this week, but, you know, I said to myself once I got into the semis that that was a good effort and then I sort of reset and, you know, wanted to then win the tournament.

Q. I was going to ask, the quarterfinal win you had against Tiafoe the other night, I think you had 30 winners, six unforced. You played really well. You said you got to the semifinals and reset. Once you got to the weekend, could you potentially see this outcome?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah. I mean, certain players hit the ball certain ways and make you play well. Frances, we always play pretty good matches. Even when I have lost to him I have played good.

You know, I played very well that night, and it gave me a lot of confidence in the semis, and especially, you know, today I didn't really think too much about the opponent. I just, you know, tried to play my game.

You know, that's what got me the win against Frances. I really put my game on the court. I got so much confidence from that match.

Q. I was going ask, you threw up some truly incredible lobs throughout the last three matches. How proud are you just of the defenses and sticking in a lot of those long rallies?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, when you're my height, you end up running quite a lot (smiling). Yeah, it's an important part of the game. Yeah, lobbing when you're in defense, it can be a very good tactic.

You know, I work on it, but I treat it with respect that shot. It's an important shot, especially outdoors. You have a lot of room up there.