AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 22, 2024

Arthur Cazaux

Press Conference

H. HUKACZ/A. Cazaux

7-6. 7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Tough battle today. How do you reflect on your match and your overall performance throughout the tournament?

ARTHUR CAZAUX: Of course, I'm sad, a bit sad, because I always want more, but it's still a good week for me. Many firsts, like first top-10 win, first second week in Grand Slam.

So, of course, it's a good week for me. I know it's going to help me for the rest of the season for sure.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Are there any particular lessons that you've learned from the week and being around the big stars of the game and seeing how they go about their business?

ARTHUR CAZAUX: Can you just repeat the --

Q. Being around the top players in the world, have you learned any lessons this week from your great run and seeing them?

ARTHUR CAZAUX: Any lessons? I don't know. Not really. It was a good atmosphere to be, like you said, close to every big star in tennis and to be with them in the second week. For sure it's a great experience for me.

If I learn any lessons? Yes, one maybe. It's like if I want to been a Grand Slam one day, it's a long way, and it's long two weeks. For the body it's long. Also for the mind. You must be like very strong to win a Grand Slam, yeah, to be the best during two weeks in a row.

Q. In the next few weeks what events are you going to be playing, and now that you're up to 83 I think in the live rankings, what might that mean for the weeks ahead in planning a new playing schedule?

ARTHUR CAZAUX: Yes, for sure my schedule is going to change a bit, but my next tournament is going to be Montpellier Montpellier because it's my own city. That one was in red on my schedule because, yeah, I love my city, and I love this tournament.

Yeah, for sure with my ranking now I'm going to play for ATP tournaments. That's cool. Yeah, I don't have any points to defend until the grass season, so that's good. That's good for me. I will play every ATP Tour tournaments, and that's going to be a great experience for me.

Q. Is it strange to think that you were only the alternate at the Next Gen Finals given what you have done here, and was that hard in a way to be at that tournament but not play?

ARTHUR CAZAUX: I was a bit sad for sure because it was one of my goal from last year. Yeah, I didn't have my place to play this tournament. But, you know, I was there for training. I trained hard until this week.

Yeah, it's life, you know. I didn't play that good to be in this tournament, but I will have other chance to play big tournaments like this one, like Australian Open or so. I hope to continue to improve in my game and to be a better player every day.

Q. Just finally from me, obviously a very nice prize money here at the Australian Open. Will that allow you to reinvest in your game, in your team, and give you some stability? Have there been times in your career where money has been a problem and stopped you from investing in your own game?

ARTHUR CAZAUX: Yeah, for sure it's nice to have a big prize money, like you said, because I can invest on my team. I already did that because I took a physio with me since six months right now. So I already invest in my team and my game plan.

So for sure I'm going to continue on this way to invest in my tennis because I know it's like this. I will be a better player. That's all.