ROLAND GARROS

June 6, 2024

Alex De Minaur

Press Conference

A. ZVEREV/A. de Minaur

6-4, 7-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Alex, sorry for the result, but, I mean, no doubt a lot of disappointment on your part, but this has been a major steppingstone. You must be able to take a lot away from what you have achieved these couple of weeks.

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, 100%. I think, you know, I'm extremely proud of my efforts throughout the two weeks.

Even today I think I put up a hell of a fight in adverse conditions against a quality opponent. Again, had my chances, probably should have taken the second set, and I think we would have been in for a proper battle.

But, yeah, I left my heart out there. I did everything I could. It just wasn't good enough. You know, sometimes on this surface days like today, conditions like today, I just struggle a little bit more.

Yeah, I'm still happy with the way I showed up.

Q. Can you talk about what a couple of those conditions were? Just a bit breezier and a bit slower? Is there anything that you would do differently during the match?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, it's probably, I mean, ultimately I think Zverev loves slow conditions. I think it's no secret. His best surface is the clay. You put that plus a night match, obviously someone like myself it's a little bit harder to penetrate and hurt him out there.

Still, I thought we came up with a good game plan. I was executing quite well. First set, a couple points here and there decided it. Second set, had a set point. I thought I played well. Got unlucky with kind of a net cord in an attacking shot that reset the rally. Then obviously 4-Love up in the tiebreak which, again, is disappointing to lose that. Then I thought I got pretty unlucky at the end of that tiebreak for it not to go my way.

And, yeah, I mean, the things I would do differently is probably win the second set. I mean, I think it changes the whole match, but didn't happen. It slipped away. And of course a player like him up two sets to love, it's a pretty big mountain to climb back up.

Q. Sorry to go back to the tiebreak again, but when you prepare for such kind of match, do you go into statistics? He has a pretty good tiebreak stat alone here in Roland Garros, 22 to 2 in his career. When you were up 4-0, were there any thoughts about that, or is it regarded to experience on the big stages and the last rounds in slams?

ALEX de MINAUR: No, I couldn't care less about his tiebreak record. Again, I don't really look at statistics. No point bothering in that. But you can tell, I mean, he's got a great serve and, you know, he can go into lockdown mode in those moments.

Yeah, probably, I would say, I made an unforced error at 4-Love, I missed a routine slice that there was no reason for me to kind of miss, and I would probably take that back.

But after that, yeah, 5-3 up, then at 5-All I think we played a brutal point, hit a really good short slice, brought him in, and I had the pass, and I went the wrong way and he guessed the right way, right?

Then 6-5 down, played a good point again. Came to the net, and he in range found a very good lob that reset the point.

Look, he's a very good player, and he loves the clay and he plays well here. You know, he deserves the win today, and all the credit. You know, I wish him the best for the rest of the tournament.

Q. There were some outstanding points in that match, extraordinary. One where you leapt up and tried to get the lob and then turned around and still retrieved it. Some great highlight reels. I know it's a disappointing result, but do you feel as though you really put on a show for your big night?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, I mean, I knew, again, whenever I step out on court I'm never going half-heartedly. I'm always going to leave my heart out there. Yeah, I thought I played a pretty good fight. I did my best.

Sure, I had some good highlights. Highlights don't win you matches. I would rather be boring and win the match.

Again, lots to learn from. These are the matches I want to be playing. And, yeah, I think it kind of shows the development and jump I've made as a player to be able to come out here and make quarters of my least-favorite surface, showing that I'm ready to take it to whoever and I'm going to give it my best against whoever.

Looking forward now to jumping on the grass.

Q. How much are you, A, looking forward to getting on the grass, and how much do you think what you've done in the clay court season, all the miles on the legs and the effort will come good on grass and hard court later?

ALEX de MINAUR: I sure hope I'm not running as much on the grass (smiling). I'll do my best to try to dictate a little bit more, and I'm hoping that my ball is going to penetrate a little bit more. But yeah, I'm excited for the grass, excited to, you know, let the surface help me out a little bit out there.

Yeah, it's always a great part of the season for me, which I'm always looking forward to. Yeah, we'll see how it goes this year, because, you know, I've never gone so deep here in French, so hopefully that takes a lot of momentum and confidence on to the grass.

Q. Wimbledon is obviously a major goal for you, but this run here, given what's on the horizon in a couple months post-Wimbledon, is that important for you as well?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, in a way I kind of surprised myself too. I showed that I'm perfectly capable. Again, Olympics will be best-of-three. It kind of shows that, yeah, there's no reason why I can't put on a good showing and perform and win matches.

So, yeah, I'll be looking forward to it. I think it will be a little bit warmer, so it should be fun.

Q. What will you do now to shake this out of the memory? Will it take a couple of days? Will you just not do anything for a couple of days? I know you've just come off the court. I appreciate that. But what would be your mindset?

ALEX de MINAUR: We'll probably get on the golf course the next couple of days, play some golf. Again, the transition for me from the clay to the grass is one that I look forward to every year. At times you probably need time off the tennis court, but the sheer fact that I'm stepping on a grass court, it makes me be in a good place.

So I'll be on the grass on a golf course and on the grass on a tennis court. So that will be me.