ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2024

Alex De Minaur

Press Conference

A. de MINAUR/A. Michelsen

6-1, 6-0, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Alex, if you can tell us, what was the key today in such conditions?

ALEX de MINAUR: Not easy out there today. Obviously a long day, stop, starting. More than anything mentally and also dealing with, you know, cold and rain in your face. Just had to be solid and, yeah, make sure I had good mentality today. That's probably the most important thing.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. How often have you played in that kind of weather, those kind of conditions?

ALEX de MINAUR: I feel like every time I come here to Paris (laughing). Honestly, I can probably remember very few times where I feel like I've played a hot day here in Paris. I remember, yeah, plenty of these types of matches, sadly.

Yeah, I knew what to expect. I was ready. I had my undershirt thermal layering on. Yeah, I was ready for a battle in the cold and rain.

Q. Alex, what made the difference today compared to a couple of months ago when you played him in Los Cabos?

ALEX de MINAUR: That match I flew from Rotterdam basically the night before from an indoor event to an outdoor event in Mexico. It was quite a quick turnaround. So I probably wasn't quite ready to play that match, but I definitely was ready today.

Q. Could you just explain some of the adjustments you have to make, what it's actually like playing in conditions like that? How different is it?

ALEX de MINAUR: Well, I think probably the most important thing is to have a positive mindset throughout the whole day because it's very easy to start complaining about the weather, the conditions, everything, but if you start down that rabbit hole, then you can probably guarantee that you're not going to play a good level match.

So you've got to take it lightly. You've got to see the bright side of it. Even though it's a little bit fake it until you make it, right? I was telling myself walking into the match that I love these types of conditions, you know, that I wish every day was like this.

Look, these kind of small things obviously help you get ready for a battle, and then yeah, no point complaining. You can't do anything about it, so might as well do your best and try to put in the best possible performance that you can.

Q. Then practically, are you conscious, are you trying to hit the ball harder, or are you wary of doing that because that carries more risk?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, it's completely -- it alters tactics big-time, right? Ultimately, the conditions are way slower. So maybe someone who is a little bit bigger and stronger can still hit through these conditions and even maybe have a little bit more control, but for someone that maybe doesn't have as much firepower, it creates a different style of tennis. You have to be more patient. You have to think outside the box.

Today the whole game plan was to try and get him moving. It wasn't super easy out there because the conditions didn't allow that, but obviously the droppy is in play, try to get angles, the slice, try to change paces. So you have to think outside the box.

Obviously it's a completely different match than if it was sunny because I feel like I can probably hit through him a lot more, but today I was quite conscious of that. I felt like I did what I needed to do to get the win today.

Q. All in all, Alex, would you say that's your best Grand Slam performance on clay?

ALEX de MINAUR: Well, there's not too many to go from, so I'll take it (laughing). Yeah. Sure, looking at the scores and everything, yeah, probably is. But, yeah, don't have too many to go from.

Q. Does it give you that encouragement that you were talking about, potential second week?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, of course. Again, I'm a completely different player than previous years on the surface. I feel comfortable. I feel capable. Again, I'm going to do my very best because ultimately my goals are, at the slams, right, to go deep at the slams. So I'm going to do my very best of that.

Saying that, I am quite conscious that I'm yet to pass the second round here, so we'll start with that one first. Then we can move forward.

Q. Quick question about your girlfriend, Katie. You're going to watch her match tonight? Second, most difficult question: How do you organize your life and your season with her?

ALEX de MINAUR: Yeah, well, the plan is to watch her. I think she's got a long day ahead. The match before her just started, and it's a men's match, so it could be a long one.

Yeah, organizing our lives, I think in a way it's pretty simple because we're both in the same job, so we both understand what it is to be a tennis player, so we both have our priorities straight.

Safe to say that we don't take it too hard if either of us don't watch each other play because we obviously know that we're getting ready, we've got to recover, got to do stuff to focus on yourself. But whenever we can, we're obviously there to support each other. Well, today we spent almost the whole day together waiting for the rain to go away, so let's hope it stays that way.

Q. You're a really positive, upbeat guy. So when you just made the comment about being conscious of the second round over here, how do you tackle that then? What goes through your mind? Does it play on your mind?

ALEX de MINAUR: Look, I think I'm a very positive, upbeat guy, but I'm also very factual, right? I don't mind speaking facts when it comes to certain things, and the same way that it's a fact that I'm yet to pass the second round here. I'm also speaking a fact where I feel quite comfortable on the surface this season, and I think I'm a completely different player this year.

So, yeah, I tackle this like any other week. I go out there. I've got my expectations. I try to do my best. I know it's a little bit tougher, but at the same time I enjoy it. I enjoy a challenge, and why not go deep here? It would be quite a statement, I think.

Q. You're the first Australian to win here this week, which is obviously a good thing, but I know you're close to all the other guys. When you see them having tough losses and things, are you getting used to being on your own at the top in terms of going deeper in events? Is it a difficult thing?

ALEX de MINAUR: Well, the way I see it is this year we had nine Australians in the main draw. We're getting stronger and stronger as a nation. We've got guys pushing. I think the strength we have, especially on the men's side, is the strongest it's been in a long time, and it's great to see a lot of these young guys pushing.

Yeah, look, we're 100% going to have another Aussie because we've got two playing each other, but it's just great to see that we keep on pushing. We're out here. It's probably not really our comfort zone here on the clay. There's no secret about this, but here we are giving our best foot forward.

I can guarantee all these Aussies are going to be doing a lot of damage on the grass as well. So I think I'm very proud to be a part of Australian tennis and how strong it's looking. And going from Davis Cup all the way to top-100 players, I think it's all adding together.

It's ultimately a strength in numbers. It's great to be here at Roland Garros in Paris and six hours waiting for the court to dry up. We're just out there in the locker room just chatting about everything, you know. It's great to have that camaraderie, because ultimately, maybe not myself, but most of these guys are so far away from home for such a long part of the year.

So the fact that we can create a little bit of a shelter, a home, a good environment abroad I think has helped a lot for the success and all these guys getting better and better. I think it's just the beginning.