THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 2, 2024

Jan Choinski

Press Conference

L. DARDERI/J. Choinski

7-5, 4-6, 2-6, 7-5, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Jan, tough one today. How were you feeling out on court?

JAN CHOINSKI: Yeah, I feel good, to be honest. Maybe didn't get the win, but I gave it my all.

I was practicing very hard for the past weeks, trying to adapt onto grass court as good as possible. And I feel like played a pretty good match. Happy with getting into the fifth set. Obviously not the result that I wanted, but still very positive.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Just to follow on from that, can I ask you about the rain delays and how they affected you. Obviously after the first one you managed to turn the match in your favor, and then the second one he just levelled. Just your opinion on that?

JAN CHOINSKI: I felt like after the first rain delay, especially when I was able to get that break in the second set, felt like I could grab the momentum. Then I played some very good tennis for the next two sets, winning the second and the third.

Also, you know, most of the fourth set even I felt like I've got good momentum here. Early in the set I had I think three break points in a row, him serving Love-40. Couldn't convert that game.

Then it got really tricky towards the end of the fourth set because, yeah, he was 6-5 up, and it was my serve and 40-all. He managed to get a set point. Then it just started pouring down during playing that set point. It was like a 20-, 25-shot rally that he somehow managed to win.

Then, you know, lost that set, with that ball. Straightaway it got interrupted. Rain delay again. Then came back onto the court for the fifth set and just felt like -- he was playing good. I wasn't playing bad as well. But yeah, once he got grab of that break early -- I mean, not early, like mid-fifth set -- then it kind of slipped away a little bit.

Q. Can you tell us about how difficult the surface was because even before the first rain delay there was a point that you lost, and you seemed quite frustrated with how the ball bounced.

JAN CHOINSKI: Yeah, there were, like, always sequences in the match where it just started dribbling down a little bit. Then it wasn't enough or not hard enough rain for them to interrupt the match, but it just kind of made the grass a little bit slippy, you know, not only to run on it, but like the ball started skidding away. Especially when he was using his slice.

I was trying to use my slice as good as I could as well, but in some occasions the ball just -- you could not predict how it's going to react once it hits the grass.

Q. It felt like from watching it was quite fine margins the difference between getting over or not getting over. Is that how it felt? It felt like if a few things had gone differently, you could be in the second round?

JAN CHOINSKI: Yeah, for sure. Especially after winning the second and the third set, I just felt like I had all the momentum on my side.

Then early on in the fourth set, as I said before, when he had that one service game serving at Love-40, three break points in a row. Now you can think about it. Maybe if I would have made that game, it could have changed the whole match, but that's tennis. You just need to live with that.

Then, obviously, that ending of the fourth set was really tricky, like, tough one as well because of that set point that he had. Then it started just pouring down, and we had to finish the point. Sadly, you know, lost it instead of getting back to 40-All on my serve. The set was gone. Then just had to regroup and focus and try and play my best in the fifth.

Q. We are asking all of the Brits today. Obviously, Andy announced he was pulling out of the singles this morning, which means that his Wimbledon singles legacy is finished. I just wondered as a British player, what impact and legacy he leaves behind, and just how important he's been for younger British players over the years?

JAN CHOINSKI: Yeah, for sure. Him winning this tournament I think was it twice, twice, winning the Olympics here and everything he's done for British tennis as well. Still, you know, with all his injuries that he had, still managing to somehow hang in even though maybe he's not been playing at the highest level as he did before all of those surgeries.

It's just absolutely amazing. The fighting spirit he has and the spirit for training and just loving the sport as it is is remarkable. He's a great champion. Sorry to hear that he pulled out.

Q. Just going into it, how happy were you with the prep that you had, match prep, in terms of Eastbourne last week and then qualifiers at Queen's?

JAN CHOINSKI: Results-wise, it wasn't the best grass court season. You have to see it how it is. But I felt I was playing some good matches. I came to Nottingham with an hour practice after playing that semifinal on clay the week before. Only was able to hit an hour, and then I had to play the match. But still I used it as practice to get one match in prior to everything that was supposed to come after that.

I played good matches. You know, all of the matches that I lost were pretty close. Lots of tiebreaks, three-setters.

Last week when I played in Eastbourne, I lost to Purcell, who made finals. Having set point in the first set, and then pretty tough one.

I did the best I could, and I'm really, really thankful for the trust and for everyone who gave me the wild card here or made it possible for me to play in the main draw. I think I just did the best of my ability.

I hang in there today. I was fighting as much as I could, so I'm happy with that. But, of course, you want to do better in the future.

Q. Would you say just in general being at Wimbledon your experience here particularly the last couple of years your ranking has kind of shot up, would you say you feel really at home, confident?

JAN CHOINSKI: Yeah, 100%. I was using the time after Eastbourne after I lost there to come here, practice at Aorangi, practice at Raynes Park. I had really good sessions. I can't thank Colin, my LTA coach, enough for setting all the sessions up.

Even though it may not be his job, but he was almost full-time hanging in there, you know, making sure I've got the best possible preparation. We feel as a team that I did.

Then it all came to the match today. Left it all out there, and sadly, wasn't to be today, but hopefully in the future I can do better.