US OPEN

August 27, 2024

Daniel Evans

Press Conference

D. EVANS/K. Khachanov

6-7, 7-6, 7-6, 4-6, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Dan, epic battle. Five sets, five and a half hours. Give us your thoughts.

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, it was a long one. It was a long, long battle. I thought I played pretty well for the majority of the match. Obviously I was struggling physically, but so was he.

It was sort of who could last the longest in the end.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Can you explain your mindset when you were down in the final set.

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I just carried on fine really. Yeah, just tried to scrape little by little. Each point I was obviously really struggling with my legs. On serve I was fine on return, so that gave me a bit of hope.

Yeah, I think when you're a kid, you're just told to fight until the end. I mean, that's sort of rule one. I've done that pretty consistently for my career. It sort of paid off a bit today.

Q. I just wonder given the year that you've had and the ranking you've now gone down to, what does this mean to you in isolation on the day? I know it doesn't change the ranking around on its own, but just as a day itself, what does this mean to you?

DANIEL EVANS: I'm immensely proud that I come through the match. I think that's the overriding feeling more than anything. I've had a lot of first rounds this year. It's nice to win a match.

Obviously it was a long match. But, yeah, that's the overriding feeling is to still be able to win at this level, you know, you always have doubts when you've been not winning. That's normal in any walk of life. If you're not doing well, you have doubts. It's no different in tennis.

That would be my overriding feeling is I'm happy to come through that match. Of course, it's a special match to win in what fashion, or however you want to say. But yeah, I'm proud that I'm still able to compete on the tour.

As you said, my ranking has dropped. I thought I could, but it's easier said than done. You can always think it, but you've got to go out there and do it. Obviously missing that shot in the first set didn't start proceedings off that well.

Q. Where were you hurting most during the match now, and what do you plan to do the next 48 hours? Can you imagine going back on court in the next 48 hours or so?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, obviously I won't practice tomorrow. Just recover and try and recover as best as possible. I was hurting all over really.

Yeah, I don't think I've played five hours, that long, in a day ever in two sessions, never mind in one (laughing). I was actually thinking that on the court. I've never practiced two hours, two hours. It's normally an hour and a half.

Yeah, we'll see. Yeah, we'll see. I can't say now. I'll obviously be in a bit of discomfort for the next few hours, 12 hours, 48 hours, whatever. You know, I pride myself on being pretty fit, so I should hopefully be okay.

Q. From 4-4 in the final set on you had some pretty outrageous shot-making in that sequence. When you're that tired, how do those two things connect, the shot-making and what's going on in your body, or do you just sort of let it go at that point?

DANIEL EVANS: I was really trying to focus at that part of the match. It was very easy to lose focus being tired, and I think I did a bit when I was 30-Love up in that game and somehow got out of the game, and I felt pretty good on return. I didn't feel so tired returning. It was more jumping up to the serve.

Yeah, I mean, I just carried on fighting trying to -- I could see he was in discomfort. It wasn't massively extravagant shot-making. It might have looked like that, but he wasn't covering too much of the court at that point. For him it was big targets where you sort of have your winners. I was just trying to work him, yeah.

Q. You mentioned doubts before. I wondered what kind of doubts you've had this year when things weren't going your way.

DANIEL EVANS: I've won no matches on the tour. It's basic stuff really. Yeah, when you're looking for wins, they become harder and harder to get. Everything becomes a little more difficult to get over the line. Yeah, when you're winning matches, everything flows, and you don't have to think so much.

That was pretty evident trying to serve out the first set. Then in the breaker, you know, just missed a backhand long. I got there in the end, but I'm just happy to have come through to get another chance to play.

Q. So the crowd was definitely on your side. Before the match would you think that people would cheer up for you that much, and did it motivate you during the game?

DANIEL EVANS: Yeah, I guess sort of had them on my side in the end when I was obviously losing pretty badly. So I guess everybody likes the story that you come back from 4-Love or I was down.

It was a great atmosphere. That's one of the reasons I love playing here so much is the atmosphere. Especially on the outside courts it can get very loud. I thought they were pretty fair to both. It was a nice atmosphere out there.

Q. I just wondered if any of the Olympic comebacks with Andy, did that experience help you today? Did it come into your mind at all or anything?

DANIEL EVANS: I didn't really think about it, to be honest. Yeah, I just kept looking at the clock really to try and just hang in, hang in. But, yes, another pretty good comeback I guess. That's three in a matter of months. Yeah, nuts, yeah.

Q. When you look back at this match in a year, two years, five years, ten years, what do you think will go through your mind?

DANIEL EVANS: Just I guess it would be such a good thought. Amazing feeling to have come through the match. The irony, I've played him probably more than anybody on the tour as well. I've played him so many times. I don't know.

I'll be proud. I'll obviously be proud. Yeah, it's just a crazy, crazy match. Yeah, I guess it's one I'll remember obviously forever. I don't really know. I can't put it into words right now.

It will be obviously something of happiness. There will be no bad thoughts.

Q. When you are looking at the clock, what are you thinking? Next five minutes or...

DANIEL EVANS: I was trying to just play, stay out there as long as possible at 4-Love and just see where I could get myself.

Again, I'll say it, it's the longest I've ever been on a court. In the fourth set I had to check the set to see what set we was in. I wasn't entirely sure what set we was in.

But, yeah, I don't really want to do that again. That's for sure.