ROLEX PARIS MASTERS

October 31, 2024

Ugo Humbert

Press Conference

U. HUMBERT/C. Alcaraz

6-1, 3-6, 7-5

(In French.)

THE MODERATOR: Well done, Ugo, for this performance. Is it the most beautiful victory in your career?

UGO HUMBERT: It's the most beautiful victory in my career, and it's the best moment I lived on a tennis court. It's incredible. I train for that. I practice for that.

This is what I repeated to myself in the third set. I didn't want what happened last year to repeat itself. I also thought about the match against Zverev, and it made me stronger.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. How did you approach the match to explain this first set, which is incredible? You almost tread on him.

UGO HUMBERT: Well, Jeremy said to me, Don't do like in the Davis Cup. Don't try to play to an excess, to overplay. So I started. I was very aggressive.

As for my return right from the second set, I started missing some points and he played better. I guess I had fought too much in the first one, and then I fought until the beginning of the third set. All through the third set I talked to myself. I was constantly talking to myself to tell myself that I was there, that I wouldn't let go until the end, and it worked. I felt better, and that's the way I felt it, and it was the right solution.

Q. The fact that you fought him well in Wimbledon, did this give you more confidence over the match?

UGO HUMBERT: Yes, I knew that on this type of surface, like on grass, with my game I can be a problem for all the very best in the world.

But in the Davis Cup, it was incredible. I didn't even see the light of day. He forced me.

But here, it was different. The public really was incredible and supported me. I was happy to give them this victory, because it was an important moment for me, and it was great to share it with them.

Q. Well done, Ugo. Carlos five minutes ago said that against him you play very well, that your quality of game is a problem for him. Why does he feel that? You love this type of game?

UGO HUMBERT: Because it's my game. I play well on this surface. On both sides I hit very fast. I think he's not the only one to feel that when he's playing me.

But I had a great match, and I love playing against the best players in the world. This is why I'm training and practicing, and the Paris Masters Bercy is one of my favorite matches.

Q. Can we have a transcription of your conversations to yourself in the third set, or is it taboo?

UGO HUMBERT: Well, the camera was next to me, and I thought, well, they're going to hear me, and maybe they will capture this on the video (smiling). But it was a very positive speech.

Q. Seeing the other French people eliminated on court today, was that a kind of revenge?

UGO HUMBERT: No, what I do on court I do for myself. I'm all the way into it for each match. I try to go to the end of my possibilities. I didn't look at the results of the French. I knew about Arthur, because I played right after him, but there is no revenge. I just follow the road, my road.

Q. What kind of idea do you have for the rest of the tournament when you win like this?

UGO HUMBERT: This is what I love in tennis. I don't want to do any prediction or tell you what's going to happen. I try to live the moment to the full.

I came to Bercy to live this kind of emotion, this kind of match. When it's like that, anything is possible. I don't know how far I'll go, but it's a question I don't want to answer.

Q. Talking about that, for the next match against Thompson, on paper you seem to be a favorite. After a match like Alcaraz, do you think there might be a backlash?

UGO HUMBERT: I don't know. I can't tell you. I'm going to prepare my match as usual. I'm going to try and recover. I try to do things well. I try to prepare myself well, to be focused, to enjoy the moment, and we'll see.

He plays very well. He's a great player. He beat me this year, so we have to respect that, and I don't know what will happen.

Tonight I'm going to try to have a good night and sort of wind down, because I don't know what time it is, but I'll try to get to bed as soon as possible and prepare for tomorrow.