DAVIS CUP FINALS

November 20, 2024

Daniel Altmaier

Team Germany

Press Conference

D. ALTMAIER/G. Diallo

7-6, 6-4

Team Germany - 1

Team Canada - 0

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English, please.

Q. Congratulations on the win. How were the nerves ahead of the match? How excited are you to have won this first point for your country?

DANIEL ALTMAIER: No, definitely the nerves were a lot. I have been saying to the captain in the morning when I was warming up I was really nervous, you know, for coming up to the match, which I guess helps me a lot to communicate this openly, to don't hide away I guess my nerves.

So I have been really open with that, and I guess that helped me a lot, you know, to get into the match and just accept the way I feel, which is, I guess, completely normal, you know, being in this position.

I haven't played a Davis Cup match throughout the whole year, and then right away playing in such an important match which is to lead the tie, so I'm really happy, you know, the way I could handle it mentally, because I guess today tennis was secondary.

Q. You're obviously close in ranking with Yannick, so what was the decision on playing you in singles and not Yannick?

DANIEL ALTMAIER: I think that's really up to the captain the way he was feeling, you know. I have been practicing well. I guess we all have been practicing really well, Yannick, Struffi, and it's been just up to, I guess, a few details.

I guess I know Diallo since a while already. I played him for one set and he had to retire, so I knew a little bit, you know, the way he's playing, what he can do. And I guess I also have the game style which makes his life a little bit complicated sometimes. So the decision was not up to me, that's for sure.

Q. Obviously last night there was lots of excitement and emotions around the retirement of Rafa Nadal. Did you have a chance to see any of it? Did that distract you at all? Are you almost disappointed that you're not having a chance to play against Spain should you get to the semifinals?

DANIEL ALTMAIER: Well, we all, as a team, we went to watch that. I guess this was something, yeah, unique, you know, to be part of it. So we have been live here in the stadium. We watched the whole first set.

We all had a little bit of tears, you know, when we saw the images. I guess that's been a moment which we're not going to, in our lives, to watch such an icon leave the game. I have been watching him since we were very young boys, so I guess it's just something, yeah, super touching, super memorable.