at Wimbledon
About his match against Garin
“I definitely felt a little more pressure today (Wednesday). It’s obviously uncharted territory to reach a Grand Slam semifinal for the first time. I was the favorite against Garin on the less comfortable grass. And yet it was a great battle.
His first semi-final qualification
“I never imagined being in the semifinals of a Grand Slam, I thought I let the train pass, that I missed the opening.”
On developing without a coach
“I don’t have a coach, because I wouldn’t want to put that weight on anyone’s shoulders. Nobody knows my tennis as well as I do.”
On his tennis depression
“How can things change?” At some point I was almost done with this sport. In 2019, when I was at the Australian Open, there was self-harm and suicidal thoughts. Being a semi-finalist at Wimbledon is a special achievement for everyone, but I think especially for me. If you asked anyone if I was able to do that in the last two years, I think everyone would probably say no. It sounded like “he doesn’t have the mental ability, he doesn’t have the physical ability, he doesn’t have the discipline, all of that.” I almost began to doubt myself…”
Regarding a sexual harassment complaint
“I have a lot of things I want to say from my side. My lawyers advised me not to say anything at this time. I understand that everyone wants to ask questions about this. It did not affect my preparation at all. I knew I had to stay true to myself and give my best today.
On his new wish
“I’m a bit like Rocky (smiles). I had lost the fire, the spark. Then some things changed in my life. I kind of rediscovered that I have a lot of people who want me to play and I play for them too. I have a lot left in the tank. I feel like I’m probably playing my best tennis, I feel good mentally. The road has been long. I think it took me seven or eight years to go from my first tournament here to the quarterfinals. It’s one hell of an adventure. I just feel like I’m more mature. I am trying to recover better, rest better, eat better. It hasn’t always been the easiest thing for me in my career (smiles).
On his ambitions
“I think everyone in my team has the same goal. That’s why it works. I told them I wanted to go far here and maybe even lift the trophy. I made it known.’
About Rafael Nadal
“We had some big battles on Center Court. He had one win against me (2019 in the 3rd round) and I won one (2014 in the 8th round) Obviously we know they are two completely different personalities. But I feel we respect each other. I think it would be a meeting that would make everyone’s mouth water. It will probably be the most watched game of all time.”
Source: Le Figaro
I am David Wyatt, a professional writer and journalist for Buna Times. I specialize in the world section of news coverage, where I bring to light stories and issues that affect us globally. As a graduate of Journalism, I have always had the passion to spread knowledge through writing.