ROLAND GARROS

June 1, 2023

Yoshihito Nishioka

Press Conference

Y. NISHIOKA/M. Purcell

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

THE MODERATOR: English questions.

Q. Just an analysis of your match. What do you think? The analysis, what can you say about it globally?

YOSHIHITO NISHIOKA: For today?

Q. Yeah.

YOSHIHITO NISHIOKA: Well, the beginning is like I didn't feel that well, so I did many mistakes since the beginning. But from the second set, little by little, you know, I figure out how I have to play against him.

I don't know. Maybe he had a little bit problem, something like blisters, so the service is not that great maybe. I'm not sure. But I could see something like from I think like maybe right-handed.

So like the service, I thought he has more big serve, but today it wasn't. So maybe something happen for him. But I can see like I have many chance to break his service game. So then like it was work in second set.

In the third set also I had chances. I was feeling like I had more chances, but I couldn't take it. It was 5-5. But finally he missed a couple easy balls, and then I find a way.

Then after that, it's all, I think it's already like I was feeling like I can win this match. I can handle this.

But, you know, it's again last match also like 3-0, 40-Love and almost coming back, and today also like 3-0, 40-Love or something, I don't remember, something like I was winning, and then the opponent is coming back almost.

Those kind of things, a little bit very tired for my mentality, but I'm very happy to through the second round.

Q. As a tennis professional, as you are, you're a very big fighter on the court always. Just a question about French tennis. At the moment there are quite a lot of losses, not really good results. You have played many times against French players, of course. How do you explain that it's quite difficult for them, especially in Paris here?

YOSHIHITO NISHIOKA: Well, I think French tennis is doing very well, because it's now as young generation is coming up, right? It's Fils and Van Assche and some other good players, for sure.

I know some greatest players in the world, the Gasquet, Simon already, but Paire, you know, so many great players in France. But they're getting older. So I know they are not like 100%, but, you know, it's like still 18, 19-years-old players already top 100.

Last year I played Van Assche in Belgium. I beat him 7-6 in the third, and after the match, my coach told me, like, he will be for sure top 100 like next year. And then actually like almost like 60 or something, right?

Well, it's amazing. I think now is Fils and Van Assche, they have the good thing is I think very good mentality. I'm not sure about Fils, but Van Assche, he never showing like negative emotions, right? I didn't see anything like in Belgium, and also like other tournament too.

I don't know that he's trying to or that's his character, I'm not sure, but I think that's very help for his result, I think.

Yeah, I mean, Fils looks like Tsonga, right? Has like big serve, big forehands, can hit winner from everywhere.

So two different type young generations coming up, which is like amazing. In Japan, we doesn't have it. So we're ready for this.