ROLAND GARROS

May 24, 2025

Arthur Rinderknech

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Welcome back to Roland Garros. How are you feeling coming in? Tough first round.

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Well, I feel good. I feel very good, in fact. I got married hardly a week ago, so this is a beautiful part of my private life that is taking place, and I want to continue surfing on this wave.

Obviously the first round is not going to be easy. After all, some people say it's better to play him for the first round than the finals. I would have liked to play him in the finals, but I respect him very well.

I managed to beat him once. He's a great player. I'm impatient. I want to enjoy the game on the court, and I will give everything I have, and I believe in my chances.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. They say that in this kind of game, there's nothing to lose, and you can only win. Is that what you think?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Yes, absolutely.

Q. Just enjoying, and as we saw on your network calling on the public to help you?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Yes, I love the public, especially the French public. In the Blue Tribune there's a little group that has been created that is really supporting ^ the French public and animating the whole public.

Q. Your marriage, did you hesitate to marry in the middle of the season, or is it something that boosts you?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: It wasn't easy. We only have ten days of holiday in November, so if you want to get married under the sun and take everybody with you, you have to go very far. So we decided to get married this weekend in Brittany, before the quallies, and we tossed it, and we had 72 hours without a single cloud, 20 degrees. Brittany never deceives you, so it was great.

Q. The possibility of a possible second round against Richard Gasquet playing for the last matches in his career, is that another hope for you?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Yes, I can picture myself there already. I saw that I was lucky enough to play against Richard here in Roland Garros two years ago. I know what it means. I know the player. I know the person. He's a great guy, and I hope for both of us that we play the second round. It will be a great pleasure.

Q. After what happened last year, is it something that you have in mind you want to get your revenge? Do you feel that you owe a revenge to the French public? Did you learn something last year?

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Yes -- I learned that the tarps are not always empty. The one was empty. I saw one on the side. I thought it was empty. There was a concrete wall about one meter longer. I felt it right away.

For this episode, nothing much to declare. It was bad luck. I'm a rather quiet guy on the court. I rarely show bad temper. I had a very small gesture, but it was a wall.

Unfortunately, it gave me a listen, if you talk about being ridiculous or a moment of either being ridiculous or laughing. I laughed about it. The bad thing is that it hurt for a while. I had to play even though I had felt pain, but it's behind me. But now I'll be more afraid of walls and even tarps in Roland. I will not do it again. That's for sure.

At the very moment it was not easy, but it's something that happens in the game. It's like in football, in soccer, people get a red card, and they don't deserve it, and they are thrown out, and they lose the match.

Here that was the case. I lost the match. Maybe I would have won it. We don't know. It was an unpleasant moment that was live. People did it before me. They broke their foot. I didn't break my foot. It hurt, but that was okay.

Q. Associating with Sinner... when you appealed to the crowd, it shows a connection with him because we know you've got to be careful with this type of message, and you know that. So your associating Sinner shows that kind of bond.

ARTHUR RINDERKNECH: Yes. Sinner, I saw him grow. I played him when he was No. 15. I was entering the top 100. I played him six months later. Then a month later he was one of the top 5.

So I saw him develop and blossom, and he's a guy I have a lot of respect for. He is quiet, and that is very important. It's very nice when a player like him says hello to everyone when he comes into the lockers. It's something I really respect. I really appreciate the player. He's a great champion. I believe we have a very good relationship.

Nothing to add. Everything is okay.