THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

July 1, 2025

Tommy Paul

Press Conference

T. PAUL/J. Monday

6-4, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Talk us through the match from your perspective, Tommy.

TOMMY PAUL: I mean, it's not too often in a slam you play a guy that you don't have a lot of experience watching or know too much about. But I talked to some people, heard some things about him, knew he was a big lefty with a pretty good serve.

Came in. I knew I had to take care of my service games. He had a couple of break points there early in the match, which I was happy that I got those, because it could have got a little bit interesting. But after that I really took care of my service games and got the breaks early in sets and kind of kept it rolling.

Q. Do you think it would have been tougher to play him yesterday?

TOMMY PAUL: For what reason?

Q. Monday.

TOMMY PAUL: (Laughing) I saw some funny tweets, man. Oh, not his day (laughing). No, it's funny. You know, I think he probably would have rather played yesterday, I guess.

Q. I don't know his relationship with that. I would have to ask him.

TOMMY PAUL: I'm sure he's heard it quite a bit.

Q. Having not seen him on tape, that's pretty rare for you guys these days. What's that adjustment period like those first few games? How long does it take for you to feel comfortable?

TOMMY PAUL: I broke I think third game of the match, second or third game. So I mean, I think he gave me a lot of missed first serves in that game. Maybe a little bit of nerves from him.

Then from there I was able to really figure out his game a little bit more without pressure on me, and kind of had that whole first set to really kind of pick up his patterns. I mean, he actually served great for the rest of that set. I just didn't really give him too many looks on my serve after that.

Then through the rest of the match I felt like I had a decent idea of what service patterns he liked.

Q. The term 'serve bot'.

TOMMY PAUL: Serve bot.

Q. A few of your compatriots have been called that. What do you think about that? And is that something players tease or maybe Reilly, Ben for a period? Maybe was Taylor a serve bot for a bit.

TOMMY PAUL: He's a serve bot for sure. He can play from the ground very well, and he's one of the best returners on tour.

Q. Doesn't that make him not a serve bot if he can do other things?

TOMMY PAUL: I guess he wouldn't be a serve bot. He would just be a bot (laughing). I guess so.

Q. Who is a serve bot? Would Opelka be? Perricard?

TOMMY PAUL: I would say Perricard. But then I saw him playing yesterday, and he was making every return. He was returning very well yesterday.

Q. What about Ben?

TOMMY PAUL: I think there's an evolution in the serve bot going on right now. I think everyone can play. Everyone jokes about it, but Reilly is actually pretty good from the ground. We'll play groundy games, and he is right there with me in practice and stuff. He'll beat me. Everyone can play tennis.

It's just when serve stats are crazy, I mean, you know who the guys are, and you know they get a lot more free points than other people, I guess.

Q. Is it when it's so much better than the other areas of their game maybe?

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, I mean, basically just look at the guys like 6'7" and up.

Q. Do you think of it as a pejorative term, an insult?

TOMMY PAUL: No, I don't. I think at first it was used that way, maybe like seven years ago it was used in a bad way. I think that's actually how it started. Like people on Twitter calling Reilly a serve bot or calling Isner a serve bot.

I think they handled it unreal and kind of changed it into making it funny. Now they make jokes about it like, Oh, he doesn't qualify as a serve bot, or he does. I mean, I think it's a funny thing.

Q. What does it say about what you need to do to stay on the tour even if you have a killer serve?

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, you got to be able to do it all. Obviously people that don't have huge serves have to do, like they have to move better, they have to return better. But everyone does everything. The smallest guys are hitting aces, and the biggest guys are making returns now.

With the courts slowing down at every event, they're still finding ways to get free points on their serve. I think the sport is just in a cool place where everyone is so freakishly athletic, and everyone can play, and everyone can do everything.

Q. Just one follow-up. When you saw the French Open final, Alcaraz-Sinner, what went through your mind about the level that these guys were playing that day?

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, it was crazy. I mean, I woke up in the morning, started watching the match. Went to, like, my girlfriend had like a polo event. I was there for four hours. It ended, and I'm, like, in the car ride home still watching the match on my phone. It was like insane how long that match was. And the level was... I mean we all know what it was. It was amazing to watch.

I mean, I love both of those guys. I love watching both of those guys. I mean, they're obviously leading the way in our sport right now. I hear a lot of people talk about it just takes putting together two weeks to win a slam. I think right now there's a lot of people that need to really pick up the level to keep up with these guys.

You're not going to put together two weeks really against these guys. I mean, these guys are playing that level all the time, so we've got some catching up to do.

Q. You were watching Fritz last night?

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah.

Q. What are your thoughts on that match?

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, crazy. I mean, the second set breaker with Fritz up in the breaker, and then obviously Perricard. Was it, 5-1 in the breaker in the fourth?

Q. Yeah.

TOMMY PAUL: I mean, just stuff that you wouldn't expect in that match. Like I said, I was impressed with how much Perricard was putting in returns and playing points and hitting over his backhand.

I actually haven't watched a ton of his matches, so it was cool to watch. Obviously they weren't the best points ever, but it was cool to watch.

I'm pumped that Fritz got through that fourth set. I think they should be probably, what, going on kind of soon.

Q. Second.

TOMMY PAUL: I'll definitely tune in to watch the end of that. It seemed like momentum was definitely with Fritz before they canceled it. I mean, I guess we'll just see.

I don't know, they're playing with the roof open or closed?

Q. Open.

TOMMY PAUL: Open? I don't even know who that helps really (smiling). It should be an interesting one.

Q. Can I ask you about the heat, Tommy? For a start, did you find it that hot out there compared to what you are used to?

TOMMY PAUL: We were joking around about it this morning. We were saying I think the heat during the match is an advantage to me, because I just came from Florida two weeks ago. But the heat during the night last night was an advantage for all the Brits, because I guess they're used to sleeping with no AC, and I am not (laughing).

Q. There's no AC where you are staying?

TOMMY PAUL: We have the portable units.

Q. Doesn't do the job?

TOMMY PAUL: No.

Q. They provided it?

TOMMY PAUL: We just rented them.

Q. Can you tell me a little bit about when it is hot, maybe not, you know, rubbish U.K. heat, but can you tell me about what you do extra or more of in terms of just coping?

TOMMY PAUL: I think we kind of just obviously hydrate a little bit more, put more electrolytes in your body. I think for the most part all of us kind of prepare for battles no matter what.

We prepare pretty similar. Maybe the day before I'll think about drinking more fluids, but really not too much different.

Q. During the match, it's all the same? Ice towel?

TOMMY PAUL: Ice towel. I brought a lot more shirts today than I normally would in a Wimbledon match. Yeah, I was pulling out the ice towel in the first set. You know, just to keep the body cool, I guess.

Q. Can I go back to the end of Fritz's match last night. Were you watching at the end of that fourth set?

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah.

Q. The discussion about the curfew and all that. I was curious what you thought about it. Sounded like Taylor was saying, Hey, we haven't played a set that lasted 45 minutes. Why can't we just try and finish this?

TOMMY PAUL: I actually just talked to him in the locker room about it. I was, like, Oh, so they didn't even ask you if you wanted to play?

He said, Yeah, they did, but we didn't agree.

I was, like, Oh, so if you guys don't agree, then you stop?

He was, like, Well, if we don't agree, then it goes up to the supervisor, and he decides.

I didn't know that rule. And I guess the supervisor called it off to come back today and finish.

Q. Would you have been kind of salty in that position?

TOMMY PAUL: That's the thing with so many tournaments. I mean, so many tournaments have so many different rules. And obviously Wimbledon is a place that has a lot of rules and are pretty strict on them. I don't think it's worth really arguing them. You're never going to win, so no reason to really get yourself bent out of shape.