NATIONAL BANK OPEN

July 27, 2025

Nicolas Arseneault

Press Conference

N. ARSENEAULT/V. Royer

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Nicolas, congrats again for winning your first National Bank Open match. Has it sunk in yet? How do you feel right now?

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: It definitely hasn't sunk in yet. It's going to take maybe tomorrow morning before I realize what I've just done. To play my first main draw in Toronto, and to win my first match, it's the best thing that's happened to me yet.

Q. If someone had told you a few weeks ago that not only would you be getting a main draw wild card to the National Bank Open, but you would also be now advancing to the second round, what do you think you would have said to that, and how does that feel overall for you?

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: I would have said maybe I won by retirement. Like, I didn't believe I'm good enough that I can win the first match. But now I realize belief is everything. I couldn't win today without belief. So that's why I'm going to the second round, belief.

Q. What does it tell you about where your game is at right now, to come out and play against established professionals and have a result like this?

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: I mean, I saw today where my level is at. I just beat someone, like almost top 100, or top 100. So I know I belong here, and I know I'm only going to get better from here, and this is all just a learning experience.

Q. I'm not sure if there's ever been a brother/sister combination in Canadian tennis history who have both qualified and been able to play the main draws of both events in the two cities. What does it mean to have your sister Ariana also going through a similar process right now?

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: I'm super happy for her. I can't wait to watch her play against Osaka tomorrow. All her hard work over the past few years is just incredible. Hopefully, next year my brother's going to join us. I know he has it, so, yeah.

Q. Just talk about maybe managing some of those situations in the second set. Obviously you faced a set point, a very close tiebreak at the end, how did you manage the stress and pressure so well, and how did the crowd also help you get over the line?

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: Yeah, I mean, I think the crowd definitely helped me win this one.

Second set was up and down. I was up a break, then he had set point. I just stayed focused. I hit my serves well today, which definitely helped me. I think I couldn't do it without the crowd, because I was really tired out there, felt the pressure, but, I mean, I handled it well, I guess (smiling).

Q. You handled it well. You're handling the press conference well. I'm wondering if this is your first-ever press conference.

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: Yeah, first ever, I'm new to all of this, yeah.

Q. For those who are first getting to know you and watching you for the first time, just how did you get into tennis? Did you play any other sports, what was sort of your tennis journey like?

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: I followed my sister's steps. My parents have never played tennis. I started when I was four. My sister started playing tournaments, and I kind of, me and my brother followed the same steps as her, so she definitely helped us get to where I'm at right now.

Q. Was there ever a doubt that you would pursue tennis as a big part of your life?

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: Yeah, I think like maybe around 12, 13 I started taking it very competitively, like starting to put in a lot of training hours, getting stronger. Yeah, ever since then I always want to be a tennis professional.

Watching Rafa, and seeing that Denis run in Montreal like seven, eight years ago, so, yeah, it really helped.

Q. Forgive me, but did you commit to Kentucky?

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: Yeah.

Q. And that's still the plan to go to college and play?

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: For now, yes (laughing). Yeah, I'm supposed to go like in the next week or in like, I don't know, a week and a half, so we'll see.

Q. There are a couple of other Canadians who went to Kentucky, how much of an inspiration was that, and you're in the same draw as them, too.

NICOLAS ARSENEAULT: Yeah, like I saw these Canadians doing super well, so I'm like, they're doing something right there, so I had to commit. Yeah, hopefully Draxl and Gabriel can go, I know they can go deep in this tournament, so I'm happy to watch them play tomorrow.