ROLEX PARIS MASTERS

October 28, 2025

Corentin Moutet

C. MOUTET/R. Opelka

3-6, 7-5, 6-1

(In French.)

THE MODERATOR: Congrats, Corentin. It was a robust match. What's your take on this new center court?

CORENTIN MOUTET: It's a wonderful court obviously. There was a beautiful crowd, there was a wonderful atmosphere. The surface was quite pleasant. I'm happy. I'm delighted to have played such a good first match here. I couldn't practice before, so I'm quite satisfied.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. Tomorrow you're going to play on the center court against Bublik. What's your feeling about this? Because we know that you had quite hectic past head-to-heads.

CORENTIN MOUTET: He's a very good player. He had wonderful results this year, especially on indoor hard courts. Tennistically, it's going to be hard, but I'm going to focus on my game. We'll see. I'm going to prepare just like any other match.

Q. Opelka for the first round was not an easy match. How did you prep for this match? We saw the first set wasn't easy. How did you prepare?

CORENTIN MOUTET: I knew that it was a tough opponent, especially on indoor hard court. From the baseline he's very aggressive, but he also comes forward to the net.

So it was hard to lose the first break from the get-go, but the match is long so I knew I could create opportunities. I had to be present and to seize opportunities when they would arise. Of course it's frustrating to play such an opponent, because there are not a lot of opportunities, and if they arise, you have to seize them. Otherwise you cannot turn the match around in your favor.

But I managed the match quite well. I wrapped up better than I started. That's the way it should be, so I'm quite happy about that.

Q. During the first set, he served so well and you were so far away. Did you feel at one point that you were having actually physical problems, a physiological problem? Because you couldn't return. It had nothing to do with the return quality, but the bounce was so high and was so far away that physically you couldn't return.

CORENTIN MOUTET: No. This was not what I told myself. I knew that I had to find solutions to go closer, to know how to return him. All players find it difficult to return him, no matter our size. It's his first quality, his serve.

So in my head, what I tried to do rather was to see how I could adjust my returns, stance, how I could return his ball. From far or from close, there was no single-handed solutions, but I managed to find one.

Q. You played him in Almaty indoors. What do you think about the speed of the court? A lot of people say it's slower than usual. What's your take on this?

CORENTIN MOUTET: It's much slower, I don't know, because the previous court was quite fast. There are a lot of ancillary courts, as well. In Vienna, it was not that fast. Almaty, there is altitude, so the conditions are different. But, you know, we all are on the same footing anyway for each tournament. We try to be the best no matter the conditions and circumstances.

I actually enjoyed myself today. I thought it was quite pleasant, so I managed to enjoy myself playing tennis, and I'm quite content and satisfied with the playing conditions.

Q. My question is rather general on the crowd. For collective sports, we always think that it's nice to play at home. Is it the case also for tennis? Do you think that you have an added value because you have the French crowd supporting you? Or do you feel that it's hard for you when the crowd is against you?

CORENTIN MOUTET: Well, it's always a nice thing to have the crowd supporting you, because it creates a nice atmosphere where we can share more than when you feel on your own.

So an advantage, yes. But then I don't know how the opponents would feel it, but it's not a disadvantage. It's not a downturn, because I try to focus on myself, on the courts, with what I have to do with my team, and what is going on outside is not a problem.

It can be an advantage. I try to be pushed up by the crowd when I can, but if then it's a downturn, I just don't focus about it and don't think about it.

Q. Your tournament is not over, far from it. But now you're top 30 worldwide. What does it represent for you? Is that a new milestone for you? How would you see yourself before, and how do you see yourself now?

CORENTIN MOUTET: I feel that this ranking is more aligned with my game. I knew I could do it, but now, to be part of the top 30 players, you have to fight to play a lot of matches, you have to have a lot of matches under your belt to beat the best, and it wasn't the case for me over the last years for many different reasons.

I knew that I could do it, but then I had to move up and there was room for improvement. I managed to adjust my game, and I'm proud to have achieved that with my team. Then it's a means to an end. I want to aim higher.

When I would look at players that were top 30, I knew that I could be part of them, but of course I had to use my best endeavors to reach that goal, and I believe that it's normal for me to be part of the top 30 now.