AUSTRALIAN OPEN

January 21, 2026

Tommy Paul

Press Conference

T. PAUL/T. Tirante

6-3, 6-4, 6-2

THE MODERATOR: Tommy, you've had a couple of relatively quick matches here. How are you feeling in terms of confidence? How is your body feeling?

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, I mean, body feels great. It's always nice in Grand Slams to get some matches done in straight sets early rounds.

In terms of tennis, I think today was a lot more, I guess, from-the-ground tennis. A lot more points happening, which allowed me to get more comfortable out there. So I was pretty happy with how it went.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Yeah, two pretty stress-free matches. Obviously you don't come in, like, expecting this, but is it a surprise to you at all that it's gone this smoothly so far, or did you have indications either last month or even the last couple of weeks that you were getting towards a certain level?

TOMMY PAUL: I don't want to say I was surprised, but I feel like something that's helped me perform the way that I've been playing is my serve. You know, it takes a lot of pressure off you when you're holding easier. You feel like your serve can dig you out of a hole, and it's done that for me in the last two matches a bunch.

So, I don't know, to answer your question, I guess last week I started playing some really good tennis. Even two weeks ago against Perricard, I thought, all things considered, I thought from the baseline I was playing really well. I left that match very happy with how my level was and how my body felt. So carried that into Adelaide.

I mean, I totally just got outplayed in Adelaide in the semifinals, so that was another thing. I wasn't mad leaving that match. I wasn't even sad. I was, like, all right, I got outplayed, but I'm going into Australia playing well. So I was pretty happy.

Q. I guess how long has it been since you were -- I imagine you're taking the court not really thinking about your body at this point and not really thinking about, like --

TOMMY PAUL: I mean, you're always thinking a little bit.

Q. You're always thinking about it, but just looking at you on the court and the way you're playing, you're just moving a lot differently than you were moving last summer when it always looked like you were, like -- had, like, a slight hobble there?

TOMMY PAUL: Totally.

Q. I'm just curious, how long has it been since you have been able to play free, as it seems like you did?

TOMMY PAUL: I definitely am. It feels nice. I'm able to move smoother, but I'm also able to, you know, really aggressively dig in and out of the corners, which is, I mean, super important for my game to be able to turn defense to offense.

I mean, I guess, to answer one of your questions, I mean, it's been a while, you know. It's been basically, I would say, since Madrid really where I walked onto the court not really too worried about anything.

I mean, it's definitely a really good feeling. It makes me feel a bit more relaxed going into the match just knowing that my body is going to be able to hold up, and I'm not really worried about anything other than my tennis. So it's a good feeling.

Q. How close to 100% do you feel? What's your feeling about the general conditions here? Do you like the speed of the court? It can be windy.

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah.

Q. It can be variable, you know, cold, hot.

TOMMY PAUL: I would say as close to 100% as I could be, really. I'm not really worried about anything. Just worried about, you know, playing my brand of tennis.

Then in terms of the courts, yeah, I mean, 13, the court that I played on for the first round, was very quick. I mean, that probably had a bit to do with the temperature. It was very hot that day.

Then today was much cooler and a little bit breezier, so it felt a lot slower. But then I think back to last year playing on the court that I played on today, and that felt lightning-fast last year.

I don't know. Some of the courts obviously vary a bit. I'm excited to see, you know, what court I play on next and hopefully try and get some reps in on the court before my match. Normally the courts here match up with my game pretty well, so hopefully I'll be able to adjust either way.

Q. Are you someone that likes to come in with a little bit less of a target on your back? You're 19th, but...

TOMMY PAUL: Not necessarily (smiling). It is nice to come in with a high ranking, a high-seed spot, but it doesn't seem too different, I guess, from last year in a way.

I think I played Fokina the third or fourth round last year, and I might be playing him in the next round or maybe Reilly, but it's obviously -- I prefer to be ranked higher going into the tournament rather than not have a target on my back, because everyone wants to beat you no matter who you are, you know. Everyone is pretty motivated to do well here.

Q. The conditions and the variables and the weather, I think it's going to get pretty hot this weekend. At the same time, players talk about daytime versus nighttime here --

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah.

Q. -- being, like, a really radical change. How much do you experience that? Is that daytime/nighttime difference here more dramatic than it is in other places?

TOMMY PAUL: I mean, I would say there's other places that are more extreme than here.

Q. (Off microphone.)

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, Indian Wells definitely comes to mind. You think of clay court events, you know, totally.

But, I mean, it's just something that we adjust a lot, most tournaments day to nighttime. It's definitely a lot slower usually.

I haven't played at night here this year, but it's definitely seeming a little bit faster than normal this year, but like I said, I only really felt 13 on a hot day, and that was very quick.

Like I said, today wasn't too fast. But, yeah, I mean, we'll adjust, you know.

Q. There's a lot of guys in the draw that have had some level of U.S. college experience. When you have talked to those guys or whatever, is there anything you ever think that you might have wanted to experience or missed out on from not going to college?

TOMMY PAUL: Oh, yeah, totally. I tell everyone, if I were to do it again, I would have gone to school, would have gone to Georgia. I committed to play at Georgia and then turned pro after winning the Junior French Open. I kind of wasted a couple of years after turning pro. At least in my eyes it felt like that.

So, yeah, especially the way that it is now, people getting paid to go play in school, I would tell a lot of people that are 17, 18 to go to school.