ROLAND GARROS

June 6, 2026

Niels Vink

Press Conference

N. VINK/A. Kaplan

6-3, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Niels, congratulations. You have now won the Australian Open and Roland Garros this year. How special is that for you?

NIELS VINK: Yeah, really special. Like I said in the beginning of my speech -- at the end, I mean, that there was a difficult time for me, because when I was in the plane from Barcelona to here, honestly I didn't want to go, because I was not feeling good, mentally, I mean.

Yeah, I'm very happy that I could win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Niels, obviously a different opponent to what you're used to in a Grand Slam final today.

NIELS VINK: Yeah.

Q. Ahmet's been so dominant against other players this week. What was your secret recipe to beat him the way you did today?

NIELS VINK: I played one ball more than him (smiling). No, no, no, it's always difficult. For me, I don't like to play against Ahmet, because he likes to play against me.

I have to change a little bit my game style, because if I play my normal game style, he likes it. I don't want him to be, yeah, to be nice on the court. I want to feel him uncomfortable on the court. And I want to feel comfortable.

That's what I did today and it worked.

Q. Is that your secret to winning as many Grand Slam titles, not be a nice guy on court?

NIELS VINK: Yeah, exactly. If I'm a nice guy on the court, then I think I wouldn't win so many titles (smiling).

Q. Congratulations. You spoke a little bit about the mental adversity, but also, for someone who has had a great streak, I think that's four in a row, I think you have completed the four in a row for the first time...

NIELS VINK: Yeah.

Q. Firstly, that achievement in itself, how important is that for you to complete four in a row, but secondly, some of the hardship, the adversity you have touched on before?

NIELS VINK: Yeah, of course. In January I completed my Career Golden Slam. Of course my dream is to do it all in one year, and right now I'm two out of four. It's two more to go. So hopefully I can achieve it.

Q. And you said you didn't want to come here, you had some...

NIELS VINK: Yeah.

Q. Can you talk a little bit or expand a little bit on that and why you were struggling?

NIELS VINK: Yeah. Honestly, I don't know why I'm struggling, but it's already from the last few months that on the court I'm not feeling myself, and I enjoy more things outside of the court.

In Barcelona, it didn't go well. In Munich, it didn't go well. In Japan, I was becoming myself a little bit more. In Barcelona was terrible, because normally it's one of my favorite tournaments, but I didn't want to be there.

So I thought, oh, Roland Garros, I want to go home. But luckily, I could change my mind. Here I am with the title.

Q. It was tough to get a lot of momentum out there. There was a lot of breaks of serve. Is that subconsciously in the back of your mind that you are going for four in a row, or are you able to block that out?

NIELS VINK: It was not in my mind, honestly. Yeah, it's difficult. It was 1-1, and we had to go off. We were off for 20 minutes, I think, maybe longer. You have to warm up again and then start the match, instead of needing to win six games, you have to start the match winning five games because it's already 1-1.

Second break was difficult. It was 5-4, no, 5-3 and deuce, and I was in a good momentum, because it was 3-3 and then it went to 5-3, and then we had to go off. I thought...

But my coach was with me, and he told me, these two points, and then it was set. Honestly, I was a little bit more calm after that, because I was a little bit nervous.

Q. Who was the younger, is it a sibling or someone that came up to you first at the end there?

NIELS VINK: That's my younger brother (smiling). Yeah.

Q. Did he say anything to you?

NIELS VINK: Oh, he was just happy. They came this morning. They stepped in the car I think 4:30, so they had to wake up early, and then they came here to watch my match.

Q. What's his name?

NIELS VINK: Joep. He likes to play tennis, so that's funny.