ROLAND GARROS

May 24, 2026

Tommy Paul

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Tommy, welcome back to Paris. Can you please summarize your clay season so far and your expectation for this year's tournament?

TOMMY PAUL: I mean, this clay season has been a little bit different for me. Same tournaments with the addition of Hamburg, but kind of different results, you know. I mean, I did well in Houston, and then in the two Masters 1000s I wouldn't say I played bad, but I didn't have the results that I wanted.

Then in Hamburg I had some really good matches, and obviously it's a quick turnaround from Hamburg to Roland Garros, but I feel like I'm in pretty good shape. My body still feels pretty good.

You know, today was just a full recovery day and trying to get ready to play tomorrow.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. Tommy, welcome to Paris. Saw you in Hamburg. How was yesterday for you? I didn't get a chance to talk to you yesterday. How was that match and the whole experience for you?

TOMMY PAUL: I mean, not ideal (smiling), but I thought the guy played pretty well. I mean, he played better than me. That's why he won the match.

I wish I came out of the gates a little bit hotter. I wish a couple of things went the other way, but I mean, that's tennis. So it sucks, but it's all good.

I mean, the priority is always the Grand Slams and always getting here and playing my best tennis.

Q. You've been something of an expert at saving match points recently. Saved a ridiculous amount, I think it was in Houston, and then last week. What is the key to that? How do you do it?

TOMMY PAUL: I don't know. You know, it was the other way in Miami, so I guess it's just everything is evening out a little bit right now.

But, yeah, I mean, I don't know. In Hamburg I'm very much thinking, you know, I'm going to try and play every match to my best ability, but if you lose, you get to prepare a little bit better for Roland Garros. So it's a little bit less pressure even though you're down match point. You're kind of just, like, all right, I'm going to put balls in, swing.

I felt like I was never out of any match that I was playing. That always helps, not being down 5-0 or a ton of match points in a row. But, yeah, I mean, just I guess believing in yourself and knowing that you can come back.

Q. Sort of on the same subject, do you ever think about how unique the tennis scoring system is? There's always a chance to come back. It's not like these American sports where you have the clock running down. And if you could change one rule in the scoring, what would you change?

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, I mean, that's definitely something that's unique and very cool about tennis is that there is no clock. The match isn't over until it's actually over. I think that's an amazing thing. Obviously for me in the last couple of weeks it's been a great thing.

And then if there was something that I would change, I don't know, I don't think finalists should get trophies and have to do the whole stand up on the mic and talk to anybody. I don't know many sports that do that, but that would probably be my one thing.

Q. Tommy, I wanted to ask you, how do you remain so cool? You always seem to be cool no matter what the state of the match. You always seem to be the same sort of demeanor and look on your face.

TOMMY PAUL: I don't know. I'm not actually that cool inside my head, but for me I've found, you know, the less emotion I show on the court, the better it is for me. Everyone uses their emotions differently on court. Some people use it to their advantage when they're getting very fired up or even breaking a racquet, and you'll see some people turn it around and start playing amazing tennis after that.

For me, I've found that staying level, level-headed, throughout the whole match is what produces my best tennis.

Q. What have you learned about closing matches from either saving match points or not winning the match points you wanted, like in Miami, in terms of approaching?

TOMMY PAUL: That's a great question. I just remember how I was feeling in Miami, I guess. Even up multiple match points you're -- you know, the first one maybe you're, like, a little loose, and you'll play, like, a loosey-goosey point. Then you feel that lead kind of leaving you.

I mean, it's a bad feeling, so you know how your opponent is feeling when they have a couple of match points. You know that they want an error. Like, when I'm playing and I have match points, I want an error from my opponent. Like, I don't want to have to force it.

So, I mean, I try and make my opponent force it on their match points and make them come up with the goods. If they hit a great shot, then too good.

You've got to be able to accept defeat if they earn it, and that's what I want to happen if I do lose a match.

Q. Are those points different? It's like the last three outs of a baseball game, which I don't know if those are different, but --

TOMMY PAUL: Yeah, totally.

Q. -- players tell me they are.

TOMMY PAUL: Every point, it's different in some sort of way, but definitely later in a match, you know, you kind of get in routine of this is what I think on this point, this is what I want to do on this point. Then all that kind of goes out the window when it's somebody serving for the match.

You obviously want to put all your first serves in the court. So maybe sometimes that doesn't happen and you have a couple of second serves, and your mind can go a little crazy.

When I'm playing match point down, just keep it simple. Make a bunch of balls, and make your opponent come up with something good. If they do, too good.

Q. Watching tennis over the years, correct me if I'm wrong, but to me one of the biggest progressions seems to be what guys and top guys are capable of doing in the corners, like on the run, just the quality they have --

TOMMY PAUL: Totally.

Q. -- and you can hurt from any part of the court. You are obviously very good at that, as well. How important is it to be strong from all parts of the court, I guess?

TOMMY PAUL: It's huge. You're absolutely right. I feel like that's been the thing in tennis that has improved the most at the top level. I mean, not just at the top level. Everyone is playing so good out of the corners now.

I think the way that players can neutralize points, go from a defensive position to basically a neutral ball after that, it's unbelievable. I think that's also a lot of the reason that my coach pushes me and I push myself to come to the net when somebody's on defense. Because if you stand back, they can on defense hit a ball just as hard as you hit it, up the middle and deep and reset the point.

Sometimes, you know, being able to come in and cut that ball off and take a volley, you know, it will keep your offensive position a little bit better.

Q. (Off microphone.)

TOMMY PAUL: Improve on the defensive stuff or the...

Q. (Off microphone) -- and being strong in those positions?

TOMMY PAUL: I mean, I think a lot of it's footwork. I think a lot of it -- the fact that it's improved so much over the years, I think a lot of it has to do with equipment.

I don't think, you know, we'd be hitting the same balls out of the corners with wooden racquets or the strings that maybe they were using. But, yeah, I mean, it's repetitions.

We play a lot of tennis, you know? We play a ton of tennis, and we're in defensive positions and offensive positions all the time. It's just some people do it better than others.

Some people are kind of born with it more, but a lot of people work on those shots. You see all the players that are great out of the corners, like Demon, for example, or Carlos. I mean, they're athletic freaks. They really are super athletic guys and super strong and get out there, and, I mean, they practice that shot.