THE CHAMPIONSHIPS

June 30, 2026

Otto Virtanen

Press Conference

O. VIRTANEN/B. Shelton

6-4, 3-6, 6-7, 6-2, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Otto, great result today. Can you give us your thoughts on the match?

OTTO VIRTANEN: Thank you. I tell you, it was a fantastic day for me. I really enjoyed playing, even, you know, five sets. I'm exhausted, but I enjoy it. I gave everything I had.

Very happy with the win. Crowd was amazing. Just wanted to stay there. I mean, I got five sets to be there.

Yeah, really happy with the win.

THE MODERATOR: Questions.

Q. I had the pleasure of working all 4 hours and 21 minutes writing literally everything you did in the match. I walked away absolutely exhausted. You said you were exhausted. How do you get yourself back on track for your next match?

OTTO VIRTANEN: Ice bath, for sure. I go first thing. I go cool down, do my cooldown. Try to stay away from the phone for a while. You know, just do your things. Take the time. Cooldowns, ice baths.

Then check the phone. I mean, you've got time to check phone later. Just keep your focus, even though you're just doing absolutely nothing. Just biking very slow or just doing stretching and ice bath. Just still focused and, you know, just trying to stay cool and, you know, obviously very happy with the win.

But yeah, another tough day at the office.

Q. Great match. Can you just talk about your emotions in the fifth set breaker, when you're 8-5 down, the few points that maybe slipped away you should have won? What was going through your head then, 8-5 down?

OTTO VIRTANEN: I was just on to the next point. I was, like, I play one point at a time, and I kept, like, believing in myself. Just kind of push myself like, you know, just go for it, don't overthink. Just, you know, play, show what you've got.

It was a great ending to the tiebreak. And I think I try to, like, play a little bit bigger in the last point. You get one match point, you have one chance. Just try to hit the good shot, and then, you know, be ready for next one. Then he missed the one, and yeah (smiling).

Q. You said you were going to check your phone after the match. Can you summarize how big a win this is for your career?

OTTO VIRTANEN: I mean, definitely my biggest win of my career. Ranking-wise, playing in Wimbledon, main draw, you know, beating a guy who is 5th in the world. Just, you know, feels great (smiling).

I kind of was, like, really empty after the match. Not sure what to think about it. You know, now time will pass, and I'm just super, super happy still.

Q. It has been described as the biggest shock of the tournament so far. How do you react to that? How have your coaches reacted with you as well to, like you say, a top-five seed going out, but also saving that match point?

OTTO VIRTANEN: You know, we try to go every match like it's just another opponent, like, obviously you're playing on a bigger court against a good player, 5th in the world. Can't kind of like take those away.

And, you know, you just gotta play yourself. Doesn't matter the court. You go on the small court, you go on a big court, you just play your game and try to focus on playing your game and do the best to win.

I think today was good in that way. Just didn't let anything disturb, and just kept going, kept going until the very last point.

Q. In terms of how you felt, you said injury hampered you a little and you didn't feel at your best. How did you feel out there?

OTTO VIRTANEN: Two years since I last time played here. I got good and bad memories. Another tough five-setter two years ago.

But, you know, it was still a great tournament. I got a main-draw win. I think it was the first one. Great memories, as well.

Last year didn't play, one of my favorite tournaments of the year. Favorite time, as well. I just love it so much here.

It means a lot to get the win. All the way from quallies.

Q. This is a tremendous win. Everybody goes into a match believing they can win. I assume that's the same for you, even if you are playing No. 5 in the world. What does this do for your confidence going forward now? Because I hope I'll be sitting in here again, and this will be full in the future. What's that going to do for you going forward?

OTTO VIRTANEN: Definitely it's a great win on the paper, yes. Also, I felt I played some great tennis today. Yeah, just for sure I can now trust my shots maybe better, but I had a great month before this grass season. It's been good.

I played a lot of matches. I had a lot of situations where I was, you know, set up, set down, and I think those all were a good thing. I lost some matches, I won some matches, I was very close to losing, I maybe won it in another way.

All those, they're just experience, and then obviously this is a much bigger level. It's a different thing. But I think everything is just plus at this point. Great preparation for this tournament, yeah.

Q. What are you looking forward to most about the next round? You've got Arthur Fery, a Brit, at Wimbledon. Will you use the crowd?

OTTO VIRTANEN: No, I mean, obviously the crowd is going to be on his side. It's his home tournament, as it should be.

I didn't know what to expect today, as well. I wasn't sure if someone is clapping for me or not. I went there, I play, and I felt really good if they were cheering for me.

I mean, same, another match, different match, but, you know, you go there. You play every point no matter the score.

Q. One more on the strategy today. Looked as if you were outlasting Ben from the baseline a lot of the time. Was that part of the strategy going into the game? How did you approach it?

OTTO VIRTANEN: Definitely was a plan to, you know, make us play rallies, it was not like we try to avoid some things. We know he has a great serve, and we try to, I mean, there is nothing you can do if he start serving great.

We tried to be as ready for every return. There are going to be games where you don't pretty much touch the ball. You have got to be ready every point. Those few games where you have the chances, you've got to take them.

Yeah, I felt I was playing also good, and the tactics worked really well today. Just trying to play him on the baseline. I wasn't serving the best today, so I really had to come up with my best on the baseline level.

Q. Previously you had not beaten anyone in the top 20. So what was it today that got it over the line?

OTTO VIRTANEN: Main things, for sure. Just go there, play, like, not too much thinking about other stuff than just playing with the rankings. Just go there and play and enjoy, enjoy everything. Try to play and try to show the best I can do. Yeah, I felt I managed to do it quite well.