Tommy Paul Press Conference | 2024 US Open Round 4

oh Tommy your thoughts on the match um you know it was uh I don't think he played very well to start the match and then once I get up 4-1 I don't think I started playing very well and uh I had opportunities there in the first set obviously and then opportunities in the in the second but he he stepped up on the on the big points and I didn't I felt like that was kind of the the story of the match thank you questions one question each gentleman so I get around the room time we have Michael he Michael Lewis reflector um such a close first two sets um the tiebreakers both times it seemed like you had chances um the second set tie break 5-4 up looked like you were trying to be aggressive on the returns can you take us through those last couple points at the second set tie break yeah um yeah I wanted to be aggressive on the on the second Ser returns throughout the whole match I felt like it was something that was you know leaning my way throughout throughout the match but I never really got super comfortable um taking taking them early uh I feel like when I when I was doing it I was going big Target just middle of the court and uh you know running from there I guess and and on those points I was kind of I wanted to do a little bit more put a little bit more on it and the first one I had a really good look and hit the net cord and then the second one was and that one flew a little bit on me that one wasn't great but um I probably do the same thing again I just I wasn't really feeling the ball too great on on the return today Tommy um in two weeks you're going to be representing team world in in labor cup are you going to do a stop over in China for for Davis Cup and your opinion about playing in China without the Chinese team oh I'm I'm yeah I'm not going to Davis Cup so I'm not I'm just going to be uh practicing uh getting getting ready for the rest of the season obviously this this season's been a a different than usual season with the Olympics and changing surfaces a bunch so I'm definitely going to um prioritize getting my body back to 100% for the rest of the season Howard one question one question okay Howard good we got short time uh sorry uh oh what uh what was it like being out there Tommy what was the atmosphere like nighttime full Stadium people pulling for you what I mean that's where you want to be um when I saw the matchup you know I thought there was a good chance it was going to be a night match and is what I was hoping for and it's definitely different than uh any other match uh or any other setting it's it's electric and the to walk out you know I'm pretty nervous obviously um and it took it took me a while to like you know start really settling in and having fun I I really don't think until like the first set I think him and me I feel like we were both battling nerves a little bit and trying to settle in and then it didn't really happen until until beginning of the second I started I mean enjoying the moment you know it's it's a pretty cool place to play tennis hey Tommy this is the first time you've played Yanik since he's kind of made his big leap so what did it feel like to play him out there and how would you contrast it with like Carlos who you've had some great fights with past yeah I feel like uh the last time I played him was kind of when he started to I guess he was already there but he was uh he won his first Master's 1000 that week he beat me in the semis and he uh he plays a super fast-paced tennis um game and he's today he he clutched up on sers on the big points he he does what all the best players in the world do um you know he steps up and um yeah I mean it's just he's unreal out of the corners um hits a quality ball every time the ball's on his racket and that's I mean that's kind of what separates him I don't know comparing to alcarez I feel like alcarez is uh you know he wants to come in more and plays more allc Court style but Center is probably the best ball Striker on tour and uh he uses it very well all the way in the back I tell me given given what you said about the atmosphere and and the chances you had how do you ensure that the kind of psychological damage of this doesn't last how do you not let this affect you moving forward the kind of missed opportunity I suppose uh I mean it don't really feel like damage I feel like uh it's the it's the sport we play every week we lose matches like this all the time so it's not like uh this is going to mess me up I'm not going to have BTSD from this moment but uh obviously you know I wish I would have stepped up and capitalized on on certain moments in the match but you know just go back to the practice court and get ready for the next event from the guardian just as you said um the margins were really tight today particularly the first two sets just coming off that match how do you how close do you feel you are as a tennis player to Center yeah well I mean that's that's the thing about playing those guys right they're they're the best players in the world um right now he's number one and I mean it's always a great test to see where your level's at and I I don't feel like I played particularly well I mean I know he probably didn't play his best tennis today either but the margins were very small and for me I mean that's I mean that's motivation obvious viously we have uh two Americans still left in the tournament but um you know it's never really felt this open in a way um so I I I believe that one of us can