The temper of Andrey Rublev erupted numerous times in the loss to Matteo Arnaldi: “Completely disappointed with myself the way I behaved, the way I performed, and I don’t remember behaving worse on a slams ever. I think it was the first time I ever behaved that bad… I think it’s not about concentration. I think it’s because the way I behave I put myself completely down, and I give Matteo wings to fly, and he was flying in the third set unbelievable. It was too late to do something.”
Novak Djokovic on Roland Garros fans: “They are very passionate fans. At times they are not easy, and I have been having some love affairs with the fans here, and also some tough matches, some tough seasons. I have experienced both sides. Obviously you always want to be the one that they support or at least have kind of a neutral atmosphere on the court, but it’s not possible always for that to happen. And in particular, cases when you’re playing against a French player like Goffin did or like I did first round, that’s where you have to just be aware that you’re going into a big battle. Not just with your opponent. But in a sense, that’s normal, because they of course do everything to support their own home favorites, their own countrymen and countrywoman to win, particularly if they are underdogs, you know. I know that in the outside courts I saw a little bit of highlights of Goffin’s match and that they can be even more loud and inappropriate at times. It’s part of what we do. It’s part of sports. We are different from football or basketball, but at the same time, you know, you kind of want a good atmosphere, right, as a player. Like, from my standpoint, I really want to see fans cheering and I want to see that atmosphere. Wimbledon is different. Obviously Wimbledon has its history and culture and tradition. But most of the other tournaments you really want to see fans cheering and chanting songs and stuff for the player or country. I think that’s beautiful to experience. It’s a fine line when that line is passed, I guess, and when it starts becoming disrespectful towards the player. In those instances, I understand that a player like Goffin the other day reacted, because I have experienced quite a few times those particular situations. So I support a player standing up against people who are disrespecting and heckling him. It’s not always possible to tolerate. Of course it’s very much needed, because you don’t want to be spending unnecessary energy elsewhere. But at times you just have to face somebody that is heckling you. That’s all you can do (smiling).”
Stan Wawrinka on why he still plays at age 39: “Why do I play? To be here in front of so many people, with so much support. It warms my heart…It gives me the strength to carry on quite simply. I’m passionate about this sport. I think I’m the oldest in the draw but on the inside, I’m still a child so I try to enjoy t as much as possible. As long as I can experience moments like this, I want to continue quite simply.”
Naomi Osaka: “I played her on her (Iga) best surface. I’m a hard court kid. I’d like to play her on hard court and see what happens. As I said in Australia, I’m setting myself up for September.”
Carlos Alcaraz after beating Sebi Korda at Roland Garros in three sets…
Q: “Korda is a great player. Were you worried about the match before?”
Carlos: “Not really. I know my skills. Obviously Sebastian is a great player. A really good ball striker. He hits the ball really clean. It’s difficult to play him. It was like a marathon for me. I had to run side to side a lot. I wasn’t worried at all. I know what I’m capable of, my skills. I know it’s really difficult for him as well.”
Coco Gauff: “I definitely think finishing at 3 a.m. is — I feel like a lot of times people think you’re done, but really, 3 a.m., then you have press and then you have to shower, eat, and then a lot of times people do treatments, so that’s probably not going to bed until 5 at the earliest, maybe 6, and even 7 a.m. I definitely think it’s not healthy. It may be not fair for those who have to play late because it does ruin your schedule. I’ve been lucky I haven’t been put in a super late finish yet. What can be done? I know on the tour side they’re thinking about putting matches can’t start after a certain time. I don’t know if it’s going to be a Grand Slam rule, but I know on the WTA Tour. I think that’s something to look at. Maybe if a match is going long, possibly moving courts. Then I know it’s tough because, especially here, it’s only one night match, and people obviously paid for those tickets. It’s a complicated thing, but I definitely think for the health and safety of the players it would be in the sport’s best interest I think to try to avoid those matches finishing — or starting after a certain time. Obviously, you can’t control when they finish.”
Andrey Rublev · French Open · Naomi Osaka · Novak Djokovic · Roland Garros · Stan Wawrinka
