“How do you feel after this success against Benjamin Bonzi in the first round of Wimbledon?
It’s a great victory. We started Monday evening, we finish Wednesday afternoon. It’s never easy. We expect a lot, the stress mounts. We have time to think. It’s complicated to manage. This is a first for me. It’s a great win. On Monday, he (Bonzi) only played in chip (backhand because he was reduced by an injury to his left wrist). There he had a two-handed backhand. So there were a lot of things to deal with. I managed to stay calm and put my game together. I am really happy. I arrived at Wimbledon without a specific objective, just wanting to really enjoy the moment. Finally, my game adapts rather well to the grass. Now, I hope to be able to chain a maximum.
“I came very close to the end (of his career). The goal is not to rethink what happened to me, but to use it as a strength.
After everything you’ve been through, the fall on your bike, the injury to your right wrist, the fear of the end of your career, what does this first Grand Slam main draw victory represent?
I came very close to the end. Playing again, without necessarily talking about Wimbledon, an entire season, travelling, playing every week… I’m already extremely happy. Here, it’s the holy grail, it’s the experience gained. Now, I hope that today’s dream will be tomorrow’s daily life. The goal is not to rethink what happened to me, but to use it as a strength. Get into 100 as quickly as possible and join my colleagues.
What did you do during the long wait between the start, Monday, and the end, Wednesday, of your match?
In three days, we sleep, we eat… We live normally, but we have the match in mind. Monday evening, I was overexcited. It was very annoying to have to stop. It is difficult to fall asleep at night. We don’t know how the other will come back. It is the pressure that remains. Two days is a long time to live with that. All the time stress, we think. I had never experienced that. In Challengers, if it rains, they kick us inside. There, we waited two days. It’s long ! I’m still glad I managed to finish. »
