00:00Oh man, it's tough. It's really, really tough. Really, really tough. So I was, this one's
00:11gonna hurt really, really bad. I mean, I thought I was a better player for sure tonight, I
00:17think. But then in the fourth, just out of nowhere, just had, just had like some in and
00:25out cramps. I just felt, you know, like my body, it kind of just shut down on me. I don't
00:31know, like probably had a lot to do with nerves. I wasn't tired at all, just, you know, about
00:37to get into the final. You know, I've, probably the closest I was, obviously, when I played
00:44El Coraz, I was kind of hanging for dear life to go five. You know, here I was, I was really
00:47in a position to win and, you know, probably with the ECU I had and to be, I was almost
00:52able to be in that position. I've been feeling unbelievable physically. But also, I mean,
00:58it could be a testament to how many matches I've played in a short time and I haven't
01:01played that many matches all year like that. I mean, but ultimately, yeah, I think nerves
01:07got the better of me tonight and yeah, kind of just went down. It's kind of like a similar
01:13thing with El Coraz and Novak that year, the French, it kind of seems like the same thing,
01:16just couldn't really move. But you got to tip your hat to Taylor, he stayed with it,
01:22he competed and he deserved it tonight. So all the best time in the final.
01:26Thank you. One question each. Brian.
01:29Brian Lewis, New York Post. In your mind, for instance, how much of that was, say, mental
01:34and how much of it may have been, it seemed like after that 31 shot rally that you weren't
01:40quite moving the same way you were before that. How much was mental and how much of
01:45it was perhaps the rally took something out of you?
01:48Yeah, I mean, it was definitely an intense rally, but I think,
01:52was that 3-0 or something like that? Yeah, I mean, there was a couple of holes after that,
01:59so it wasn't really that rally. I mean, it was more later than that set at 5-4, I'm on
02:0340-15 with a double-double and I'm getting broken there, but I kind of felt there out
02:10of nowhere. I guess, you know, just weird cramps out of nowhere, but I felt fine. It
02:15wasn't even really warm or humid tonight. Again, I just think the moment, I got ahead
02:23of myself and something I'm definitely going to learn from, but I promise it's probably
02:27not going to happen to me again. Matt.
02:30Hey, Francis. What kind of talk did you give yourself in between the fourth and fifth set?
02:40I tried to give everything you got for fifth set. I mean, I tried a bunch of different
02:48things. I had a bunch of pickle juice, so I was gargling and spitting it out. I was,
02:54you know, eating and doing kind of everything I could, but obviously he's trying to give
02:58him one last shot, right? The fifth set is a semis of slam. Try to give everything you
03:02got, but sometimes it's not meant to be.
03:07Richard.
03:08You, I know it's hard to look at, but you've had an incredible couple of weeks between
03:12Cincinnati and here. I imagine when you do walk away from here, you'll feel good about
03:17where you put yourself back in the mix.
03:23I mean, yeah, for sure. You know, I've scored for a really, really long time. You know,
03:30I'm obviously just going to hurt and stuff. I'm going to turn the page. I'm going to
03:34try to end the year strong. I'm going to go to Asia, do the whole thing, do it the
03:37right way, not half-ass it. I'm going to go to the Labor Cup and compete. I'm going
03:43to let this thing, but I'm going to learn from that. I'm going to learn from this.
03:48And I'm going to work really hard. I'm going to be in these positions again, for sure,
03:53and just hoping for a different outcome.
03:57Ava.
03:58Nice tournament, Francis. I'm wondering how it felt for you out there to play against
04:02another American. It was obviously a really good crowd and it was packed and everything,
04:06but those crowds are very different when it's you against a non-American player. Did
04:10that cross your mind at all tonight?
04:13No. No. I still really thought they were for me, to be fair. It made me feel even worse
04:21when I'm down 4-0 in the fourth. You see a lot of people leaving. It's crazy. But ultimately,
04:28it was a great night. I mean, to have two Americans. But once you're out there battling,
04:31I'm not really thinking, oh, I'm playing another American guy who's competing.
04:34But, yeah, man, I mean, that's kind of what it was.
04:41What do you think, Francis, your performance and Taylor's and the other Americans at this
04:47tournament might mean going forward for men's tennis?
04:51I think it opened the floodgates, for sure. I think guys are going to start believing
04:53they can go deep in slams. Tommy's already made some slams, Ben as well. Obviously,
04:57him beating me last year here in the quarters. For now, he's made a foul, so none of us younger
05:03guys have done that. I mean, we'll see what happens on Sunday, but I think a lot of guys
05:09are going to be able to think they can do it, especially in this one, where later in the season,
05:14stuff like that with American crowds and what have you. I mean, I think this is big. I think
05:20this is big. It shows that it's definitely possible. As I said, again, the game's open.
05:26Even with Alcaraz and Sinner and these other guys, it's not what it used to be.
05:31Just a couple more. Bill.
05:35Good run here at the U.S. Open, Francis. You said that you would learn from this match.
05:42What do you think you'll learn?
05:47I mean, obviously, I'm going to be able to be a little bit more poised during that time.
05:55Maybe not panic or whatever. Preparation's probably going to be even better. You can
06:00always be fitter. You can always be stronger. Try different things and speak to my team.
06:08You just kind of learn from the situation. Not get ahead of yourself. Not be like,
06:13oh, I'm almost set away from getting the front leg. Stay in those moments, which I have been
06:17all to leading up to it. More excited to stay in the moment. Maybe
06:24you know, add some stuff what you're doing on the changeovers, what your intake is,
06:31eating and hydration wise. You got to look at the whole thing.
06:37Because you just don't want it to happen again, since it was a nervous situation.
06:41Last question.
06:43Francis, again, congratulations on the run. You mentioned you're kind of looking ahead
06:48while during the match. At what point do you remember thinking,
06:52did you allow yourself to think, oh, I think I'm going to be in the final?
06:56Yeah, early days in the fourth. I got good looks. I'm turning well. I was holding easy
07:03early in the fourth. I'm like, oh, here we go. Two sets to one up. You're changing. You're like,
07:08oh, shit. Come out strong. Let's get this fourth done. We're going to be in the final.
07:12That's normal thinking, for sure. In the past matches before, I was just only thinking about
07:20what it takes to win rather than thinking about what's potentially ahead. And I can play a part
07:26in it, too. But again, I mean, to be able to almost be in that position. Yeah, I think I
07:33just got ahead of myself. I mean, this thing's a bit, I mean, it's not a bit, this thing's a lot,
07:37but I'm going to learn from it and I'll be better going forward, for sure.
Commentaires