00:00Sous-titrage Société Radio-Canada
00:30It's been an amazing journey for you since, you know, in the past 12 months.
00:33So how do you feel, you know, when once everything is said and done during your tennis day?
00:39Do you feel like, you know, this is an opportunity that you have to seize, you know, to make best
00:44on the chances that you have?
00:45Are you in a rush or do you have some kind of way to process these things gradually, incrementally?
00:52Yeah, I'm not in a rush at all.
00:54I think I still have to learn a lot of things in the tour.
01:00It's just my first year.
01:02I'm, you know, experiencing a lot of things, you know, in these past few months.
01:07But I think these experiences are really helping me to develop as a player.
01:12But I think as a person, because I'm learning a lot, you know, when I'm playing the tournaments and when
01:18I'm, you know, preparing for the matches.
01:22So it's good to have that feeling, you know, to be able to compete in the French Open and in
01:29all these tournaments.
01:29I'm very grateful, you know, to be part of this tournament.
01:35Raphael, well done today.
01:38This morning when you woke up, did you think you were going to have such a fast start and be
01:43able to play at such a high level?
01:46Just because, I mean, even players, even good players don't often get off to such an incredible start, especially their
01:54first time here.
01:55What was feeling so good today?
01:56Well, I mean, I just tried to face every match as that is going to be a very tough match.
02:04And I think it was honestly a hard match.
02:08I think first matches are always difficult, you know, in the tournament.
02:11So I had to start very well, you know, try to play my game during the first two sets.
02:19And even when the things, you know, got a little bit trickier or like more difficult for me in the
02:25third set.
02:25But when I had to face those break points, I think I played those points especially very, very well, you
02:33know, playing my game.
02:35And yes, I said before, like when you have when you are playing in a five set, you know, match,
02:40everything can go, you know, up and down.
02:43There are many up and downs.
02:44So you just have to, you know, face with the best way possible.
02:49Hi, well done today.
02:51On your court, I mean, there was so much support.
02:54There were people standing five, six rows back trying to get a glimpse of your match.
02:59Are you getting used to having those kinds of crowds, that kind of atmosphere?
03:04Yeah.
03:04What was that like to experience that at Grand Slam?
03:07Well, yeah, it's great, you know, obviously to to play my first my first in my first time, you know,
03:13in Paris in the French Open.
03:14And I've seen so many people, you know, not just from, you know, friends, but also from other parts, especially,
03:21you know, from Spain.
03:21It's always special to to see also like many people cheering for me in every point is is great.
03:28You know, I feel that support and I'm very grateful for all the people that not just today, but also
03:35there are supporting me, you know, this during this process.
03:42Hi, Rafa.
03:43This time last year, you were ranked 707.
03:46You lost in the first round of a challenger in the States.
03:49I just wonder what you remember of that time.
03:51And did you actually watch Roland Garros last year?
03:55Yeah, I was I was, yeah, as you said, playing challengers in the in the U.S.
03:59And and yeah, I remember I was watching some some of the matches of the French Open last year.
04:06And yeah, it was obviously another chapter of my of my life.
04:12But I think that chapter also helped me, you know, to to develop a lot and to to be a
04:17better player now.
04:19So I, I, you know, I, I think about those times as, you know, times that helped me, you know,
04:26to to be a better on court.
04:29Anyone else?
04:36Just what do you think was the most valuable thing you you learned from your months in college in America?
04:43Well, I mean, I think I, I learned a lot of things, I don't know, maybe to be more mature.
04:54I think living there alone, I think it was great to, you know, develop and to like do things by
05:00by myself.
05:01It's true that there were coaches and players and my teammates were helping me, you know, to try to get
05:07used to the the new culture and to the new things in the in the U.S.
05:11But it was a new new chapter, new culture for me, actually a new new life.
05:15So I think the way that I approached it and those months were really helpful for me.
05:22And I think I mature a lot in those months in in college.
05:25Thank you.
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