“It’s a first win, I played this game like a final,” confides Lucas Pouille, qualified for the final table

“It’s the first victory, I played this game like a final”Lucas Pouille, qualified for the final draw of Roland-Garros, reacts on Friday May 26 on franceinfo after the victory against the Austrian Jurij Rodionov (134th) 1-6, 7-5, 6-0 in the third round on THURSDAY. “It was an important match, with a lot at stake, with an audience that responded! There was a crazy atmosphere on the pitch, it gave me chills, energy.” Lucas Pouille hadn’t felt so much “Happiness on the court since 2019 at the Australian Open” it’s a “this atmosphere from Davis Cup 2017.”

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Lucas Pouille had dropped to 670th in the world. He hadn’t won a match on the ATP Tour since his second round defeat of the Masters 1000 in Madrid in May 2022 and had only played on the Challenger Tour this year until then where he won just three matches from four losses. “When you win there are always a lot of people around, a lot of messages, compliments, people who come to see you and when things don’t go so well there are a lot less. But that’s how it works and I take this with a lot of hindsight”.

Get ready to “fight a good fight”

Whatever happens, Lucas Pouille can count on his family, loved ones, “who never left and were always by my side no matter the times.” “My daughter, when she woke up this morning, said to me: ‘you played well yesterday dad, well done!’ It’s just amazing.” This win has “it made me want to keep working hard to feel emotions like that.” For Roland-Garros he will “prepare yourself to fight a good fight”said Lucas Pouille.