CONNOR BEDARD N°1 HATER

"I don't think it's relief, to be honest. The only thing I'm very happy [about] is that I'm trying to do my best everyday, you know? Sometimes you have a tournament with a good outcome and sometimes you just don't have, there's nothing you can do about [it]. And there's no failure if you don't win a grand slam, you know, it's very very rare days and now I have five in my whole life. We talk about five grand slams but, at the end of the day, these are five days of so many other days. You just want to enjoy it, you know? Today was a very tough day. If I lose, its still a great day, you know, playing a grand slam final its so rare and so special. So, for me, I never take things for granted. Of course, if I choose, I'd choose this outcome."

Q. [...] How do you stay so focused?

"I don't know [everyone laughs]. It's just staying in the moment, to be honest because if you lose serve once, the set is over most likely. [...] I have improved throughout the whole tournament. If you see the performance of the first 2-3 matches and how I ended the tournament, it has been always growing and that's exactly what I needed and I was looking for this player improvement from my side. We made it happen. Of course, mentally, you need to make the switch as well to be able to do so, but I'm very happy how I handled the situation, specially this year and now its time to enjoy."

Q. Would you agree with the assessment that your biggest weapon in both matches [SF and F] was your return?

"I think tennis is more about confidence. When you feel confident, you feel [like] playing tennis is easier, you know? I always think its easier to return if you know mentally that you can hold serve, so you are a little bit more free to return as good as you can. [...] I think, of course, the return is so important as well, but, from my point of view, it's more important trying to keep the service games and then we see what's coming in the return game."

"We have got you another gift."

relief