Tommy Paul's troublesome foe, why 'life's been pretty good' & two goals he's chasing

It All Adds Up

Tommy Paul's troublesome foe, why 'life's been pretty good' & two goals he's chasing

American speaks exclusively to ATPTour.com

Andrew Eichenholz/ATP Tour It all adds up for Tommy Paul. By ATP Staff

It all added up for Tommy Paul earlier this year when he cracked the Top 10 of the PIF ATP Rankings for the first time. Will he next achieve one of his biggest goals: claiming ATP Masters 1000 glory?

The American is trying to do just that this week at the Internazionali BNL d'Italia, where he is into the fourth round. But to make the quarter-finals, Paul will need to overcome Alex de Minaur's 5-0 lead in their Lexus ATP Head2Head series.

ATPTour.com caught up with Paul at Indian Wells to discuss why playing De Minaur is difficult, his greatest success, why he doesn't feel he has dealt with too many difficulties and plenty more.

What is your favourite tennis rivalry?

Rafa and Roger, it's my favourite rivalry in tennis.

Who is your greatest rival?

I don't know if it's a rivalry, because he's got me so many times, but me and Demon [Alex de Minaur] have had some serious wars, and he's got me in some big matches, so I'm out for revenge on Demon.

What makes him so tough to play?

Consistency. Doesn't miss a ball. He’s a dog on court.

What has been your greatest success?

I would say my greatest success so far is last year in Queen's [Club], winning the 500 title. That was a special thing at a special place.

What's the greatest difficulty you've had to overcome?

I don't like to feel like I've had too many huge difficulties in my life. I play tennis for my job and for a living, and I think life's been pretty good.

What's been the most unique moment in your career?

Transitioning from juniors to pros is unique. I think for a lot of people it's easier than others and for me it was a difficult time, but definitely a big change in lifestyle.

What is the biggest number or the biggest accomplishment that you're chasing?

I guess the biggest thing that I'm chasing is a tournament, a Masters 1000 title or Top 5 in the world.

How long have you been pursuing that?

I guess my whole life. I feel like every time I go to a tournament, the goal is to win the tournament. And I played quite a few of these, and I've wanted to win every single one that I've played.

What's your favourite tournament to play?

My favourite tournament to play in is either Indian Wells, Wimbledon, or the US Open. US Open because it's the home slam for us. Wimbledon, it's the mecca. And Indian Wells, because [it is] tennis paradise.

What's been the coolest off-court experience you've been able to enjoy being a professional tennis player?

I've gone to a lot of really cool sporting events, whether it's on the Tour or at home. I guess earlier this year, the Eagles won the Super Bowl, and I went to the NFC Championship game. That was a pretty awesome event to go to.

Has being a professional tennis player given you some better fishing opportunities?

Before the [US] Open, a couple years ago, we went fishing in the Hamptons, and that was quite an experience.

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