EXCLUSIVE: Karatsev positive about his fitness and believes he can go far at Roland Garros

His war cry at the end of the first set was indicative of the difficulty of this first round in Porte d'Auteuil for him. The current world number 62, who is seeded one in the French Open qualifiers, saw his opponent of the day, Herbert, not make it easy for him.

Fortunately for the Russian, he was the stronger of the two in the key moments of the match, in the tie-breaks. In the next round, he will face the Dominican Nick Hardt (22).

Good evening, Aslan. First of all, congratulations on your first win here at Roland Garros. What is your first feeling after this match?

I'm very happy to have won, because the conditions were really difficult, the balls and the court were really slow. It was a little bit different from yesterday, where it was warmer and the weather was better.

Also, (Pierre-Hugues) Herbert is not easy to play, he has a huge experience and the crowd was with him, pushing him, so I'm really happy to have won.

What was the key to winning the two sets in the tie-breaks?

To stay focused, to be present, because he was serving well during the match, trying to get to the line all the time. He was sending some great firsts. So it was tough. As I said, the French fans were incredible.

It's never easy to play in front of them (laughs). But it was a great atmosphere, I enjoyed the moment. In the tie-breaks, I think the key is to be able to take a two-point lead quickly.

We know that 2022 was a complicated year for you. 2023 also started badly - today you're gradually getting back to a good level. How did you feel physically at the beginning of the season?

I was sick during the preparation, I didn't play for a fortnight because of an eye problem. But we went to India (in Pune, from 2 January to 7 January 2023), where I played quite well: I managed to reach the semi-finals (beaten by Tallon Griekspoor (26) 7-6, 6-1) Then I came to Melbourne where I lost from the start (to Grigor Dimitrov (32) in three sets), but I had problems again. This time with my back, like last year. I went to see Andy Murray (36) after Doha. He and I had a long talk.

He helped me a lot, we talked about these problems, how to survive the pain, how to overcome it. This guy is an example! Then he gave me the details of his specialist doctors, I went to London specifically for that. I'm really grateful to him. I owe him and the doctors a lot!

You recently resumed working with your former coach, the one with whom you reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open: how important is he in your operation?

We have a very good chemistry, on and off the court. He has helped me in important moments in my career. How to behave on the court, how to react, but also outside. We talk a lot, he is very important to my well-being and is excellent on a human level.

We make a great duo. We spend a lot of time together, he's a hard worker. He pushes me and motivates me all the time, so it's a great collaboration.

You're the number one seed in the qualifying draw. What is your goal at Roland Garros this year?

I think I'm in good shape, I think I can go far. I feel good mentally and physically, I'm very focused in my training, I've been training a lot. So we'll see. Anything can happen, but in any case I feel really good.

Let's talk about your compatriot Daniil Medvedev (27), who you beat in Madrid, but who won Rome the following week. What did you think of his performance and is he capable of winning here in Paris in your opinion?

He complains that he doesn't like clay, but he still won a title (laughs)... He played incredibly well. Physically and mentally he was very strong in Italy, so congratulations to him for winning Rome.

I think he has a great opportunity here at Roland Garros, because he comes in with a lot of confidence, so yeah, he's capable of winning.