Humbert: "I have proved to myself that I could beat the best in the world"

Mónica Barberán Munera | 6 Dec 2024 | 20.15

Ugo Humbert at the UTS London 2024. Photo: Getty

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Ugo Humbert has just passed his first test against Thanasi Kokinakis in the UTS Grand Final being held in London, the tournament that seeks to revolutionize tennis in terms of its format. The Frenchman arrives with great ambitions and after reaching number 14 in the ranking following the conclusion of his season with the best of results. Humbert managed to reach the final of the Paris Masters 1000 on his home turf after defeating Carlos Alcaraz in the third round. Although he couldn't showcase his best level against Alexander Zverev to contend for the title, the Frenchman demonstrated his great skill on the indoor court.

Humbert spoke with Tennis Majors about this chapter of his season, a result of hard work, confidence, and patience: "I am still the same, nothing has changed. I just had a great week, and that's it. I proved to myself that I could defeat the best in the world, that I was capable of aspiring to these types of titles. I was already convinced of it. These are steps that need to be taken. It means I'm on the right path, that what I've been doing for two years is correct. I don't pressure myself. I just try to do things right, train hard consistently, and then results like this come. It did not surprise me."

That great result showed him that nothing is impossible, although he will not settle for that, but will seek to take another step in the upcoming season to maintain good results over time. From tactics to the physical aspect, the Frenchman is clear on what he needs to improve and what his first steps in 2025 will be: "I've already had ten good days of preseason: I'm working well, I've talked to my whole team to tell them that I'm eager to move to the next level physically. I'm very focused on the physical aspect, but I also spend time on the court because there are areas of the game I want to improve. I'm in the UTS, and it's perfect. We've worked a lot on muscle and now it will be more cardio. Then I will play in the Caen tournament and finish with another week of training before heading to Australia."

No pressure in 2025 and his eagerness to see the incredible team of Djokovic and Murray in action

Ugo doesn't want to set a ranking goal, so to speak, as that is more of a consequence of doing things well. It's best to focus on giving his best at every moment, making it easier not to blame himself. "My goal is to give everything every day. That's what I told myself at the end of the season. As soon as I set ranking and results goals, that pressured me, and I didn’t necessarily play well, it frustrated me. In the last two or three months, I've changed that way of thinking. I tell myself: 'give your all on every shot, give your best, commit yourself, and there's no point in blaming yourself'. There will be pleasant surprises because I train well, do things well, play good tennis, have a game that bothers opponents because I am very aggressive, and also left-handed. If I do things naturally, there will be pleasant surprises," he said.

Thus, after admitting that in 2025 he will focus on managing his schedule better, resting when needed, and not overwhelming himself too much with tennis, he also found time to comment on the new duo formed by Novak Djokovic and Andy Murray, his new coach. "Djokovic called Murray because he simply still wants to win big titles. Murray has bothered him a lot throughout his career, so maybe he'll give some pointers to try to beat Sinner and Alcaraz, who are currently the two best in the Grand Slams. He's looking for something more in Murray to try to win more big titles because he feels capable of it. You should never count Djoko out. I think he knows very well what he's doing, he has to stay alert. I am very happy with this relationship, and it will be nice for tennis to see Murray in Djoko's corner."

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Humbert: "Me he demostrado a mí mismo que podía vencer a los mejores del mundo"