“How do you feel after this feat against Novak Djokovic?
It’s an incredible feeling. I couldn’t even imagine playing against him. Now I’ve beaten him. It’s a dream come true. I’ve been watching his matches for ten years. That’s the only advantage I had: he had never seen me play!
Do you still have a Djokovic poster on your bedroom door?
Yes I still have it. Every evening, every time I go to bed, I see Novak (smile). I think I’ll keep it.
If, after your defeat against David Goffin in the second round of qualifying, someone had told you that you would be there tonight, what would you have said?
For sure, I will tell him: you are crazy! It was unimaginable. I was only third on the list to be lucky loser, so I was already surprised to make it into the table. I had never beaten a top 50 before this tournament! There I beat Zhang and now Djokovic.
“Before the match, I spoke to my coach and I told him: I don’t want to lose 6-1, 6-1”
When did you start to believe you could beat him?
In the first two or three games (he stops)… Before the match, I spoke to my coach and I told him: “I don’t want to lose 6-1, 6-1. » It was so windy, it was difficult for both of us. But I think I got off to a good start. I realized that I felt good about the exchange. So in the early games, I think.
Did you notice during the match how much the crowd supported you?
Honestly, I try not to listen too much to the audience, to stay focused on what I had to do. But after the match my coaches told me: “Luca, everyone was cheering for you. » Against Novak, the best player in history, it’s incredible. I will remember this moment until the end of my life.
A word about Tommy Paul?
Why are you talking to me about Tommy Paul? Oh, I’m playing against Tommy Paul? I haven’t looked at the table, thank you for warning me (smile). »
