Three days after dropping within the quarterfinals on the Australian Open, Tommy Paul was again at his dwelling in Boca Raton, Florida, making an attempt to sleep off jet lag and the agony of defeat.
He had his possibilities within the match towards Alexander Zverev, together with in the course of the first two units through which he dropped each in tiebreaks, however he finally misplaced 7-6 (1), 7-6 (0), 2-6, 6-1. His desires of reaching his second profession main semifinal with an opportunity to safe a spot in his first Grand Slam last have been dashed.
So whereas Zverev was battling Novak Djokovic in Rod Laver Area for a spot within the Australian Open last, Paul was deep in slumber some 9,700 miles away. That’s, till his girlfriend, influencer Paige Lorenze, woke him up at 4 a.m.
“She wakes me as much as inform me that Novak pulled out within the semis [with injury] after a set and I used to be like, ‘Wow, are you kidding me?'” Paul advised ESPN whereas laughing. “It sucked. I used to be like, ‘You actually needed to wake me up at 4 to inform me that?’ I would not say it made me suppose, ‘What if?’ however extra like a ‘If I’d have.'”
However now, simply over a month later, that disappointment and the conclusion of how shut he was to a lifelong aim have solely additional fueled Paul. He received three tour titles in 2024 and cracked the highest 10 of the rankings for the primary time in his profession after his run in Melbourne. With a profession that has been outlined by exhausting work and regular progress, the 27-year-old is aware of he is able to much more.
Paul was painfully conscious as quickly as he walked off the courtroom towards Zverev of the place he might enhance — beginning together with his first serve — however the loss additionally offered a precious lesson that he believes might assist down the street, at any time when that subsequent large alternative arises.
“In a means, I misplaced that match towards Zverev, but in addition Zverev received that match, and I’ve obtained to discover a option to win that match,” Paul mentioned. “I do not wish to get outcomes from folks dropping the match to me. I wish to go on the market and win these. And I imply, that is what it’s a must to do in these late rounds towards nice gamers, it’s a must to win them. No one’s going to present you these matches. So that is what I did not do and that is what I have to appropriate.”
Paul, at the moment the second-highest ranked American at No. 10, is just not the kind of participant to take a seat round and mope after a tricky defeat, in keeping with his longtime coach Brad Stine.
“There are some guys who it nearly looks like a funeral for 2 days each time they lose, however Tommy is just not a doom-and-gloom kind of man,” Stine advised ESPN. “Inside 20 minutes or so, we’re having a beer and hashing over a few of the completely different stuff that we’re taking a look at. [We’re] speaking in regards to the scenario and analyzing the place we’re, what we will take from that and the way we will apply it to the following time he is on courtroom.”
Paul’s optimistic demeanor and willingness to study have been a part of what drew Stine to him over 5 years in the past after they started working collectively forward of the 2020 season. At that time, Paul, the 2015 junior French Open champion, was ranked No. 90 and was winless in his three profession main primary draw appearances. However Stine, who spent years teaching former world No. 1 Jim Courier and appears for alternatives through which he could be with a participant till the top of their profession, noticed one thing in Paul. Stine put collectively a five-year plan of what they needed to realize, and an inventory of 11 issues he needed Paul so as to add, take away or change about his sport, and Paul set to work.
Weeks later, Paul reached the third spherical on the Australian Open after a win over Grigor Dimitrov, the No. 18 seed. By the top of the 12 months, Paul had recorded the primary top-10 victory of his profession (coincidentally over Zverev on the Mexican Open) and made it by way of Stine’s checklist.
Paul received his first ATP title in 2021 in Stockholm, and his confidence and starvation for extra continued to develop.
“Tommy mentioned, ‘Man, I would like extra of this,'” Stine mentioned. “It wasn’t like, ‘Oh, I am glad.’ He was like, ‘That was phenomenal. What a fantastic feeling. Let’s try this once more.'”
The next season he recorded 4 top-10 wins, together with over Rafael Nadal on the Paris Masters. His rating continued to climb — a part of the duo’s long-term targets — and Paul had a realization throughout a dialog with Stine forward of the 2023 season.
SHOT OF THE YEAR CONTENDER 🤯
Tommy Paul what have you ever simply accomplished 💪#DallasOpen pic.twitter.com/39RI4uk9TA
— Tennis TV (@TennisTV) February 4, 2025
“I made a remark about him being actually good and he checked out me and mentioned, ‘Brad, I do not wish to be actually good, I wish to be nice.'”
And whereas for some gamers that target greatness might be daunting, Paul’s secret to attaining it’d simply be the “wholesome stability” he is present in his quest to realize it.
“Tommy does an outstanding job of balancing that need to be nice with combination of rest and enjoyable and pleasure within the competitors itself,” Stine mentioned. “He would not let the thought of being prime 10, prime 5, turn into all-consuming or overwhelming. It is uncommon.”
Paul opened 2023 together with his first-ever main semifinal look on the Australian Open, turning into the primary American man since Andy Roddick in 2009 to take action and subsequently making his top-20 debut. The remainder of the season was crammed with a number of different firsts, together with reaching a 500-level last on the Mexican Open and defeating Carlos Alcaraz, then the world No. 1.
Even when his rating did not precisely mirror a contender standing, Paul has at all times believed he might win tournaments. In 2024 he claimed his largest title so far on the 500-level Queen’s Membership Championships, along with the 250-level Dallas Open and profitable once more in Stockholm. He reached the quarterfinals at Wimbledon for the primary time and earned an Olympic bronze medal alongside pal Taylor Fritz in doubles.
“Each event I am going to, I wish to win it,” Paul mentioned. “I believe when you’re exhibiting as much as the event with out the thought of making an attempt to win the event in your head, then why even go to the event? However that being mentioned, I actually really feel like I present as much as tournaments now and I do not wish to say, ‘suppose I ought to,’ however I am going there and take a look at it extra as a mission. Like, ‘All proper, let’s get by way of the primary couple rounds making an attempt to save lots of the physique after which put your physique on the road late within the event, and try to get this title right here.’ I’ve much more confidence in myself going into tournaments now.”
Paul started coping with the results of a small muscle tear in his shoulder in Australia, and the discomfort continued throughout his title protection in Dallas this month. After dropping within the semifinals, Paul withdrew from the Delray Seaside Open the next week. Whereas disappointing as a result of the event is simply minutes from his dwelling in Boca Raton, with household and associates hoping to attend, Paul knew he wanted the remainder to be prepared for the rest of the spring hard-court season. The opposite upside: It meant he was in a position to get pleasure from watching the Philadelphia Eagles win the Tremendous Bowl from dwelling, with out having to fret about his personal event preparation. Paul mentioned he was thrilled it was a rout from begin to end. “I cherished that it was a beatdown. I’d a lot fairly it that means than a detailed one.”
On Wednesday, Paul, Holger Rune and Casper Ruud withdrew from the Mexican Open, citing abdomen sickness. Paul is subsequent slated to take part within the star-studded MGM Rewards Slam in Las Vegas on Sunday alongside Fritz, Zverev and Ruud.
After that, Paul will look to enhance on his semifinal run at Indian Wells in 2024 and doubtlessly earn precious rating factors on the Miami Open after retiring from his opening-round match final season with an ankle damage.
Paul credit Stine and the remainder of his staff for serving to push him every day. He considers them “like household,” and continues to be pleased with their collective loyalty to at least one one other.
“We work collectively rather well,” he mentioned. “Whether or not it is in group chats or simply type of capturing the s—, we’re speaking each single day. It is an superior group of fellows.”
The 2025 Australian Open marked Paul’s third Slam quarterfinal look. Whereas he is buoyed by his good run to start out the 12 months, reaching the ultimate eight is not a milestone, however a steppingstone on the trail to his final dream: profitable a significant. He knew he might doubtlessly attain the highest 10 on the occasion main in, nevertheless it wasn’t one thing he centered on, and, whereas thrilling, can also be merely a part of that journey.
“I want I might inform you one thing large modified for me [when I made the top 10],” Paul mentioned. “I am doing the identical stuff day-after-day that I did three weeks in the past. I am nonetheless waking up and going to apply, nonetheless waking up and coaching and doing physique work with my physio. Every little thing’s actually the identical. The one factor that is modified is my targets.
“Now I’ve a brand new aim, which is prime 5. And to try this, you bought to win tournaments. You bought to go to Masters 1000s with holding the trophy on the finish of the week in your head. These are my targets now. “