maxim cressyThe offer of an inaugural ATP Tour title appeared midway through the championship match at the Infosys Hall of Fame opened at Newport on Sunday, but the 25-year-old American engineered one of the season’s comebacks to secure his first tour-level crown.
The 25-year-old American recovered from a 2-6, 0-3 deficit against Alexander Bublik on the grass of Rhode Island to cap off an impressive week in which he also beat fellow countrymen mitchell krueger, Steve Johnson Y John Isner en route to the title at the ATP 250 event.
Having been outside the Top 150 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings as recently as twelve months ago, Cressy’s run at Newport lifted him to a career-high No. 33 on Monday. Following his remarkable triumph in Rhode Island, ATPTour.com caught up with the American as he reflected on the latest milestone in his rapid rise.
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What does winning your first ATP Tour title mean to you?
I think it’s the most incredible feeling I’ve ever had in my entire life. It’s hard to describe. I’ve been waiting for that first title for a long time.
How was your experience in previous finals against Rafael Nadal Y taylor fritz prepare for this match?
Those matches were also stressful, like today! Playing Nadal was amazing, it was more like, ‘Is it really happening?’ I think that was one of the reasons why I couldn’t beat him. Against Fritz, there were also narrow margins.
As everyone says, the third time is the charm. It’s a big step forward for me, because I don’t think I’m going to be so nervous about the next finals that may come. The first title is definitely the most difficult.
He previously shared that his family helps him with some of his matters off the court. Your mom is your manager and your brother helps build your social media presence. What does it mean to share your tennis journey with your family?
My mom has been helping me with some things off the pitch, finances or talking to brands, because I don’t have an agent yet. I’m actually looking into it, but I’m still debating in my mind. My brother has also been helping me with social media, because I don’t want to deal with it!
My family has been an integral part of my success. They have always been there for me, so I consider them very important for my career.
How did your international upbringing, growing up in France before coming to the US to attend college at UCLA, shape you as a person?
Being a citizen of both worlds is incredibly special and shaped me. I became much more independent by going to the United States on my own. I had a belief that I could live the American dream, that my life could be so much better, because my tennis game was suffering at the time. I thought that going to the United States might give me a fresh start, and that is what it has done.
Getting drafted at UCLA was the most amazing thing that ever happened to me, and as soon as that happened, my desire skyrocketed. At first I had no professional aspirations, but that quickly changed when I became an integral part of the team. Starting my junior year, that’s when I started thinking about turning pro and being with players like mackenzie mcdonald Y Marcos Giron in the team also helped those career aspirations.
With this victory, he will be out of the Top 30 in the Pepperstone ATP Rankings, but he has been very bold in saying that his goal is to be No. 1. Have you outlined a timetable for that goal?
Regardless of the ups and downs, my ranking has skyrocketed very quickly in the last two years. Considering all the failures I’ve had, it’s been a little crazy, because I definitely feel like I’ve fallen down a lot. But I got up quickly, never gave up and stayed resilient. Being just outside the Top 30 that quickly is a great indication [to me] that I have what it takes to be No. 1 in the world. I don’t think that belief will ever change.
My dream is to make serving and volleying great again and inspire many people to start playing that style of game. I have seen other players do it much more, like Rafa. [Nadal]. If I can impact the world of tennis and make serving and volleying a style of play that people enjoy and want to play, it will be big.