The fourth Grand Slam of the 2025 season, the US Open Tennis, kicked off late at night on August 24th (Japan time). WOWOW will broadcast the final Grand Slam of the year live every day. Shintaro Mochizuki, competing in the men's singles, has qualified for the main draw of two consecutive Grand Slam tournaments, following Wimbledon, held from June 30th to July 14th of this year. The US Open marks his first appearance in the main draw. Mochizuki gave an interview ahead of his first match on the third day of the tournament, against Hugo Gaston (France).
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-How do you feel now that you've been selected to compete in the US main tournament for the first time?
I felt very happy when I won. I had already been to the main draw of the other Grand Slams, and this (US Open) was the last one standing. I don't have many good memories from my junior days, so to be honest, I didn't come here with a good image in mind. But I was able to advance and I'm playing good tennis, so I feel like this is the best thing.
-What did you gain from Wimbledon in July, where you advanced to the second round?
The surface is different, so it may not be exactly the same, but I think I'm able to play similarly on the hard court here as I do on grass. I feel that I can play my tennis well no matter who I'm playing against, so I'm starting to feel more confident.
At the same time, I think I've been able to work well mentally as well, so that I don't put too much pressure on myself by thinking that if I lose after doing my best and playing my own tennis, it can't be helped.
-How are you feeling now?
My tennis condition continues to be good. My body is perfectly fine, and since my first round match was on Tuesday (local time), I was able to relax all day yesterday. I've been practicing and training hard today and tomorrow, and so far I'm feeling fine, so I want to prepare as best I can.
-What kind of tournament is the US Open for you (who has been based in Florida)?
It's difficult to say, but I grew up in a rural area of Florida, which is a quiet place, so I imagine New York to be quite noisy. The hotel is also very close to Times Square in Manhattan, so to be honest, I had an uneasy impression of it being a quiet place.
I think I'm enjoying that kind of atmosphere this time. Yesterday, I even took the ferry by myself and enjoyed the scenery (laughs). In that sense, I think I'm doing a pretty good job of relaxing.
--The crowd was excited with calls for Mochizuki even during the preliminaries, but how much encouragement do you get from the cheers of the audience?
They really give me strength. Especially in the second qualifying round, when we were in a tough spot towards the end of the match, the Mochizuki chants started and I thought, "I have to do my best too!" The support of the fans, including my own team, gives me a lot of strength. I don't think we won by my own strength at all. I'm so grateful.
-What is your impression of Gaston, your opponent in the first round?
I think he's basically the type of player who's good at defense. He's a skillful player who uses drop shots and is fast, so I think there will be times when he won't be able to score, so I'm not expecting much from him. If I think, "I want to score quickly!" or "I want to end the point!", it will become a vicious cycle, so I'll be patient when I need to be.
On the other hand, because the ball isn't that fast, the rallies are long, so I think it will be quite physically demanding. I want to fight with the determination that the rallies will be long.
-Finally, please tell us your enthusiasm and a message to your fans who support you.
Thank you all for your continued support. I am very happy to have won the qualifying rounds at the US Open for the first time and now be competing in the main draw. I have not been able to get this far on my own, so I am grateful for the support of my team and the Japanese fans.
I will do my best in the first round, so please support me.
*WOWOW will be exclusively broadcasting the US Open Tennis live every day during the tournament period until September 8th. It will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand. The first round of the men's and women's singles night session on Day 3 will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 11:50 PM on August 26th. The first round of the men's and women's singles night session on Day 3 will be broadcast and streamed on WOWOW Live and WOWOW On Demand from 7:45 AM on August 27th.
