“When I badly injured my knee in 2020, I needed almost a year to come back and we shared a coach,” revealed Herbert, who takes on world No.69 Lorenzo Sonego in the first round. “He’s the only player I travelled with when I was injured, I did a week at a tournament for him.
“We’ve shared a great relationship over the years, he has a great heart, so that’s why we shared a moment together at the end of the match. He’s been through a lot with injuries and I know what that feels like.â€
Coaching, however, is not a topic for now; the former singles world No.36 is fully-focused on his RG 2026 campaign.
“Roland-Garros is what made me want to be a professional tennis player,” he said. “I’ve always wanted to experience what I did today, winning in front of that kind of full crowd,†said Herbert, a doubles champion in Paris in 2018 and 2021.
“They push you to your dreams, it’s these emotions that keep me going. What I just lived is reward for all the tough moments, injuries, going back to train. When you’re 35 you truly know what this means. It’s very special.â€
