"I'm not playing a match here without him" - Tommy Paul credits young fan for US Open run, invites him back for 4R clash
Tommy Paul has discovered a passionate fan in the form of 11-year-old Eddy during his 2023 US Open campaign. The 26-year-old confirmed that their heartwarming association will continue at Flushing Meadows.
Paul advanced to the fourth round of his home Slam for the first time in his career after defeating Alejandro Davidovich Fokina 6-1, 6-0, 3-6, 6-3 in two hours and 20 minutes on Friday.
Following his victory, the American credited his comeback win over Roman Safiullin in the second round to the encouraging support of Eddy. After his match against Safiullin, Paul showed his appreciation by presenting the young fan with a shirt and a hug as a token of gratitude.
"Man, I was down two sets to love the other day in my match and he was the only one out there being like, 'I'm here all night. I'm here all night.' He really got me through that match. It was a lot of fun. I had to go over to him and say hi," Tommy Paul said in his on-court interview.
When asked whether Eddy would be back for his fourth-round clash, the World 14 replied in the affirmative, stating that he wouldn't play a match at the US Open without the 11-year-old in attendance.
"Oh absolutely. I'm not playing a match here without him. So, you're coming back," he responded.
Following his win over Safiullin, Tommy Paul disclosed that he had invited Eddy back for his third-round match against Davidovich Fokina.
"I told him, like, 'Dude, you have to come to the next one. Get in contact with me, message me on Instagram or whatever and we'll get it hooked up,'" he said in his post-match press conference.
"I'm hoping he becomes famous" - Tommy Paul hails 11-year-old fan Eddy's passionate support after US Open 3R win
Tommy Paul mentioned that he had arranged box seats for Eddy to watch his third-round match, but the 11-year-old ended up with even better seats courtside. The 26-year-old lauded Eddy's support and expressed his wish for the young fan to achieve fame in the future.
"I definitely heard him. I think we got him tickets to our box or something, but he ended up getting better tickets right on the side of the court. I was definitely hearing him. It was fun," Paul said during his post-match press conference.
"He definitely got louder after I lost the third, which was cool. I went and talked to him a little bit after, but it's really cool to have him here. I'm hoping he becomes famous or something," he added.
The World No. 14 admitted that he was unsure of when Eddy returned to school and expressed uncertainty over whether the 11-year-old would still be able to attend matches.
"That's a great question. I have no idea. I haven't thought about it at all," he said.
With his win over Alejandro Davidovich Fokina, Tommy Paul set up a blockbuster clash with compatriot Ben Shelton in the fourth round. Shelton defeated Aslan Karatsev 6-4, 3-6, 6-2 to set up the all-American affair.