By Richard Pagliaro Wednesday, January 21, 2026
Image source: Australian Open Facebook
Tommy Paul In January last year, he reached the semi-finals of the Australian Open and broke into the top 10 in the world.
All of Paul’s career experiences include words of wisdom for young players: Go to college.
When asked if he would change his career, Paul told the media at Melbourne Park that if he could do it over again, he would go to school.
“I told everyone, if I did it again, I would go to school, I would go to Georgia,” Paul said. “I decided to play in Georgia and then turn pro after winning the Junior French Open.
“I wasted a few years after I turned pro. At least that’s how I look at it. So, yeah, especially with the way things are now, with people getting paid to go to school and play, I would tell a lot of people
Go to school at 17 or 18 years old. “
Paul, the 19th seed, effectively used the professional knowledge he learned in this Australian Open.
The 2025 quarter-finalist swept all six sets he played in, defeating Alexander Kovacevic and Thiago Agustin Tirant to set up a third-round rematch with the Spaniard and sometimes practice partner Alejandro Davidovich Fokina.
The 20th-ranked Paul has a 4-0 lifetime record against Davidovich Fokina, with two of the four wins coming at Melbourne Park, including a 6-1, 6-1, 6-1 defeat in the fourth round in 2025.
“It’s going to be a battle. We played twice here,” Davidovich Fokina said of Paul. “The first
It was five sets and he beat me. I died last year. I won’t count that one.
“But every time I practice or play against him, he always applies a lot of pressure, even on serve and return. So our games are probably similar, but maybe I’m more aggressive than him.”
The good news for Paul, who has battled injuries during the second half of the 2025 season, is that he feels close to 100 percent physically and says he’s moving around more freely than he has since last May.
“I would say basically I haven’t really been worried about anything since I walked into the Madrid stadium,” Paul said. “I mean, it’s definitely a really good feeling. Just knowing that my body is holding up makes me feel more relaxed going into the match and I’m not worried about anything but my tennis. So it’s a good feeling.”
