Tennys Sandgren was only two weeks removed from his epic five-set loss to Roger Federer in the Australian Open quarterfinals when he arrived on Long Island for the New York Open. The 28-year-old from Gallatin, Tenn., had seven match points in the fourth set before giving way to Federer.
Whether or not Sandgren was still reeling from that defeat when he got to New York—he lost in the first round to fellow American Steve Johnson, 6-7, 6-3, 7-6—he has reason to be positive.
He was the only unseeded player at the Australian Open to reach the round of eight. It was his second quarterfinal appearance in Melbourne (2018 was the first) and the second time in his last three Grand Slams that he’s reached at least the fourth round, after also doing so last summer at Wimbledon. Sandgren entered the Australian Open as the world No. 100 on the ATP tour, and his performance Down Under has him up to No. 53. His career-high ranking of No. 41 was attained last January.
We caught up with Sandgren on Tuesday night at the New York Open after a first-round doubles victory with his doubles partner, Robert Lindstedt of Sweden.
Q: After losing that heartbreaker to Federer at the Australian, you said you felt like a raft in the middle of the ocean. Have you made it back to shore yet?
Tennys Sandgren: That was after the match. The first hour or two hours after the match, you’re just disappointed. The mental processes that go about getting over the negative aspects of that match are pretty much in place. You can’t continuously think about something in a negative way. You have to flip that into something positives. And there were a lot of positives to take from the match.
Q: Did Federer say anything to you about it after the match? Anyone else?
Tennys Sandgren: No. Just family and coach and friends. Everyone was positive. Everyone felt for me. They wanted to make sure I was okay, and that I took the positives and was okay with the fact that I didn’t win, things like that. They were gutted for me, too.
Q: You made the Round of 16 at Wimbledon, third round at the US Open and now quarterfinals at the Australian. It’s been a nice run. Do you feel you’re turning a corner?
Tennys Sandgren: Yeah. I mean, I say that, and then I (lose) here last night. It’s a tough sport. You try to peak at the right times, try to do your best in these weeks and grind, put your best foot forward. But I feel like I’m playing well, doing some good things and getting better as a player. When I’m playing my best tennis I feel like I’m competing with the best players.
There are some things I still need to work on. Probably the mental stuff, the mental game. Not getting so frustrated. Staying focused and being positive, things like that.
Q: Despite the loss to Federer, your record against Top 10 opponents is 5-3. Is there something about those matches that lifts your game?
Tennys Sandgren: Yeah, for sure. You know you have to bring your best game. They’re always going to be tough. Thankfully, I’ve got a big enough game and I can do some things that can frustrate guys that are at that top level.
Q: Any specific goals you’ve set for this year? Are the Olympics part of that?
Tennys Sandgren: Yeah, it would have been cool if I won against Roger – I’d probably be in the Olympics right now. But I’ve got to win some more matches and we’ll see where the chips fall. That would be cool. I’d love to try to end the year Top 20, Top 10. I feel like that’s within reach if I keep getting better, keep striving in the right direction. Get close to that place. But we’ll see. Like I said, it’s a tough sport, and it’s a tough stretch. These spring months are tough, and everybody’s good. It’s a challenge, so I’m just looking to have some more big weeks.
