Humbert assesses his season: "I've stayed in the top 20 all year, I've been very consistent".
Ugo Humbert has reached a milestone in 2024. The 26-year-old Frenchman reached his highest ranking (13th in April), won two new titles in Marseille and Dubai and, above all, played in his first Masters 1000 final.
Playing at home in Paris-Bercy, he eliminated Carlos Alcaraz, but lost out in the final to an excellent Alexander Zverev, who gave him no chance.
In an interview with Eurosport, the native of Metz reflected on the season just ended: "The thing I'm most satisfied with is my consistency.
The fact that I've managed to stay in the top 20 throughout the year means that I've had a full season and that I've been very consistent.
There were two titles, and then the final at Bercy. To finish the season like that was really incredible.
I'm learning more about myself every year. I've got quite a bit of experience now, so I'm getting to know myself better and better.
That's also why I'm working with my psychologist, trying to remove a lot of barriers.
It's happening little by little, you just have to be patient, but there's a lot of progress," he began.
"I had set myself a lot of goals in terms of results: to win a major title, so a 500 or a 1000. I also wanted to achieve my best Grand Slam result.
I started the season well, to the point of being in the top 10 at the Race, so I had set myself the goal of finishing at the Masters.
That's something I didn't manage at all well. In Asia and then in the United States, I was crimson, I couldn't take it anymore.
I had a sort of burn-out, I didn't feel like playing anymore. But then the Davis Cup did me a world of good, and that's when I changed my state of mind.
I told myself it was over, that I couldn't go to the Masters. I gave my all on every ball.
And in the end, I made the final in Tokyo and the final in Bercy, so I need to keep that state of mind."