Rinderknech on his first-round loss in Metz: "This end-of-season stretch demands freshness"

Arthur Rinderknech failed to clear the first-round hurdle in Metz, where he was beaten in two sets by Daniel Altmaier.

Now in the top 30, Rinderknech has to digest his new status as a Masters 1000 finalist. Beaten by his cousin Valentin Vacherot in his last two tournaments, the Frenchman was present for the final edition in Metz this week.

Unfortunately, the 30-year-old player was beaten in his opening match by Daniel Altmaier in two sets this Tuesday (6-4, 6-4). He reacted to his loss against the German just minutes after the match.

"I thought he served well, I didn't think he served that well, with a good first-serve percentage. After that, the early break gave him confidence and that helped him serve better. On my side, there wasn't a huge amount of energy, it wasn't easy; he knew how to hold on when I had a few chances and, conversely, he took his own.

This end-of-season stretch, with the big time differences between Asia and Europe, different conditions, and then the indoor courts, laid on these kinds of floors, are very demanding and require freshness. We did what we thought was right, it wasn't far off in Paris, potentially doing something good, but the season continues.

Mentally I feel good, physically, it's okay. There will soon be a week of preparation with the French team (the Davis Cup quarter-final against Belgium will take place on November 18th in Bologna), but before that, the next few days, I'm going to spend them at home, because I haven't been there often, and I'm going to take the opportunity to rest," Rinderknech assured L'Équipe.