His coach Brad Stine says that these types of big goals are what keeps the New Jersey native motivated.
“There are still a lot of things within the sport that he hasn’t been able to accomplish yet,” Stine told BNPParibasOpen.com. “He won his first ATP 500 title last year, so check that off the list, but he hasn’t won a Masters 1000 – I think he’s capable of doing that – and he hasn’t won a Slam.
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“We have to see if that’s a possibility or not, but that’s what you are striving for all the time – I think those things keep you pretty motivated.”
Paul, a staple inside the ATP’s Top 20 since January of 2023, cracked the Top 10 for the first time in January after reaching the quarterfinals at the Australian Open. Though he has slipped to No. 11 in the interim, the No. 2-ranked American is confident in his form, especially here in Tennis Paradise, where he has compiled an 11-4 record in four appearances, including a 3-2 record against the Top 10.
Among those wins: Paul’s first Top 5 win over Andrey Rublev in 2021 and his first Top 3 win over Alexander Zverev in 2022.