Tommy Paul’s biggest catch: can the late-blooming American reel in a US Open title?

WATCH: Paul faced Carlos Alcaraz in a pair of thrilling matches this summer, with the No. 1 winning their most recent in Cincinnati.

NEW YORK—Tommy Paul is looking to land the big one in Flushing Meadows, but fishing enthusiasts would already be impressed by his ability to catch and reel in—and that’s no metaphor.

Paul shared tales from his epic pre-US Open fishing trip after surging through his first round in four sets over Stefano Travaglia, having already fulfilled one dream as he pursues another.

“It was amazing,” he said of his Hamptons expedition. “I grew up fishing a little bit in North Carolina. I never really caught anything like that. I think my max when I was younger was like 50 pounds or something. The fish I posted with was 190. We also caught one that was like 350, but we weren't allowed to keep it.

“I think a lot of people think I'm capping when I say that, but we actually had one that was 350. It took, like, an hour fighting it, maybe more!”

No cap, indeed: where fishing can be seen as a relaxing pursuit, did it get the No. 14 seed in the competitive mindset he needs to make a deep run at his home major?

“It was super nice,” said Paul, who began the 2023 season by reaching the Australian Open semifinals. “It was really cool to get out there. Had a good training week, did some fun things.

“New York can be pretty hectic for me. I like a little bit calmer environment, so it was really a good training week for me.”

Paul has been one of the Americans to watch this summer, scoring a second win over world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz in Toronto and nearly repeating the feat the following week at the Western & Southern Open.

In a quarter that has already seen No. 4 seed Holger Rune exit the tournament, all eyes are on the 26-year-old as he aims to make good on the potential he first displayed as a junior—winning the boy’s singles at 2015 Roland Garros and finishing runner-up to Taylor Fritz at the US Open three months later.

“I think I could dive into that and talk for like an hour on that one,” he said when asked about being a late-bloomer. “But I think to give you a short answer, they were very frustrating times. But I don't think I ever really, like, stopped believing. I, like, kind of knew that I could make it. I just didn't really know how to do it yet.

“I surrounded myself with a really good team. I think that was, like, the key for me, putting the right people around me, the right pieces to the puzzle. Obviously, it's a lot better now than it was, and I'm pretty happy where I'm at now.”

Paul will next face Roman Safiullin for a chance to reach his second straight US Open third round.