American prospect Ethan Quinn spoke to VAVEL to give his thoughts on playing in this year's US Open, his experience of College tennis and goals for the future.
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On playing in the US Open
Quinn, 19 has been awarded a wildcard into the US Open main draw, and will face off against Spanish world number 75, Bernabe Zapata Miralles in the first round.
Ranked 474th in the world and with just one ATP win under his belt, the young American is a huge outsider, but is relishing the opportunity to play in New York.
"I'm absolutely thrilled, getting to play on the biggest stage in tennis is what every kid dreams of when they first pick up a racket.
"Getting to be recognised as a player in the US Open is something I've always dreamed of.
"To make that dream come true is really special," said Quinn.
The 19 year old is realistic however of his chances at his first grand slam tournament.
"Not a lot of pressure, not a lot of expectations at all really.
"These are the best players in the world, and they all deserve to be there.
"I'm just trying to put a strong emphasis on the controllables, the things that I can continue to get better at; like strength and conditioning, mobility, discipline, whatever it is, to make sure that my game is at the level where I can succeed against some of the best players in the world," said the American.
If the world 474 were to advance to the second round, a blockbuster encounter against 22-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic would likely await. A matchup that would thrust the youngster into the spotlight.
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On his experience of college tennis
Quinn won this years NCAA tournament, the pinnacle of American College tennis to gain him a wildcard into the US Open, something the Californian won't ever forget.
"That experience was absolutely incredible.
"It was surreal.
"Having both my coaches there, having one of my best friends Trent there, having my family there, and even friends from elsewhere in Florida, they all drove up to Orlando to be able to watch that final," said Quinn.
It was certainly worth the trip, with Quinn prevailing from a set down in a thriller to claim the prestigious title.
"To win it the way I did, saving four match points was remarkable," said the 19-year-old.
Quinn believes that playing college tennis has helped prepare him for the pressures of the ATP tour.
"One of the main things is playing in front of crowds.
"In Athens (The home of Georgia tennis) there was 3700 people at some of our matches.
"Getting to play in front of such a loud crowd really prepares yourself for getting to tour where there's people basically sitting on the court.
"A lot of time the outside courts at slams are very packed.
"It prepares yourself for those pressure moments," said the big-serving American.
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On turning pro
Following his victorious NCAA tournament, Quinn and his team made the decision to go pro and leave college tennis behind, not a decision the 19-year-old made lightly.
"There was definitely a little bit of hesitancy when I made that decision.
"I never really planned on turning pro so quickly after going to college, the whole plan was for me to get my degree then see where I was at.
"But once my coach called me and told me that he thought it would be one of the best decisions I could make, my mind was set on turning pro.
"The next part was just trying to convince my parents to understand that side of things to," said Quinn.
His decision to turn pro was rewarded with a first ATP win in Newport this July, a result that confirmed the bold decision had paid off.
"Getting that first win under my belt really made this summer feel better than it actually was.
"That first win was really just kind of establishing myself on tour," said the American.
Quinn then found himself up against top 20 ATP star Tommy Paul, someone the 19-year-old knows well.
"Getting to play someone of his calibre, not everyone gets to do that in their tennis career.
"Playing someone I'm close to like Tommy, is really nice because he's able to give me some extra insight, extra tips after the match to really think about from a perspective I've never gotten before.
"It gave me a lot to learn, a lot to think about leading up to my next ATP matches and the US Open," said Quinn.
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On who inspired his game
Following his performances in US Open qualifying last year, Quinn drew comparisons with fellow American John Isner for his big serving and forehand.
However it was another gentle giant who inspired the young American.
"I think my game is mostly inspired by Juan Martin Del Potro.
"He has a huge forehand, a huge serve, and honestly he was just a joy to watch.
"He's one of the only slam winners since Roger (Federer), Rafa (Nadal) and Novak (Djokovic) started dominating.
"He's been a really good inspiration for me to look up to. Guy's like me who are maybe a little bit bigger, not quite as fast on court.
"I hope that I can imitate my game like his," said Quinn.
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On what he does off the court
Whilst the 19-year-old is focused on his tennis, he has various interests that take up his spare time.
"One of my favourite things is to invest.
"I love looking at the stock market and stuff like that, it's really fascinating for me to just kind of see what the markets are doing and the economy," said the youngster.
The world number 474 also fancies his skills in the kitchen.
"I love to cook.
"My mum's a very good chef, so just watching her in the kitchen has made me very comfortable in the kitchen.
"Being able to cook my own meals is something I've really enjoyed as I've started to grow up," said Quinn.
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On his goals for the future
Despite only being on tour for a few months, Quinn has some big goals for 2024 and beyond.
"My goal is to make sure I'm travelling to all the slams by the start of 2024.
"I think that's the thing I really want to accomplish the most.
"It's a little bit far ahead to be dreaming about winning grand slams maybe this year or next year, but the goal is definitely to get some titles.
"I started winning some ITF titles last year, now the goal is to win challenger titles, and from there go on to some ATP titles, I think that's be very fulfilling," said Quinn.