After longest off-season ever, Tommy Paul talks injury comeback, wedding plans at MSG

Tommy Paul ended his 2025 season in New York. He packed it in after a third-round exit from the US Open to fully heal a foot injury, one that interrupted what was building towards a breakthrough year.

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Three months later, the American is back in the Big Apple this week to kick off 2026 earlier than most, taking the court against Nick Kyrgios for the Garden Cup after what he jokingly called “the longest off-season ever.”

“I’ve been super fired up about it,” Paul told me over the phone, driving back from practice. “I don’t usually start playing practice matches or points until about two weeks before I leave for Australia. This year with Garden Cup, I’ve started playing two weeks ago! So, I’ve been playing points for a while and I’ve been really excited about it, you know?

“I’ll tell you what, I’ve never prepared for an exhibition this much! I’m treating it like it’s two weeks out of Australia right now!”

Where fellow players have carved out lengthy trips to the Maldives, Paul has stayed close to home, taking in the South Florida sun and allowing only a few days in the Bahamas for a proper vacation.

“Hey, my life is a vacation, you know?” Paul said with a laugh. “Between training and fishing, I don’t need too much.”

Beneath the easygoing attitude, Paul burns with purpose, aiming to pick up where he left off from a stellar six-month stretch. He reached back-to-back Grand Slam quarterfinals and earn his Top 10 debut, but was at Roland Garros when Paul heard a pop in his foot. Though he played through it to earn a career-high ranking of No. 8, he competed in just four more tournaments before shutting down his season in Flushing Meadows.

Refusing to give into disappointment or FOMO, the 28-year-old followed his friends’ results on social media and quietly transitioned from recovery to heavy training—aiming to build muscle and cardio strength for next season and beyond.

You can play matches in practice and say that you’re pushing yourself hard, but there’s nothing that pushes you the way playing a real match does. You push the boundaries that much more, and push yourself that much harder...I’m excited for those things, where you get to a ball in a match you probably wouldn’t get to in practice...In everything I do, I just love competing and it’s the whole reason why I started playing the sport. Tommy Paul

“Earlier in my career, I felt like I was struggling with injuries a little bit,” reflected Paul, who still managed a third straight Top 20 finish despite missing the fall swing. “

“I like to think where I am now is like a half-way point in my career. So, I looked at this as an opportunity to get a little extra rest and gear up for the second half of my career. I’m more excited to get back into playing than ever. Obviously, it’s a little frustrating at the time when you feel like you’re playing great, making two Grand Slam quarterfinals and then you feel like you’re not able to put your best tennis out there. But that just makes you work that much harder in months like these. These months are so important to getting healthy and playing the whole next year healthy. It’s been motivational.”

Fueled by his favorite CELSIUS energy drink, Paul has been feeling Peach Vibes in more ways than one this fall.

“We as tennis players always complain that the season is too long and the tour should stop after the Open, and that’s pretty much what I did. Let me tell you, it’s not that bad!” he joked.

“Most other sports do a really good job of giving their athletes time to build muscle and prepare for a grueling season. These past couple weeks, couple months have been really good for that. I feel like I’ve been able to get a good routine going, and I want to be able to go into Australia and feel good about everything throughout the entire year.”

To that end, Paul’s season is starting earlier than ever. He entered the Brisbane International in addition to his usual Adelaide appearance, setting up a full calendar before arriving in Melbourne for the Australian Open.

“For me, it’s not really the travel out there as much as competing,” Paul explained. “I miss competing. I’m jealous of all the people competing more than anything else.”

Throughout an intense pre-season, Paul is still making time to get into the holiday spirit—putting up Christmas trees for himself and fiancée Paige Lorenze and planning an annual watch of 1983’s A Christmas Story—but has largely left the wedding plans to his better half.

“She’s so good at that kind of stuff!” he said. “This is the first wedding that she’s planned, but I trust her with my life. She’s doing most of it, and likes bringing stuff and asking me questions about it. I would totally trust her regardless. She has the best taste for that kind of stuff. I think it’s going to be an absolutely amazing wedding, I’m so excited.”

But first, Paul will head back to New York to celebrate a different union, one that promises to reconnect him with his competitive fire.

“You can play matches in practice and say that you’re pushing yourself hard, but there’s nothing that pushes you the way playing a real match does,” Paul told me, his car coming to a stop. “You push the boundaries that much more, and push yourself that much harder. You’re more sore after a match than you ever will be after practice. I’m excited for those things, where you get to a ball in a match you probably wouldn’t get to in practice. You play a little longer than you would do in practice. I’m just excited to compete. In everything I do, I just love competing and it’s the whole reason why I started playing the sport.”