CHASE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF THE COREL WTA TOUR

November 18, 1996

Gabriela Sabatini

GABRIELA SABATINI: Everybody's been asking me that question, what am I going to do. Right now I'm just thinking about today. And I want to enjoy this moment. I guess this freedom, in a way, not having times and places that I have to go to, just not being able to do the things that I wanted to do. And I think I'm ready for that. I'm going to be ready for that, to enjoy a little bit more my family, be home whenever I want to. Just be -- normal things, you know. Then I just need some time to figure out what I really want to focus on. There are a lot of things, but I just need to -- I need time to figure out what I really want to do.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, I think I will want to be related to tennis somehow. This was -- I played tennis for -- for all my life. So I want to be involved with tennis.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, it's been very emotional all this last few weeks. And probably being able to enjoy this moment with all the things they've done for me in having this evening here with all these people. It was really, really special, very emotional moment. It's a mixture of feelings; sad, obviously sad because I've been doing this for almost all my life and been sharing so many moments on the court against those players, with all the people that are here tonight. So it's sad in that way, but on the other hand I'm really happy about this. I'm happy that this is over in a way and that I could start doing other things and just to move on, you know.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Yeah, I probably knew that I wasn't going to play too much longer. I didn't know that in two years I was going to stop, but I knew I wasn't going to play that much longer. And I thought about that these days a lot, that two years ago Martina retired here, and now I'm doing that. So it feels strange, yeah, to think about that.

GABRIELA SABATINI: That's probably, if there is a moment that I have to remember or that I remember and think about is my victory at the U.S. Open. That moment, that last point when it was finished, it was such a rewarding and good feeling, proud. And was a really good moment. So if there is one moment that would be the one.

GABRIELA SABATINI: No, not at all, I don't have any disappointments or any regrets about anything, not at all. I had a great career, and I value it very much today.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I think the atmosphere, you know, being in New York, I think everybody gets that atmosphere, your energy gets going, and you get like that. I love to walk around New York and see -- and watch people walk by and I love the different restaurants and it's a fun place, so it makes you feel good, in a good mood with a lot of energy. And the people are different than other places, you know, when they watch the matches. They seem to get more involved into the matches. And that's good to see, they're really fans. And that's good to feel, also.

GABRIELA SABATINI: It's probably a little too soon right now to say. But I think I'm just going to miss mostly the people, right now I just have memories, memories of great matches, exciting matches that I played against Steffi, against Monica, I really have great memories about that. So it's probably a little too soon to say what am I going to miss. I don't know.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Oh, I think that's her desire, and I think it's great that she was able to make that decision and I'm sure that that's what she wanted to do. So I think it's great that she's doing that. And I hope that that's what makes her happy.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I think it got stronger and stronger. I probably started to think about it in the beginning of the year, and it got stronger. I kept thinking about it more and more. And I really wanted to take all the time that I needed because it was a very important decision and until I got to a point where I said a month before I announce it that, okay, I think I'm ready, I'm ready to do this.

GABRIELA SABATINI: No, I don't think at all. I will want to see everybody, still see everybody. And I had great moments. And I think in the future, I think I want to be involved in tennis somehow.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I think I'm going to spend time in Buenos Aires, in Florida, traveling.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I don't think so. Like I said before, I really value where I was. I got to No. 3 and that's not easy to do, not too many people can do that. So I don't think you can say that or anybody can say that, if they haven't lived what it takes to get there.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I guess, yeah, they do, but at the same time I think, well, I started pretty much at the same time, too so, yeah, I guess they do. They do seem young, you know, or maybe I could feel like in tennis I'm a little older, maybe, just because that has been changing a lot, compared to the past. Today you peak at a younger age, early 20's, and before it used to be later 20's. So that has changed a lot and people start playing good tennis younger and younger.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I think through tennis I became more mature person through the challenges, you know, the challenges of all those matches that I played, being under pressure, being under stress, how to deal with all those things. So that's what I'm taking with me and whatever will happen in the future, I'm going to apply everything I learned.

GABRIELA SABATINI: No, no, because there is time for that, also. And today I'd like to continue with that somehow.

GABRIELA SABATINI: I don't know, I don't think I have one that is closer than others. I always had some very good relationships with everybody, you know, and the players from Argentina, I know them a little better, so I probably go out with them a lot, Brenda Schultz, Mary Joe, maybe I will go out sometimes.

GABRIELA SABATINI: Vilas, you mean?

GABRIELA SABATINI: No, I haven't.

GABRIELA SABATINI: No, he's playing tennis all over the world.