TMS MONTE CARLO

April 16, 2002

Fabrice Santoro

THE MODERATOR: First question, please.

FABRICE SANTORO: (He) is coming back from holiday.

FABRICE SANTORO: No. After Davis Cup, needless to say that I was very tired, I was hurting a little bit everywhere, and I really needed a break. The only way to have a break was to use the week after the Davis Cup. Now, I absolutely have no more time to rest before the end of Wimbledon. Therefore, I took a week holiday in order to charge my batteries, to treat my foot and my elbow. I really needed rest.

FABRICE SANTORO: My first points on clay were made today.

FABRICE SANTORO: Friday afternoon.

FABRICE SANTORO: I hit a few shots for one hour on Sunday. I didn't play on Friday and Saturday. I hadn't played since my match in Pau until Sunday.

FABRICE SANTORO: Yes. Yesterday, one hour of doubles and today, one hour of singles.

FABRICE SANTORO: Yes. I believe the best way to build up is to play matches and spend hours and hours on the court. I told myself that playing singles and doubles I will be able to play a minimum of matches and to stay here in Monte-Carlo a good part of the week so I could practice with the best players.

FABRICE SANTORO: It's disappointing because this is a tournament that is very important to me. I really want to play well here. But with my present schedule, unfortunately, I cannot give priority to this tournament anymore. The schedule became crazy. And my health is what is most important to me. I really needed a holiday. I had a six-day break; I didn't go for three weeks on an island!

FABRICE SANTORO: No. I run on the court. But when I don't practice, what I have left is my legs and my courage. So I tried to fight, but for the rest of my game you saw what happened as well as I did.

FABRICE SANTORO: A lot better than I was. I think one leg was hurting him, one knee.

FABRICE SANTORO: From the first points, I saw he was dragging his left leg. But on top of everything with the regulations, rules, we are condemned to play those tournaments.

FABRICE SANTORO: I would have come all the same, if I had some illusions about this tournament. I can't tell myself, "I'm going to miss Monte-Carlo, just skip Monte-Carlo," because it is a rendezvous and I'm happy to be here. I tried my best on the court. But unless you have two legs in a cast, you are obligated to play those tournaments, which is not always a good thing for sport. But it's a guarantee to have the best players. That's a positive point about it.

FABRICE SANTORO: As soon as tomorrow, I am going to start working four hours a day for at least ten days. Then I will go to Munich in eight days. I'm going to stay a good part of this week here. I'm going to go back home for four or five days, and I'll be in Munich on Friday before the tournament.

FABRICE SANTORO: Munich, Rome, Hamburg, one week rest and the French Open.