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ROLAND GARROS

May 25, 2018

Kristina Mladenovic

Paris, France

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. So you have had a great run here last year. What were your first emotions when you stepped back here on-site this year?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah, it's always pretty much the same emotions and feeling when I come back. You know, it's obviously great result last year, but this is not only because of last year. I'm always having, let's say, great vibes when I'm coming back. It just feels like home. So it's no matter what, always a pleasure to be back.

Q. Obviously past years have had ebbs and flows, some better patches, some patches that have been more difficult. How has that gone for you? How do you look back at this past year? Because it felt like there was a lot of attention on you coming into this tournament last year, and you had some pretty memorable matches. How do you see these last 12 months in general?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah, well, to talk only about French Open, you know, it's always a new challenge, a new draw, new circumstances.

It started pretty tough last year with injury, like, I blocked my back and stuff, and came out being a really good edition. You know, it's just important in life and you try, you know, to be ready the best you can, so you can write a new chapter, create a new chapter, a new edition, and try to create new memories and great moments. It's also a little bit the same philosophy all year long because we are lucky to have amazing events week in and week out.

Yes, as you said, it's sport and it's always up and downs for everybody. You know, no matter the situation, if it's positive or negative, I think you always learn out of it. I always have the motivation to go back to work and improve things.

I clearly think that in tough moments that this is where you learn and can work the most.

Q. Could you look ahead to your first-round match against Petkovic? Give us an idea what you make of that. Could be a tough one. She's a fighter. You're a fighter. What do you expect out of that one?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Yeah, she's obviously a great player. It's true that she's more, let's say, towards the end of her career than maybe the real beginning, we know the quality she had. If I'm not wrong, she was former top 10 or something like that. She's really a great friend of mine, and I had tough matches against her. I feel like I always played her in her best moments in her career.

I remember one great match here I lost in three sets on Chatrier. I think she went to the quarters afterwards. Also Miami, I lost to her. If I'm not wrong, then she went really deep in the tournament, maybe finals.

Yeah, I'm expecting a really tough one. As everybody will tell you, it's the most difficult is to, you know, just start it out. To get the feel, the rhythm, to feel your shots, to try to produce your best game and to focus and go one at a time.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. To go back to the draw, you have the opportunity to meet Simona Halep during the third round. How did you take it actually when you saw the draw?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: As I said it in English before, one needs to be focused on every match. All players play well. The first round will be hard against Petkovic. I do not have a good history in terms of wins and losses with her. But the draw is the way it is.

I will focus on my game, on this first round. If I win during the first round, there will be a second one. Simona will need to reach that point, too. We will need to talk about it when time arises.

All the players play well, and we need to focus on one match at a time.

Q. What about Serena? If she's here it means she will have a great comeback? What is your opinion?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: She's the best player, in my opinion. She's a great champion. If not an icon, a legend in tennis. It's a great thing that she's here, that she's still here in the world of tennis. As you said, if she's here today, it means that she feels ready and good shape and fit. We'll see. We'll see what happens. I haven't seen her play lately. It's a good thing that she's here indeed.

Q. Last time people saw you you didn't feel well. You went away during the match.
How do you feel now? Did you prepare better? Are things going the way that you want?

KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: In Rome, beginning of the week, I felt dizzy, I felt sick, as it could happen to anyone.

But things were better afterwards. I could play doubles later with Timea the day after, and so things went back on track.

It's far away, actually, as far as I'm concerned. I prepared myself well since last Sunday for this tournament. Everything is fine.

Q. You talked about it in English early on, but coming back here with everything that happened last year, is it important for you to come back in places where the vibes are good, to have good memories?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Indeed that what we are doing here is part of the routine, if I may say. I have the impression that I repeat myself, but I still feel positive vibes every time I come here, every time that the edition is over I come back with good memories in mind. It's always a pleasure to be back in a tournament which we like very much, with people we like very much. We play better. It's a new edition, a new tournament starting off.

I will prepare myself as I know how to do it. I hope that things will turn out well.

Q. You have good performance in doubles games, better than in singles. Are your ambitions higher in singles now or not?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: What is your question in terms of doubles? I haven't understood.

Q. What is your target performance? Do you expect more from doubles or singles?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: As I said, doubles is just the cherry on top of the cake. When things go well in Grand Slams, it would be stupid not to seize this opportunity, because it's prestigious. But my focus has always been singles, the singles tournament.

If I play in doubles, it's also because physically it's only in three sets and it's every two days. It's a different pace, so I have some time to do it. I can practice. I always like to do a doubles as a part of my practice session.

And I'll try to go as far as I can in the singles tournament, of course.

Q. Early on you said that when you are at your lowest that you can learn the most. What are the lessons that you have drawn during the difficult times of the tour of last year?
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: Well, look, we learn from our mistakes. Last year I learned that when the body doesn't follow, we're not machines. It's better to stop rather than pushing all the time.

But I went as far as I wanted, and I tried to reach my objective.

But we learn on ourselves. I learned on my personality, my strengths, and in terms of my game, of my pace, and more specifically, after every match, after every win, every loss, I think we really learn more from losses than wins, because when we win we focus on the next game. But when we lose, we focus more on the ins and outs of our loss. We try to understand.

My philosophy, there is nothing which is negative, anyway.

Q. As you said, there is nothing negative, but is it easy to say if I'm not going far I'm going to lose points and so on? I don't have a lot of points to defend, anyway.
KRISTINA MLADENOVIC: It's easy, actually, for me. It's different from last season. This is what tennis is all about. When you have that type of mindset every year, every month, you become crazy. That's the underlying principle of tennis. You actually try to see, to take a snapshot of the whole inventory at the end of the year, not in between. You never know when you're in better shape. We try to have the best performance every week.

But as far as I'm concerned, I'm in the French Open. I'll try to go as far as possible. Not to defend last year's points, but rather to try to have a nice, a good tournament. I have a lot of ambitions, and once that it's over, we'll see.

But when talking about points, I don't have a lot to defend, but that's not because of this that I will be relaxed, no. The mindset is the same. And today, as in one week or one month, we'll see everything. We'll try to think about it at the end of the year.

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