CHASE CHAMPIONSHIPS OF SANEX WTA TOUR

November 18, 2000

Monica Seles

Q. I wonder if you'll talk a little bit about your relationship with the crowds in New York in general and with the crowd here at The Garden?

MONICA SELES: I always had an amazing relationship here, I think even early in my career when a lot of other places really were not so supportive of me. And obviously, the last couple of years that I played here has been unbelievable, and this week has -- unbelievable, amazing would be the only words I could describe.

MONICA SELES: Definitely. I think probably the fans are sad that it is going. I mean, I'm sure -- a couple of them came up to me and said, "I've been coming for the past 20 or so years," and they are sad to see, the same way that I am. So, you know.

MONICA SELES: Really, not right now. I have no pain at all.

MONICA SELES: I don't know. I really don't know. I don't know. I don't know.

MONICA SELES: Yes. Yeah. I mean, the only time was when I played Chris Everett in her final year in the US Open, 1989, and I played Martina in that last match that she was maybe retiring, but she played another two great years. And Jennifer, yes. I'm sorry, yes. Thank you.

MONICA SELES: Not as consistently as I've done, really the last three matches. I've really been serving well and it has pulled me out of a couple tough situations. But maybe subconsciously I know I have to, because before I knew I could much more on my groundstrokes and I haven't been able to rely on them as well now. So I'm going more for my serve. Maybe that's a good thing.

MONICA SELES: There was a time this year where I tried really hard to work on it, and really, I think it confused me a bit, and then my coach and I just decided, just, you know, serve what feels natural to me, and I think maybe that has helped. But even still this year at the Open I think my serve was the one that let me down.

MONICA SELES: It's fantastic and I'm playing the No. 1 player in the world, so, it really couldn't be a better stage to play. Just hopefully tomorrow when I wake up, I feel really good, no pain or aches, and just look forward to playing. I mean, it's a fantastic chance. What more could you ask for as a tennis player.

MONICA SELES: Well, I knew Elena, I watched her actually two times against Venus both. So I knew she was a huge fighter and she comes out fast. I tried to just really not worry about what she will do and just focus on my side and just play every point as competitively as I could, and I really didn't put any emphasis on coming out strong or not. Just really try to be very competitive, as I said, on every single ball.

MONICA SELES: As always Martina is very consistent. She doesn't make any unforced errors. Her game has probably not suited my game the best. I think -- well, we did play on this surface. She has beaten me quite easily. So, I'm just going to have to go out there and play the best tennis that I can.

MONICA SELES: Unfortunately, we're not playing five sets. I had the same question, too. I really wish we were, though.

MONICA SELES: The only thing I have to say is she moves as well as Steffi. Really, her movement is one of her great attributes. Obviously Steffi had a very unique forehand and slice. But I think she is very strong mentally, she seems very focused, very one-set minded like Steffi was. So that's a fantastic attribute and she really wants to be the best player out there.

MONICA SELES: No. I mean, it's not in my nature, really. I'm just going to go out there and play it as another match that I really want to win, because it's the CHAMPIONSHIPS. It's, your last, kind of tournament of the season and it has been a great week up to now, and I really would like to end on a high note.

MONICA SELES: When I step on the court, I really don't worry what age they are or, you know, how they look or what shot they hit. I just worry about what the ball comes at me and really, that's all I ever care about.

MONICA SELES: I definitely had that until 1993. And obviously, 1993 not playing for two and a half years, I lost some of it. And then I had bits and pieces when it has come back. And then I had a couple of difficult two and a half years there. So I think first time since 1993, this year, that I really didn't have any very serious distractions in my life, and it has been really nice to just concentrate on tennis and enjoy the game once more, like I did in the early 90s.

MONICA SELES: Definitely. I still had a few lapses against a few players that I wish I didn't. As I perfectionist, you always try to improve, but I don't want to be so strict on myself. But, for sure. Definitely. I mean, my mind has stayed on the court a lot longer than before, when I was real not sure if I wanted to be on the court or be somewhere else.

MONICA SELES: Well, definitely, but you also -- you can't underestimate the players who are below you, because they keep betting better. Like Elena, two years ago, we never heard of Elena, and you look at her now she is a Top-5 contender. And you see Anna improving tremendously over the last couple of months. And I could name like four or five other girls. Definitely, for sure, for me, I have to play a lot better against the top three, four girls. And I had some tough three-set loses against them, and some of them have been physical, some mental and some probably a combination of both.

MONICA SELES: Not really. The only thing, maybe I thought why in my career, why I had to play tennis, so many things happen while for other athletes, they can just focus on tennis and be single-minded. And maybe why it happened to me so young because; it definitely took a part of my innocence away. But I think everything happens for a reason, the good and the bad, and you just move on from it.

MONICA SELES: I mean, you definitely have to favor Martina. Obviously, she is the No. 1 player. She has beaten me in the past, but every match is different. I don't try to think about the past or the future, just really stay in the present, and that's all that I can ask of myself.

MONICA SELES: No, not really. No. Really, I knew I had a tough match against Sandrine and that was really a surprise win. But also, I was lucky that she had not played in a while. Both of us were kind of rusty; so it has been a very nice surprise. I don't plan to do this more often, to kind of get too confident that even with this little practice that you can play well. So, I want to go back to my usual ways and just hope my body is going to hold up for, you know, the starting, from January on.

MONICA SELES: I started practicing, I think, last Thursday or Friday.

MONICA SELES: Not really.

MONICA SELES: Since at the default in Tokyo, which I think was last week of September or first week of October, I'm not sure.

MONICA SELES: Really, from the first time I came on the Tour, we were playing, I think the 13, 14 tournaments, and we thought it was way too much. And if you look back at like Steffi's and my schedule, we only played 10, 11. And then the last four or five years, we've been playing 18, and most girls are playing 25 tournaments. I hope, just for the longevity of the girls and the Tour, that it's going to be taken down already. They have made steps next year it is the best of 17. So I think they are going in a good direction. But it's very difficult because women's tennis is so popular now and tournaments all want us to play everywhere, and it is difficult just to say no. And I think the Tour is struggling with that, but I do think the Tour is going in the right direction.

MONICA SELES: Well, it definitely helps a lot, especially when the match gets close like today when it can go either way and my concentration disappears for one or two games and Elena is back in the match. And then a couple people yell out certain things, and that really helps me refocus, because I'm a player that has to stay focused out there to play really good tennis. Thank you.