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U.S. OPEN

August 29, 2018

Alize Cornet

New York, NY, USA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. What are your thoughts on what happened yesterday and the USTA's apology today?
ALIZE CORNET: Well, I think it's very fair from them to apologize to me. I really appreciate it. I mean, I think that the proportion that it took is huge. When I woke up this morning, I didn't think that this code violation would become so famous in less than 24 hours, and I'm very surprised about it, actually, to be honest. Because on the court, it really seemed like a mistake from the umpire and nothing else. That's how I take it.

Q. With a chance to reflect, do you think there is anything more there than just a mistake by the umpire?
ALIZE CORNET: No, I think just the umpire was probably overwhelmed by the situation. You know, we were all very hot outside. Maybe it just didn't make the right decision. Of course, I was surprised when I just changed T-shirt really quick and he gave me the code violation, I didn't expect it, and I told him it was pretty weird.

But it just stayed on his position and I kept playing, I was trying to win my match. So I just got over it very fast. And now after thinking about it, yeah, I'm just convinced that the umpire was making a mistake.

But I don't involve the USTA in all this, and they apologized very quickly to me, so no problem.

Q. Have you done that before? I know there is no rule on the WTA.
ALIZE CORNET: No, usually when I put my clothes on, I put it the right way (smiling). So when I went out for the 10-minute break and I had to run back because I was late for the beginning of the third set, I just put my T-shirt super fast, and I didn't see that it was the wrong way.

So my boyfriend told me, Your T-shirt is reversed. I was, like, What?

For me, I couldn't play the whole third set like this. The T-shirt was here (up to chin, demonstrating) it didn't seem right to me at the moment, and there was, I mean, no thoughts or nothing.

No, I never did it before.

Q. Do you feel that the men are treated differently than the women?
ALIZE CORNET: Do I think what?

Q. That the men are treated differently than the women?
ALIZE CORNET: Yes, but not because of the situation from yesterday. I really put it in a different -- I mean, in a different, I mean, situation. But, yes, for sure the women are treated a little bit differently.

I think it gets much better, especially in the tennis. I think we are very lucky as WTA players because we have a lot of equity in this sport, and I really appreciate it.

Once more, yesterday was a mistake from one person, and it doesn't involve, like, WTA, the USTA, US Open, anything. I want to be clear about it, and I didn't take it that bad, you know. I was just maybe disturbed for 10 seconds, and that was it.

Q. When you say that you believe that women players are treated differently regarding wardrobe, are you referring to the French Tennis Federation's decision last week on wardrobe change at the next French Open and the president specifically mentioned Serena's cat suit?
ALIZE CORNET: Yeah, five days I believe a lot of things have happened. Doesn't have the equity in sport at the moment.

It's two different things. How can I say? I think that now, of course it can be better, inequity between men and women, but I think we are on the right path. I really believe it. Everybody is working in the same direction. I think we are doing all very good.

Then we still have some people, like, the president of my federation that lives in another, you know, time (smiling), and can still do these kind of comments. They are totally for me shocking, and, I mean, I'm just saying what I think.

What Bernard Giudicelli said about Serena's cat suit was 10,000 times worse than what happened to me on the court yesterday, because he's the president of French Federation and because he doesn't have to do that.

So, yeah, this kind of person doesn't have the work that we are all doing to make it more fair for women.

Q. Do you think what happened yesterday had an effect on your play today?
ALIZE CORNET: I played doubles, you know, but no. No, no, no, not at all. I got over it very fast. And even it didn't affect the way I played in the third set yesterday. It could have maybe in another situation, but I was too focused and, no, it didn't affect me. I would like to say that. I just lost on my own (smiling).

Q. Did you get a lot of reaction from fellow players about this thing yesterday? What kind of reactions did you get?
ALIZE CORNET: Yeah, that was pretty crazy, actually. When I came in this morning in the locker room, like, many players came to me. Even former players, like Tracy Austin, I was very honored to be actually approached by her like that.

And they were just giving me all their support. I mean, everybody was pretty scared that I could get a fine for it. I was also scared. I was, like, Oh, I had a code violation for unsportsmanlike conduct. So it seemed really strong to me. I was really scared to get a fine for it.

So all the players were supporting me for that, and were telling me that if I get fined, we would all be together and see the WTA, you know, and make a revolution and stuff. I was, like, Calm down. I'm going to get the information first and then we see if we make a revolution or not.

It was nice to have the girls' support or not. It feels like when something's happening, we're kind of a family, and everybody is regrouping. It feels nice.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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