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ROLAND GARROS

May 27, 2019

Diane Parry

Paris, France

D. PARRY/V. Lapko

6-2, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.

Q. First reactions as to your victory in Grand Slam?
DIANE PARRY: I'm very happy. It was a good match. I'm very happy and delighted to have won this first round.

Q. You are at home. You practice not far away. You grew up not far away from here so you're at home?
DIANE PARRY: Yes. I actually grew up in Boulogne. I was going to school nearby, and now I practice at the National Center.

So I'm here all year long. It's just as if I were at home basically.

Q. I'm from Belgian. It is possible that you play against Elise Mertens. Do you know Elise? What can you say about her?
DIANE PARRY: I'm a rookie, you know, so I don't know a lot of players. I saw her play earlier on. I'll try to look her up on the Internet, but I don't know her match.

Q. She did the same as in Australia last year.
DIANE PARRY: Yeah, it's going to be tough, but I'll try to do my best and we'll see how it turns out.

Q. You have a one-handed backhand. Are you like AmÃ©lie Mauresmo?
DIANE PARRY: A bit of both. It's AmÃ©lie Mauresmo that taught me. I love it. I'm very happy to have a one-handed backhand. I'm one of the very few players to have one, so I stand out thanks to this.

Q. Towards the end of the match there were two points missing. You're 30-All and you remained poised, but at the same time we can see that you're doing everything to make sure that the balls are in the court. You seem to have been mentally very balanced every time.
DIANE PARRY: I know that I had to be focused and to stay focused even if I missed one ball. I had to give my utmost at the end.

At the beginning of the second set, I was a bit frustrated. I didn't have the feelings that I wanted to have. But I tried to remain as calm as possible because I knew that that was the attitude I needed to win.

Q. Your season highlight is the French Open. You have a bit of background but you are a rookie basically. So how can we approach such a main draw with you being so young?
DIANE PARRY: I didn't practice differently. I tried to approach this match as run-of-the-mill match so as not to have too much pressure on my shoulders. I tried to roll out my usual game. I tried to say to myself -- I tried not to think about the fact that it was a big match in the French Open. I tried to be as cool and relaxed as possible.

Q. When you're saying that you're playing at home, that the French Open is a bit like home, you have talked about AmÃ©lie Mauresmo. I talked about Nana. Are there highlights that were important for you?
DIANE PARRY: At the time I didn't watch tennis on TV, so I don't really have memories to tell. And she's not playing anymore, so I can't really answer that question.

Q. There's another player whose name is Selena Janicijevic. She's not known. She is a rookie as well. Do you know her? Have you played with her? And do you think that one needs to be -- to reach the right age or to have the right maturity to be playing in the Grand Slam? What is your opinion?
DIANE PARRY: Well, we grew up together. We did all the junior tournaments together in France and in Europe. We were often together. She was one of the best French players. I haven't seen her for quite some time now, so I don't know how she plays now.

But the federation will not give us a wild card if they do not think that we are fit for and ready for such a Grand Slam. It depends on our past results as well. Of course we do need maturity, and we need to have a game level that is adequate.

Q. Who are your idols?
DIANE PARRY: Roger Federer, to no one's surprise.

Q. And what about the female players?
DIANE PARRY: I don't really have idols, but I like Serena Williams and Osaka. I like her state of mind. I like the way she plays.

Q. You're the youngest French player to win a match in the French Open since Alize Cornet. How do you see your career going and what are your expectations and dreams?
DIANE PARRY: Well, I try to stay focused on each day and not to have long expectations.

I try not to think about the future. I try to improve myself on a daily basis. One day at a time and we will see how things turn out.

Q. You don't live far away from here. Is it true that you take a scooter to go to come here?
DIANE PARRY: Yes, it's true. I have an electric scooter. It's easier to move around. Today I took the car with my mother, but it's true that I take the scooter.

Q. What has been scheduled for after the French Open?
DIANE PARRY: After the French Open, I still play with juniors. So I will do the Wimbledon junior tournament. I will do some practice before the tournament. Then I go back to junior tournaments afterwards.

Q. There are not a lot of French players who come out who stand out like this. There seems to be a generation gap. There are very few of you. Are there expectations already on your shoulders? Because a lot of people talk about you right now. How does it feel to be on the media like this, the fact that you had a wild card? How do you live this? How do you approach this?
DIANE PARRY: It's true that there are expectations. We're French. We play at the French Open. There are expectations.

I'm trying not to think about this and to focus on my game and what I have to do. I try not to think about everything around me and what other people might think.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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