US OPEN

September 4, 2004

Mary Pierce

THE MODERATOR: First question for Mary, please.

MARY PIERCE: Hi, Bud (laughter). No. I've just, you know, just been -- since I've been here at this tournament, just really taking everything day by day, match by match, like I always do really at every tournament.

MARY PIERCE: Uhm, yeah, it's just really nice. You know, it just feels really good. You know, after everything that I have been through, and the last few years have been really difficult, you know, I just -- those moments just are a lot sweeter and mean a lot more to me. You know, I just love what I do so much more now than I did before, and I just appreciate it so much more. You know, it's also nice because I believe in myself, and it's nice to have that confirmation actually happen in reality.

MARY PIERCE: Oh, my goodness. We don't have enough time for that. No, I'm just kidding. I had a shoulder injury in 2000 that kept me out for three months, and then I had a back injury in 2001 that kept me out for seven months, where I pretty much had to start over from zero physically-wise. My tennis was okay, my tennis was always there, it was just the physical side that really took a long time to get back whereas, you know, now this year, 2004, so it's two years, two and a half years that I am now starting to feel pretty much how I want to. You know, I'm not completely there yet, but I am feeling really good.

MARY PIERCE: No, I didn't. I took the time off. Tried to stay away from that.

MARY PIERCE: The low point (laughter)?

MARY PIERCE: What do you mean by "never happening"?

MARY PIERCE: Well, I never thought that, and I never felt that. I did have a moment during my back injury when I took the seven months off, and then I started coming back, and two weeks into my coming back of training, I had pain again in my back, and I had to stop again for a few weeks. And that moment was really - uhm - a trying time because I thought, "Well, okay, I felt okay, and now all of a sudden it hurts again, I have to stop." It was something my back would feel great one day, then terrible the next day, and there was really no reason why. So it didn't feel like there was anything I could do to prevent that. That was concerning me because I thought maybe I won't be able to ever play again. So that was a moment that was kind of, you know, I didn't know for sure if I was going to play again or not.

MARY PIERCE: Uhm, you know, I don't know. I try not to think too much about that kind of stuff. When you get out on the court, yeah, of course it does make a difference. You know, she's 17 and I'm 29, so there's 12 years of tennis on the tour that really means a lot. You know, I know when I was 17 how I felt. I know how I feel now. So, you know, I can feel the difference definitely now than I did when I was younger. So, I mean, I'm not Maria, I don't know how she thinks, I don't know how she feels. But I think definitely, you know, her young age, my older age and experience, you know, both things have good things, advantages and disadvantages.

MARY PIERCE: 17... I think I was a lot more emotional. I would get mad at myself a lot when I would miss a shot or a game. If I lost the first set, I thought I was going to lose the match. Yeah, I think I made a lot more mistakes than I do now. You know, now, just with the experience, I'm able to be calm and to look at things really objectively while I'm playing on the court and what I'm doing, what's working, what's not working, what I need to change, those kind of things.

MARY PIERCE: Well, I mean, I think so. Definitely, when you're younger, when you haven't yet, you know, established yourself on the tour, had success as far as ranking or tournament-wise, you know, all those things, I feel like I've accomplished those pretty much. And I haven't accomplished everything that I want to yet in my career, that's why I'm still playing. But I forgot what I was going to say now... Yeah, it's a difference.

MARY PIERCE: Yeah, it's just different. You know, it's different. I play because I just love it and I want to, and I still believe that I can play, you know, great tennis.

MARY PIERCE: I don't know. I just do know that I still have something left inside of me to accomplish, and I don't know exactly what that is. Hopefully I'll know one day soon.

MARY PIERCE: No. It's been like that really my whole career. When I play in France, when I play here, when I play in Canada, they all cheer for me every year. It's really nice. That's just who I am. I'm a little bit of everything.

MARY PIERCE: That's great. I love it when people say things like that. I heard someone saying this morning, "Does Mary still have the hunger or desire?" Something like that. I was like, "Hmm." But I understand people saying those kinds of things. I haven't done well the last couple years. But this year I feel great, I feel different. My game is starting to come together. Physically I'm fine. You know, I mean, the end of the match, I was okay. So, you know, I can keep playing.

MARY PIERCE: What's that?

MARY PIERCE: No, no. I mean, I have a strong faith. My relationship with God has been growing over the few years, I guess the last four years actually. You know, at the end of the match, I just walked over to the side of my chair, and just felt like doing that. So, yeah.

MARY PIERCE: The double-faults of who?

MARY PIERCE: Oh, I don't know.

MARY PIERCE: Double-faults, no. I don't think those are pleasant to see. I like to have a good ball to hit and hit a good shot on.

MARY PIERCE: I think it was the moment after Roland Garros. I kind of, yeah, found myself alone there, made some changes, started training in Paris at the Federation. And, you know, just when you feel really relaxed, really happy, I know for me that that's really important and makes a big difference in my play. I just started working differently physically-wise, and I know that that started making a difference. Yeah, winning that grass tournament was really a good feeling. I hadn't won a tournament in I think it was four years. Last time was Roland Garros. So that helped a little bit. Then being in Athens there, you know, just being with the Federation, Fed Cup and the whole team and everybody, it's just a great experience, great training, great atmosphere. Just started coming together there, you know, just the belief and confidence in my game. In the match against Venus, I felt things I hadn't felt in years when I was moving out on the court. It felt great. Nice to see it all starting to come together.

MARY PIERCE: Which is the real Maria or Mary?

MARY PIERCE: The real Mary?

MARY PIERCE: I'm confused (laughter).

MARY PIERCE: Paris.

MARY PIERCE: Correct.

MARY PIERCE: Yeah, no, my brother coached me actually in 2000. We started working together after Wimbledon. We started in San Diego this year again.

MARY PIERCE: Uh-huh.

MARY PIERCE: I can't say that (laughter).

MARY PIERCE: Give it away.

MARY PIERCE: Movement, just my movement on the court really, being able to hit the ball, having power out of the corners, being able to recover back, those kind of things. Not being sore the next day when I play.

MARY PIERCE: In 2000.

MARY PIERCE: You know, I mean, it would be nice definitely to win here. Why not? Just take it day by day.