OLYMPIC TENNIS TOURNAMENT

August 19, 2004

Mary Pierce

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

MARY PIERCE: That's a good question. I haven't been asked that one in a while (smiling). How did that change my life? Well, a lot of different ways. Gosh, where do you start with that one? You just are recognized a lot more everywhere you go. You feel like you don't have a lot of privacy, going out in public. It changes your life in a way financially as well. I was able to buy a house after that, which I really was not able to do before. You have a lot more demands on your time, so you have a lot less free time for yourself personally. Expectations, pressure, sometimes that can come along with it from exterior, media, fans.

MARY PIERCE: I didn't like people looking at me all the time, walking by and saying my name as if I was deaf and couldn't hear them, you know. I was like, "I can hear what they're saying. Why would they do that?" I was really young. I was 20 years old, so there was a lot of things were difficult for me. The only good thing about it was that I actually won the tournament, which was one of my goals, one of my dreams, to win a Grand Slam tournament. I love playing in Australia. You know, that was the only thing.

MARY PIERCE: Gosh, I mean, 17 is really young. 17, 20, what's the difference? You know, I have no idea. I mean, I have no idea because we're two totally different people. And how she does things and handles things and reacts to things is different than I do. So I don't know.

MARY PIERCE: At a young age, it can make you very conscious about yourself. You know, 'cause everybody's looking at everything, you know, what you say, what you wear, what you eat, you know, and all that kind of stuff.

MARY PIERCE: Self-conscious I don't think is good. Yeah, in general, but, yeah, I just -- yeah, it can be very funny. It's very important, the people you have around you, have a good environment, people that you trust. That's very important.

MARY PIERCE: No (laughing). I think she's doing great. I mean, if she needs advice, I'm sure she has people that are there to advise her. If she wants advice from me, I'm sure she can ask me herself. I think the most important thing is to continue to enjoy it and don't take it too seriously. I mean, sometimes I started taking it too serious and made it more of a job and work instead of why I was really doing it, just for the pleasure and enjoyment of it. Just remember that part.

MARY PIERCE: Oh, well, the Olympics is, you know, very special. It's only every four years. It's an honor to be here amongst, you know, all the other great athletes of the world, of their country, of their sport. It's amazing. It's completely different than a tournament for me. It means a lot more in a different way. It's just very special.

MARY PIERCE: If I had won this, would it matter, you mean? I don't understand.

MARY PIERCE: Uh-hmm.

MARY PIERCE: Oh, this totally does matter. I don't look at this as a tournament. I look at it as a sport event where, you know, before we weren't playing for points, now we do. There's no money. It's really just a medal, and that's really what the Olympics is about - sports and the Olympics. So, I mean, yeah, it's completely different.

MARY PIERCE: Doubles, you mean?

MARY PIERCE: No, definitely not. I mean, doesn't make a difference if it's Grand Slam tournament, the Olympics or whatever. I mean, health is number one before anything in life. Amelie wasn't doing so well. The most important thing was for her to feel better and be healthy.