ROLAND GARROS

May 23, 2022

Leolia Jeanjean

Press Conference

L. JEANJEAN/N. Parrizas Diaz

6-4, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: First victory in a Grand Slam in this great tournament of Roland Garros. So relief, smile, joy, and a bit of concentration. Because it's not over.

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: A lot of happiness. Of course great joy to win my first match in my first Grand Slam. It's something I wouldn't have believed in one year ago. I wouldn't have imagined it. So I think I still have difficulty in realizing I have won the first round, but I'm very happy indeed.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. In your journey, did you say, Okay, I do something else than tennis, or did you always stick to this dream?

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: I have always been connected to this dream. I took a different pathway. When I was 18 I started studying but I always wanted to play so that's why I came back after my studies.

Q. Without congratulating you too much, we didn't have the impression that the 45 was on the one side and the 227 was on the other side. You had more weapons, more variety in your game. Did it confirm that these types of players were within your reach?

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: Yes, I didn't feel such a great difference in terms of quality of strokes. I'd say, Oh, it's not going to be playable and I will lose 2 and 2.

So this was a relief. This was a great way of putting my game into place, and it was a game that was not appreciated by opponent, but I played as I play usually and I was successful, so that's great.

Q. Do you have the impression that you have looped the loop today? When you say I went to study and I was sure to come back, were you really sure to come back?

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: I wasn't sure to come back at that level, but I still wanted to play tennis on the tour after my studies. As I always said, it's something I have loved forever, and I didn't want to have regrets after my choices.

So when I finished my studies, I said, Okay, go back on the tour. If it's successful, great news. If it's not, well, at least I will have tried as I wanted to.

So the loop is not looped yet, because the loop will be looped when I will have played the four Grand Slams and when I will have reached the objectives I have had ever since I was young.

But it's a great joy, to be honest. I don't really realize yet what is happening, because it's so incredible. So I'm really, really happy.

Q. Since the draw on Thursday, last night, today, were you afraid what I'm doing here and I'm going to lose? Last question, you broke your strings on the match point.

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: Yes, that's quite incredible. The strings broke on the match point. If I had lost the point, it would have been a big pain for me, so maybe have to learn from my mistakes and change racquet before.

Can you repeat the first part of your question, please?

Q. Since the draw on Thursday, were you afraid?

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: When the draw was made, I was quite happy, actually. I said I have a lot of luck with respect to other French players.

Yesterday I slept well. This morning I was a bit tense. I woke up, I had a stomachache, and I said to myself, Well, it's D-Day, let's see how it's going to happen. The day was very long with the rain and a long match on the court before us, but I was able to manage everything well.

Q. We have the impression that you are taking this as something very normal. You were 1002 18 months ago. Is there something happening in terms of emotions? Are you keeping everything under control? We have the impression you don't realize.

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: Well, I don't know. I'm someone who doesn't get too fired up in life, so I just try to enjoy the moment. Although you don't see it, I'm very, very happy about what is happening. When I will be with my team at the hotel, I think emotions will bubble up. So right now I'm a newbie in terms of interviews. I'm stressed about the interviews, that's why I remain focused. But I'm very, very happy.

Q. Can you clarify with your team you're working at the Plaisir or training at Plaisir, and with the stadium, is it happening with Kevin?

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: I still live in Toulouse, so the club in Plaisir is more a follow-up during the tournaments. Thomas is following me during the tournaments. I still train with Kevin at the Ligue of Occitanie in Toulouse.

So it's just the tournament follow-up that changes.

Q. Let's come back in time. Talking about the studies chapter. Can you elaborate why you decided to study and what type of studies you did? Did you still play tennis during your studies?

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: Why? Because I was injured when I was young, when I resumed playing it was quite complicated so my parents told me it was better to study because you never know what can happen.

In terms of studies, I did a lot of things; Bachelor in sociology, Bachelor in criminal justice, and a Master's in finance and investment. So it's like my life. It goes in different directions.

Yes, I kept playing tennis. I was playing the university tournaments. But it was not the tour. I won the two conferences, the Big 12 with Baylor, and the Sunshine State with my latest school.

Q. People who know you well say that overall you have such a talent and a quality of strokes that when you played at 300, 400, 500, you could play walking and you would win. And now you have reached 200 and you showed you can go much higher. But to climb, you have to work, work, work. What is your state of mind? I imagine the pathway up to today has not been simple physically. What has been the hardest part for you? Must you do a lot of efforts to reach top 50 or top 20?

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: The hardest part was to resume the physical part because I had gained a lot of weight in the U.S. and I was not training so much. So when I resumed playing, it was difficult to play one match after the other.

And do I see myself playing for many years? Yes, because it's only my second year on the tour. Although I'm 26 years old, I want to say that mentally it's like being 19. I have less experience than Jacquemot who has played three Roland Garros.

For me, I'm a totally newbie. I see myself playing many years.

Q. I wanted to know what has impressed you the most? Is it now or on the court or the audience?

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: The crowd, because I'm not used to playing on courts with a lot of crowd where people shout your name, et cetera. So that's something which gives a lot of pleasure, but it's also quite stressful.

The interview is the most stressful part, without any doubt.

Q. In the second set you could have lost. You were leading 15-30 and dropshot, counter dropshot, and she won the point. Instead of having two balls at 5-2 she came back to 4-3, and then the rain started. Did you have the fear that the match would be stopped and that your momentum would be broken?

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: I didn't fear that the game would stop, but the big stress at the 4-3 and the first match point, my left arm was blocked because the ball I played was not beautiful.

But I was able to manage the match very well from the beginning until 5-3. People who watched the match could see that I was playing very short. Balls were exiting the racquet not so well.

So the emotions, I'm not used to these. So I didn't know how to manage that. But I'm very happy to have succeeded at 5-3.

Q. Had you been able to play with players at that level? Also, side change you were laughing like mad during a side change.

LEOLIA JEANJEAN: Yes, I almost choked. I was drinking, and I swallowed water in my lungs, so I spit on myself. That's why I started laughing.

Regarding the opponents at that level, I haven't played against so many opponents of that level. I played a lot with Elsa, we play quite often together, and I played with her opponent yesterday, and then also with Kovinic, the Montenegro girl.