ROLAND GARROS

May 24, 2022

Alize Cornet

Press Conference

A. CORNET/M. Doi

6-2, 6-0

THE MODERATOR: In less than an hour on court you managed to win. It's actually a wonderful debut match. Isn't it wonderful to start like this?

ALIZE CORNET: Yes, it's always good to earn your debut win in this way, especially if you have the ambition to go further in the draw. I managed to win for my first match. I haven't played on the Philippe Chatrier court for some time now, and it's always difficult to play a lefty, as well.

But I actually managed to play well. I was very robust on my play from beginning to the end. I'm quite satisfied.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. You said that you haven't played that well on clay court for some time. How did you manage to prepare yourself ahead of the French Open? How did you manage to prepare yourself to have a good debut win?

ALIZE CORNET: After my defeat in Rome, I went to practice, and I actually practiced with Misaki and it was fun.

The only thing that I could control was to have two weeks of practice, hours and hours long of practice. I needed this to find my grooves, to gain in self-confidence again, not to be bitter about this loss.

So that's what I did. I just worked and worked. That's what I'm used to doing.

But then I really wanted to play matches, because after so much practice, I really needed to have match play. It was important mentally for the French Open.

Q. Do you have any memory of such a wonderful win as a first match in a tournament?

ALIZE CORNET: Well, I have gone to the French Open 10 times, you know. So it's difficult to remember.

But this time I was very consistent from beginning to the end. First round is never easy. Before I used to have early jitters. This time I managed to be the boss from beginning to the end, and it's agreeable to feel this, to feel that you're capable of getting the upper hand, especially after beginning of clay season that was quite hard.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. I wanted to ask you, Jo-Wilfried Tsonga is in action today. I just wanted to get your thoughts on his career, his retirement, and if, with him and Gilles Simon said he will be retiring at the end of the year, does it feel like a little bit of the end of an era?

ALIZE CORNET: Yeah, it's funny. That's the first thing I told my brother after I came out of the court. I met him, you know, at the entrance of the court. He was about to go on court. I was, like, Yeah, that might be the last time I see him on the tournament. Maybe it could be his last match.

And I felt a bit sad, because Jo is a really good guy. He's an amazing player. I mean, he has one of the most amazing careers in France, for sure.

I was always happy to meet him in tournaments. We always had a little chat.

I really hope he's going to win today. I don't know what's the score right now. I know it's a very tough opponent he's facing, but I really hope he can play some more matches and give us some emotion on the court, because he does it very well.

And about the end of this era, yeah, these guys are like over 35 now, they have been playing for a long, long time. They have families, and I guess it's just time to start the new chapter.

But definitely they are going to be missing in the French tennis. These guys were just, you know, the best generation so far.

But, you know, when you're sure it's time, it's time. I think they gave everything to tennis.

Q. A question kind of off the court. I'm sure you have seen all the talk about Wimbledon and the ranking points. I just wondered, yeah, what your reaction was to it, and are you planning on playing? Have you thought about whether that affects your decision to play or not?

ALIZE CORNET: Well, my reaction was both times I couldn't believe it. I first couldn't believe that Wimbledon would just ban the Russian and Belarusian players. It was just seemed like really crazy to me, so I really thought it was a rumor at the beginning, which was not.

So, like, Whoa, okay. That's extreme.

And then there was this decision of the WTA and the ATP which we were not asked about, and that was pretty brutal, too, to take off the points from Wimbledon.

This is not going to affect my decision of playing, because I'm running for a record here, you know, the consecutive Grand Slam record is in my hands, so I just cannot miss this Wimbledon.

But it's going to feel different, for sure. I mean, when you don't play for the points, it feels a bit like an exhibition. Of course it's good money. It's still Wimbledon. It's still an honor to play on these courts, but the whole situation is really weird, like overall.

I feel like the players were not really involved in these decisions. And, yeah, as I said before, to me it's a bit extreme, but we have to accept it, I guess.

Q. Just a follow-up...

ALIZE CORNET: I said everything.

THE MODERATOR: Back to questions in French.

Q. Maybe it will be your last Roland Garros or the penultimate Roland Garros. Do you actually approach it differently?

ALIZE CORNET: No, I don't think about this, really. I try to enjoy every match. I try to see the French Open as if I were a kid.

I was very pleased to play on the central court today. It was actually a kid's dream to be playing on the court. I try not to plan ahead.

I tried to perform well today, which this is what I did today. And again, I will be the one deciding whether to end my career or not. So I do not have any pressure on my shoulders. It would be maybe too much to have Tsonga and Gilles Simon and myself retiring at once.

Q. Jo is playing right now as we speak. Are you going to watch him as soon as this press conference is over?

ALIZE CORNET: Well, I have a few things to do, but obviously, depending on the score, would really like to be there and watch him. I hope that he will accomplish a feat. I have wonderful memories of him. We did actually the Cup together, and we got closer at the time. He was really a good journey buddy at the time. I really hope to be there for him.

Q. Next match will be again Jelena Ostapenko. We know she's capable of so much. She can be surprising. How do you approach this match? How will you prepare?

ALIZE CORNET: I will try to avoid making her play on her own, because this is what she does best. She tends to outsmart the opponent. She's a slugger. It depends also on which court we play. If the public supports me or not, maybe this can bother her, because, you know, she's always on the edge mentally.

So it's up to me to be as tough as possible and to be fierce and a real fighter.