TELECOM ITALIA MASTERS

May 3, 2004

Goran Ivanisevic

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, it's okay. He served good, so it's okay. Ace, no ace, it's never nice to lose. Doesn't matter if it's ace or no ace.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Shoulder felt okay, but I play very bad today, I don't know. Is not a problem that I play bad, everybody can play bad, but I don't feel good on the court. I felt little bit lost, like I never played tennis before. Because he didn't do anything. He served okay, but, otherwise, he just put one ball in the court and that was it, you know. He didn't have to do anything. So I just didn't feel very good. Happens.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I mean, I'm playing because I want to play Wimbledon and there is two choice - to stay home and practice for two months, which I don't want to, because I don't have fun to practice so much anymore. And, plus, you know, two months, again stop and then play... Or is just to be on the Tour and play. Because there are weeks I play okay. I didn't win, but that was okay. Today was not good. But for me is better to play, just to have match. Shoulder is better when I play, is like engine. When you stop, and then it needs time to go on again. So more I play, shoulder is better. And, hopefully, I survive little bit more before I come to rest.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Family is growing up.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I love them. I love everybody (smiling). No, yeah, I have always a lot of fans in Italy. I did well here. I played twice semis - three times maybe - one final, and I won Milan. I play always good in Italy, so it's just they still like me, and it's fun to come back again. Just today I feel sorry that I give such bad performance, you know. But they still supported me, you know, even I play so bad. They were still -- one guy said, "Doesn't matter," you know, "You're still good."

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I didn't break anything, you know (smiling).

GORAN IVANISEVIC: They are hoping. I didn't even have fun to break anything today. That's how I felt, you know. Today's such a day when, you know... Even if somebody told me, "Break," I wouldn't break. You just... But I don't know. With me, anything is possible. When I come on the court, you know, anything happens. So they always expect something, something is gonna happen. But today, nothing happen. Today was show but no actors in the show, you know. Disappointing.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Me, I can't do anything. But the situation is fine. Now was elections, the change of government. They're all the same, politicians. They're the same. They just talk, talk. They lie before elections, and you vote for them and they don't do anything. It's everywhere the same.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Now we are fighting to go to the European community, 2007. But I don't see the point, what is good to go to European community. Everything is more expensive, everybody has equal things. So I wish we don't go to the European community, but everybody wants to go, so... But we gonna have still time, maybe 2007, 2008. But situation is fine. Life is fine. People are unhappy. Summertime, we have beautiful coast, you know, very nice - sea, women, everything, food. Nice country to live. Similar to Italy, no - especially where I come from, Split, close to Ancona.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Well, I don't know why. That's government fault. We have to explore more our sea, our food, our something. But, you know, sports is easy. They know me, they know football players, we were third in the World Championship in '98. But I think, you know, we think we are beautiful country, but we think because we are beautiful, everybody's gonna come. That's not going like that, you know. You have to do something for people to come, you know. So I think they have to do more - more on TV, they have to travel more to talk about more about Croatia. Summertime comes, and they put the price, it's so expensive. They want to make money in two months. It's impossible like that. But, hopefully in the future, the future is gonna be better. I think -- I see 10, 15 years. Because it's not easy after the war, you know, it will be change of generation and a lot of things has to happen, you know. So I think we need another 10, 15 years to be perfect.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I said, yeah, yeah. But you cannot bargain with God, you know. You ask him one thing, he give me what I want. And I want more.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Because I won Wimbledon and then it's tough to stop, you know.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I know is a promise, but I say, "Okay..." I thought he's not going to -- he's gonna let me play. But since then, everything is going downhill.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: My shoulder is getting worse. Last year when I tried to come back, I step on the shell in Miami, two and a half months, I need to have operation. Like, you know, is doing something, you know. I get scare sometimes, you know, "Sorry," (looking up) but... I am going through the wall, you know. I want to come to Wimbledon. I think I deserve that; maybe I don't, but I think I do.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I am.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, but, no... A lot of Catholic people, they promise and then they -- but it's different kind of promise.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah. But you see what happening. You know, I have pain. This is not getting better, depends of the day. Today was okay, and tomorrow maybe I can't serve. Like in Miami, one day was good, the other day I have to stop the match. So it's up and down, you know. Every time when I wake up, I don't know if I can serve or not. So he heard me and now he's...

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah, I made promise to the wrong man, you know (laughter). Now I am in trouble. I have to go to Pope, you know, I tell him, "Listen... Talk to him. Tell him two more months." Two more months is not too much time, you know. Is not. But we'll see. But there is something there. It's scary, but it is. You know, I won Wimbledon; I don't know why. I didn't play good. I lost in Queen's, I play very bad. Everything was bad. After one week, I start to play best tennis of my life. Why? I don't know.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It has to be. I come, suddenly start to play, after one and half years, best tennis of my life.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: And plus with my bad shoulder. Something was written there, that it has to be. And then why? And that rain against Henman also came in the right time. Why? He knows why (pointing up). But he also knows why now I have pain, you know, and why everything, you know -- other things are happen, you know, to me, this problems, that problems. I am every week injured. Okay, I am older, but back, shoulder, this, foot. But still I gonna keep playing. Maybe he's gonna struck me with the lightning, lightning (smiling).

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know. I don't know. I have to play Wimbledon, that's for sure. And after Wimbledon, I don't know. Every time, I say I have to play. Last year I didn't play. The year before I didn't play. So we'll see. We'll take day by day, you know. Who knows what comes tomorrow?

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Think I can make some money today? $6,000. Is not going to help my financial problems. Every week I lose first round. No contract. So I don't think financial... No, no, no, is not true. Even if I would have financial problems, is not a question I play tennis. I mean, I play tennis because I went for surgery, I lost two years for nothing, and I think I deserve - in my opinion - just another run. How long, I don't know. We'll see. What happens, happens. Every day is a new day. Enjoy it. I have a different life now. I have a daughter, and she is the number one priority in my life. And it's fun.