US OPEN

August 29, 2001

Goran Ivanisevic

MODERATOR: Questions for Goran, please.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: To have some fun. I was too stiff in the beginning. I came into that court, I never saw so many people watching me first round. I said, "What's going on here?" I was like, "Wow." Then I was very nervous. After, you know, when I pause, I was just getting to like to be there, you know, I mean, having fun. I was starting to have fun. But in the beginning I was very, very tight, you know.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: The crowd was great. The New York crowd, if they like you, you really in good shape. If they don't like you, then you in big trouble. But they seem to like me. It's really great. But just was bad luck, I couldn't loosen up earlier. I was just too tight. But then after, at the match point, I say, "Thanks God." Ace, was a let, but then I won. I was just hoping not to make something stupid. Usually when you get too relaxed, you maybe make one double-fault, lose the game, be trouble again. But everything went okay.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: He's here. He's here. He always has to be here. He was enjoying today with the New York crowd up there. He didn't have to come down because they both were very nervous, good one and bad one, but things were under control.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: For sure. When you lose your mind, has to show up. It's always like first round when you're nervous. But he's still there. We keep him for the more important matches.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know actually.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Yeah. They are in Astoria. That's the Croatian part of the city. Lots of them. I can't tell you the exact number.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Actually, I didn't see so many Croatians where I stay. But it's fun anyway to go on the streets, see so many strange people in this city. You just walk and enjoy.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't care, long or not long. I just came here to have fun. I play good after Wimbledon on hard court in Indianapolis, Cincinnati, so I prove my game is on the top. I came here expecting -- I mean, if I pass the first week, is going to be again very, very open, I going to be very dangerous. Two more rounds that I have to win. I going to play better and better each match, and we see. Doesn't matter what the people are talking. Just have to concentrate about my game, how I feel on the court. I feel happy, it's fun to play tennis again, is great to be here.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Not really because last year was disaster. I came here, sit on this chair, I remember that, talking pretty sad things. But now is different. You can't go back. Today was too nice day to go back and spoil everything. Everything was nice, a lot of people supporting me, I'm playing good tennis. I don't want to go back.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I think it's better. I think is more fair for everybody. You have more interesting matches, you know. You don't have like later. 16 seed can play against 17 player in the world. Is not easy. Like this gives you more chance maybe to have easier first round. But here is nothing easy.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: When you play good, doesn't mean anything. But sometimes you can play good and then play against top seed, then you can't show that. Sometimes is easier to be seeded and then maybe on the Grand Slam you're more nervous first two rounds. Even when you play bad, you can sneak in. After, you get your game going. I think is good what they did with 32 seeds.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It was great. I came home. Good striptease in front of 150,000 people. I took some holidays, came here to the States, had fun. I played good tennis. I went to the Letterman show. Everything is becoming famous, slowly.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Not really. I think that was a great scenario. If I win Wimbledon before, it wouldn't be like this, you know. This is like better. I think was worth it to wait and suffer three finals. To win in this kind of way, it was great.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Actually, I didn't sleep for four days. I was very tired after third day. When you don't sleep, my eyes were like every two seconds going. But I was hanging there. Then I took like ten days off, was sleeping a lot.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It was great. I was so nervous.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I never met him. Just came to studio, had interview. I didn't see him before. I was like waiting in this locker room to call me. I was like walking around. But as soon as I sat on that chair, was fun. He's cool guy. He makes you relax. Everything was perfect.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It didn't change. We always going to be good friend. He's a great guy, great tennis player. We didn't talk about final. I can talk, but I don't think he wants to talk.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I signed the contract, so I am on the team. My dream was to have five minutes in one game. They not doing great at the moment, but I going to get my chance I think.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know. I mean, I'm going to be even more nervous because is not my sport. When they going to give me the ball, I going to get rid of the ball straightaway, just give it to the closest guy next to me - even if he's from the other team.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I can play. I can move around. I don't know how good, but it's okay.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Attack. If you do something bad in defense, then you get a goal. Is not good. In attack, you can't do something too bad. You can miss the goal. But I rather be up there.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Haduk Split.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I had that problem. They told me sometimes when I go in the preference, I say, "I play like a faggot." They told me not to say any more. They call. I don't want to offend anybody with that. I don't have anything against homosexual or anybody. Just that's my expression, how I say. I didn't mean anything bad when I said to him that he's like faggot. I can apologize to him, whatever, but I didn't mean anything bad with that. If somebody has something against, it's not my problem. I have nothing against anybody. I never going to say that. I can say I play like a woman.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It's even worse (laughter). I have to find a word. I have to find. You know, in English, it's tougher. I going to have to find the word and then I have to start saying that word, how I play, like something. We say "like something" at the moment till I find the exact nice word that doesn't offend anybody, you know, any groups. I swear on the court in Indianapolis, some religious group, they call. Everything what I say, everybody complaining, this group, that group. I can't please anybody. There's the problem. I have nothing against those people. Just that's the thing I say. I not going to say any more.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: He's enough of tennis for him, you know. His heart is good, so let's keep it that way.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Actually, I didn't even think till this morning when I read in the newspaper that I lost four time in the first round. I lost when I was second seed here, I lost first round. That's in your mind a little bit. Plus when you coming from the Grand Slam victory, play unknown guy, never saw this guy before, wildcard, up-coming, good player, it's not easy. He has nothing to lose, so was not easy. That's why I was a little nervous. It's good that I won in three sets. I can move forward.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: No, no, my rhythm was not there. A lot of double-fault, a lot of mistake with the first serves. Three or four foot faults. That shows as soon as I start to force my serve, I throw the ball everywhere, then I do foot faults. Usually they call me one foot fault all tournament. Today I got three times, four times. That show that I was not in the best rhythm. I was surprised when I saw statistic that I serve 25 aces. This is pretty fast court. I think I can do a lot of damage with my serve, which I didn't do today.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: My shoulder, I have a lot of aces, but a lot of pain killers also. Each ace, one pain killer. As soon as I step on the court, I don't want to think about my shoulder because if I lose the match, it's not because of my shoulder. I lost because I lost. I win because I win. I going to have surgery, like I say. Is bothering me. I can't say it's not bothering me. It hurts. I came here try not to think about my shoulder, try to concentrate about win. As soon as I step on the court, I try to put that out of my mind, my shoulder, just play.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Before, you know. Doesn't help me after. I need before. Not hurt so much during.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know. They're stretching there a lot. Is not my style, you know. I don't see myself doing sitting there like this (showing Yoga position). Maybe in ten years, but at the moment, I don't think.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I admire a lot of players. Boban from Croatia, Figo, Zidane, a lot of great players in the world. I like to watch football, soccer, great sport. No. 1 sport in Europe.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know. Just whatever. Just try to be happy, do best I can the rest of year. Come next year on that Monday, 2:00, try to defend my title, just have fun. I accomplish my goal, but is not over. I said I don't care anymore. Today I realize that is not true. As soon as you get tight on the court means you care. If you don't care, you don't get tight. I care and I want to still do good. Every time I step on the court, I want to win. Doesn't matter I won Wimbledon or not. I still hungry for every victory.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: I don't know. Especially after those match points, I don't know really. I don't even want to think about it.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: Like I said, they asked me what change this Wimbledon, what did change around me. A lot of things change around me, but inside me I going to be the same one, same Goran. I broke two racquets last week in Indianapolis. Actually, so stupid, I was 2-Love down against Guga. I had the warning. I missed an easy forehand and deuce. I broke the racquet. Penalty point, so break. Still I don't think sometimes. I just break a racquet. Still going to do things what I like to do on the court. Doesn't matter I won Wimbledon.

GORAN IVANISEVIC: It's pressure, you know. It's great. When you come on the court today, you see full house there, is great. It really makes -- it's great honor that I achieve that and people respect me. Maybe it's more pressure. Sometimes is more, sometimes is less. But is great feeling, just great feeling. Is a great tournament to play. I hope I can prove that I can do better than '96. '96 I lost in the semis, which I thought I can win that year. Now I playing the better tennis, more mature, more happy, more confidence. You never know. If I pass the first week, which is always goal for me here, which I didn't do so many times, then everything is open.