WIMBLEDON

June 24, 2005

Justin Gimelstob

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I think that was my first let cord of '05. I really think that was the first let cord I've gotten all year. I mean, it was a nice one. I was having fun. I was trying to enjoy myself and also try and be competitive and put myself in a position to win. I mean, I told you guys that I've been through a lot to get back into that situation, so I was trying to enjoy myself but with every intention of trying to figure out how to win the match.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: That was not above the norm, I mean, on a -- for me. I probably hit less good ones out there than I usually do, I'd say. I mean, I hit a couple good ones, but, you know, I'd like to say that I am a very -- I am a very good diver, but I would -- to take the converse of that, a lot of it happens because probably my balance and my -- and my footwork at the net probably isn't as good as it could be. So I probably have relied a lot more on my wingspan and my diving. So I am a good diver, but I am not under no delusion of the fact that it compensates for other flaws.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I'm better, I think.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I mean, he's obviously a billion times better player, but I think -- I don't think he's any better of a diver at the net than I am.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I don't remember -- oh, no, that ball, there's no way I would have gotten it. It was kind of like a half-volley?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I was -- that was -- it was at 5-All or something, wasn't it?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I mean, I think that was actually a really good shot of mine to make him come up with a shot. There was no way I would have been able to hit a shot off that.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I don't think I would have been able to -- if I remember, I think maybe I had a good body serve. He got it early. I kind of like almost dove, half-volleyed it. That was my best chance to be able to put something on it. I just -- there's no way I would have been able to hit any more of a shot than that.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I mean, I don't want to make too much of this. I mean, he's a better player than I am, you know, and his career shows that. I think I would have had a little bit of a better chance to maybe make the situation a little bit more competitive because, you know, there are just certain shots that I just could not execute because of the fact that, you know, I -- and I haven't done the test yet, but I think I probably have a minor tear or strain of my, you know, pec or bicep tendon. And I just -- you know, he was serving a ton of balls to my forehand. I just couldn't stretch to my forehand or generate anything on the forehand. But, I don't -- like I said, he's, you know, a better player than me. He's accomplished a million times more than me anyway. But I just have a ton of respect for him. A lot of guys, you know -- a lot of people give him a lot of flack because of the way he competes or something. But he is, you know, just an incredible competitor, and I just have a ton of respect for the way he plays.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I mean, I think obviously Federer's the player to beat. But, you know, he's definitely in the top echelon of players, probably the second or third favorite. I think it probably goes Federer, then Hewitt and Roddick.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I knew -- it was hurting me before I went out there today. Then at one point I think maybe I hit -- in the beginning I hit maybe a ball that kind of -- like I kind of duffed a ball, I kind of got jammed a little bit. And then literally by the midway to end of the first set, I was, you know -- had tingles down my whole arm and I was -- I was -- it just shows, one of the few times I've actually considered stopping playing, but I just -- I could not get myself to do that. There were just too many possible memories out there to be had. Considering all of the dreck I've been through to get in that situation, to walk off that court, I mean... But, literally, any other place except maybe the US Open I would have stopped playing. But it's just I couldn't -- I owed it to myself to do it. I mean, unless it got really bad out there, which I was concerned with it doing, I wasn't gonna stop.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, doubles, I took care of that by losing yesterday. So that makes that an easy decision to not continue playing. And mixed doubles, I play later today. And I'll just -- I'll just talk to my partner. You know, the tough thing about doubles and mixed doubles is that you have -- you know, these are other people's careers that you're also affecting. And, you know, they -- you know, there's, you know, money at stake. So I usually leave it up to them and see what their standpoint is, unless it's literally I can't move out there.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I would say definitely it's a question mark, yeah.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: They actually have a really good machine here that actually detects muscle pulls and degrees of it. You got to wait 24 hours, so I'll get that checked tomorrow. But, I mean -- I mean, the amazing part is that I'm not even thinking about my back, which is probably the worst-off part long term of my body. And -- but I could just hope that my body lets me to do what I am capable of doing for as long as I want to do it.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Unfortunately, it's not that great of a "great hoorah." But it's, you know -- I'm doing the best I can. I hope to keep going as long as I can. I mean, I enjoy, you know -- at some point you have to step back. I'm not -- probably when I grew up, my thoughts and goals were higher. I mean, you don't necessarily -- you know, you always dream about winning Wimbledon; you don't dream about playing guys in the third round. But I look back and, you know, tennis has given me a lot and I've had a lot of great memories. I hope to try and get more. I mean, that's really what it is for me at this point, to try and get more great memories and try and, you know, get -- squeeze all the blood out of the stone there possibly is. But I'd like to just keep playing as long as my body lets me, but I don't really know how long that is.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: No, I've been fortunate enough to play on Centre Court many times.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I lost to Pete Sampras the last year he won it in the third round, and he was just -- he had just hurt himself against Kucera really badly. And it rained that one extra day, or I think he told me he would have defaulted. But I think he knew that he could beat me with one leg, because we used to practice all the time together. And, you know, he wasn't practicing. I was up 6-2, 4-3 and on Centre, right after the Champions Parade. And then he beat me and rewrote the history books beating Rafter in the final. So he -- and I've played a bunch of mixed doubles matches on Centre, and doubles actually last year.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: He didn't. My dad did not come. Yeah, no, my dad didn't come. He doesn't -- he's got a lot of work on his plate supporting a very extended family. So he was home working, but I'm sure he was watching or watching the computer. But, no, he wasn't here. I can guarantee you he'll be at the US Open.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: You know, had a potential there if I could have greased out that first set. It would have been a nice high to at least put him against the ropes a little bit. With him winning the first set and him knowing that I'm so -- I'm that bad off physically, it takes a lot of pressure off him knowing I still have to win three more sets. The highlights of my career are tough to say. I mean, all the times, you know, playing these matches on the big courts. I had a really good match with Agassi one year in the third round of the US Open when he won it. Playing Pete here in the third round, Centre Court, when he won it. I've played Davis Cup a couple times. I've cost a few Davis Cup captains their job (smiling). Bud, you were there in Milwaukee.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, and we introduced Roger Federer to the world in Basel, and... But even other things that you wouldn't -- that go against --

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, mixed doubles. Won a couple Grand Slams with Venus. Got an early lesson in the importance of a good female by your side early in my career. But a lot of things I'm proud of that probably don't -- are beneath the radar. Like this is going to be the third time I broke into the Top 100 after, you know, first time when I was a junior, then after having major back problems, and then having foot surgery. You know, that's -- like I said, it's not something you dream about when you grow up, but having been on the tour now for this is the start of my 10th year, it's something I'm proud of because I know how much work went into it.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I have a nice charity in New Jersey for kids with cancer and that's --

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: The Justin Gimelstob Children's Fund.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Coach K from Duke, no? He's never -- no. I have good support in other sporting arenas, but, no, he didn't check it out too much.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I just told him that I have -- you know, kind of what I touched on before. I just told him that I have a ton of respect for the way he competes. And a lot of people, you know, they see that, you know, he's gruff or even me today, you know, like he'll hit great shots and I'll say "nice shot," or I get a let cord and I say "sorry." He just does not acknowledge anything out there. But you look at it from a negative standpoint, but you also have to understand here's a guy who's undersized and undermanned playing against great athletes - not me being one of them - but the Roger Federers, Andy Roddicks, Pete Sampras type of players, and he just has to figure out a way to try and beat them with the skills that he has. You know, I just have tremendous respect for the fact that he goes out there and competes on the tennis court. I don't know him off the court, I mean. And people always kind of assume things by what they see from people that they see and, you know, in the spotlight, whether it's people commenting on Jennifer Aniston or Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie. Nobody really knows what's going on with those people. It's the same with Lleyton Hewitt. You could assume based on certain things. I mean, I know I've done things on the court or situations that I hope don't, you know, summarize or epitomize what I'm all about. But, you know, it's tough out there. It's a very competitive, you know, combative arena. I just told him that I have a lot of respect for the way he competes, and I wished him luck for the rest of the tournament. He said, "You had a good tournament," and, "keep on working hard."

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Me?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah. I'm fortunate in that area. That's not -- I spend a lot of money (smiling). So, yeah, but I make -- I make -- I model part-time, so that helps (smiling).

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: No, I'm teasing... Yeah, I mean, I'm basing most of my tennis career around the fact that I anticipate inheriting later in life (smiling), and so... But, yeah, I make a fine living. It's not a huge concern.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Maybe not at 8. Did you guys hear his question? When you were an 8-year-old kid at Patreef Park (ph), did you think you'd have a pro career. I actually started practicing at Patreef Park (ph) with Tim Gullikson, the late Tim Gullikson, when I was probably like 11. And, you know, you're just -- at that point I was pretty good. I was one of the best young players in the country, 12-year-olds in the country. You know, like I said, it's weird because you look at it like you dream of being the best. I grew up watching Bud on Sunday mornings. I remember staying at the Boca Raton Hotel, waking up Sunday morning and watching Becker-Edberg, ordering room service and watching the Wimbledon final. You know, you kind of always dream about that. Then you settle into the reality of just trying to make it and then trying to move up the rankings. I don't know if I ever truly believed I'd be one of the best players in the world, but I'd always hoped to be a professional tennis player and to be in some of the situations I'm in. I always was around great players and great athletes. Aaron Krickstein was always a family friend. We grew up with Tim Gullikson. Krickstein used to take the lessons before me and actually Corina Morariu used to take the lessons right after me, after my lessons. My family's involved in high-level sports for a long time. So I've always been around elite athletes.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I think so. Arms, legs and mouth (smiling). Yeah, I mean, arms, legs and mouth.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I think that for sports, I think probably legs is probably the most important. For the rest of my life, probably my mouth.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, I just -- you know, just, you know, it's like for a wedding invitation where there's the box for RSVP. Unfortunately, it's not gonna happen. I just -- if they felt how my body felt, they would understand. I mean, it's a nice tournament. It's a shame because it's one of the few -- it's so close to home and it's a great tournament; I won it last year. You know, it makes sense in the schedule. But, unfortunately, my -- you have to listen to your body at this point, and I just -- there's no chance I could do it.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: You know, "Sleep," you know, "Get treatment." I just -- I have to, you know, my back hurts. My hip hurts. My, you know -- I got to find out what's up with my pectorals, my muscle there. Just can't happen. Not gonna happen.