WIMBLEDON

June 22, 2005

Justin Gimelstob

THE MODERATOR: First question for Justin, please.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: That's not -- yeah, that's as mild of an argument as you're going to get for me. Difference between hoping -- I mean, it was close. You're just hoping that you hear something, you don't hear anything, you know, you're bumming. But, you know, I think I did a good job of just, just trying to get ready to play that next point because, you know, at that point, you know, there's no past, there's no future. Doesn't matter. It's 6-5, regardless.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, I set the bar low. Benefitting from low expectations. But, you know, it's not -- that's -- that's a tough process for me. It's, you know, I'm -- I've done it the wrong way a lot of times, and I'm sure I'll do it the wrong way in the future. It's just something I struggle with and it's something that I'm trying to work on.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Uh-hmm.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah. It's, you know -- it's a struggle. I mean, I think at that point -- you know, I think now, hopefully with this, maybe I'll get back in the Top 100. It will probably be my third time of coming back from oblivion to back in the Top 100. You know, it's tough. I've been not to -- not like I'm a martyr, I have it so bad, but just from my -- I only have to look to my left to my good friend Corina Morariu to see how much -- what real comeback is like. But for me, I broke my foot. You know, after -- at the end of the year that, San Jose, I had foot surgery. I was out seven months. You start from scratch. It's not like the NBA or Major League Baseball where they hold your spot, you get back in there. You start -- literally I started exactly a year ago, a week before Wimbledon last year. I start from 250 and you fight your way all the way back. It's just you really find out how much you want it. And I do really enjoy playing still, but I'm not gonna lie to you, it is tough. I've had really bad problems with my back. I mean, even this year I've missed probably six weeks of tournaments with my back. I had my, you know, 13th or 14th cortisone injection Wednesday. My back went out on me second round quallies. I literally thought my tournament was over second round quallies. You know -- it's, you know, my third cortisone injection in my back of the year. My back went out. I know exactly how it feels. I literally felt like -- I'm actually sitting there, I fought so hard to get back to Wimbledon. You know, I remember being on the court. I was playing Voltchkov, which is a brutal draw. I mean, the guy got to the semifinals of Wimbledon, we're out playing in Roehampton in like this prairie field, both fighting to get into Wimbledon. I won the first set, down 2-0 in the second. My back goes out. I literally thought, "My tournament's over." I somehow found a way to win that match. Luckily my physical therapist is here with me. He's traveling a bunch and he deserves a ton of credit, Gary Kitchell. Literally I had the day off Wednesday. We drove all over London trying to get a cortisone shot in my back. Luckily my doctor in New Jersey has a colleague in London, and they did the same procedure they've done, which obviously it's worked so well, since it's lucky No. 13 on it. I defaulted last round quallies after a game, hoping maybe I'd get in lucky looser, and I did. I'm here. It's kind of a roundabout answer but basically it's symbolic of the whole process. You saw it a few years ago with Vince Spadea. I mean, he was -- that famous quote, he was ready to go work at McDonald's or Burger King. I don't think I would need to go to that extent, but you wouldn't believe the places I've been to try to get my ranking back. Even in the last four weeks I was in -- playing a challenge in Pusan, Korea, then I flew to Sacramento to play a challenger. This is my third continent in four weeks. And, you know, it's just -- it's a struggle. But you actually -- being out there and playing and actually, you know, try to enjoy the moment a little bit. Obviously tension gets the best of you, you want to win. But, you know, you don't -- that's what you're fighting for, is that feeling out there, competing against a great player like that. And actually, you know, to come through is just the icing on the cake.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: You'd be surprised. It doesn't really vary that much. I mean, the feelings are pretty comparable. It's just, you know, you just -- it's the same type of thing: you just try and get in the zone and try and be focused on the -- to execute the style of play that you're trying to play. But, you know, it's -- for me, it hasn't really -- the pressure hasn't really varied. I've put so much pressure on myself to try and get kind of regain my career that, you know, it hasn't been that -- that enjoyable, just because I've been so -- put so much pressure on myself, especially as I've kind of creeped into getting closer to the Top 100. For me, that's kind of like the barometer of actually, you know, playing on the main tour or, you know, or playing in, you know, Timbuktu week after week.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: It's dangerous. It's -- you know -- this is -- I actually called my dad before, you know -- when I -- you know, when we were trying to figure it out. I said -- you know, it was Father's Day coming up. We had a conversation a long time ago. I said, you know, "If I ever get back to the main draw Wimbledon, he -- you're welcome to come. You know, there's an open invitation." I don't know if any of you guys know my dad, but that's not something I would generally throw out there that easily. He's incredibly supportive and I wouldn't have been able to get back to where I am if it wasn't for him. Sometimes, with the tennis, the distance is sometimes a little bit better. So I had a standing invitation that if I ever got back, he was more than welcome. I literally thought that this might be my last opportunity because the back is just getting -- you know, it's getting a little bit ridiculous. You're not really supposed to go, you know -- I think it's, you know, three a year, maybe, for three years. This is -- I'm well past that. This is -- we're kind of going into unchartered territory.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: No, I actually was in the operating room and they would not do the procedure until I got it all okayed by the drug association. So we literally -- we're waiting for -- I was in my whatever, the, you know, the dress that where, you know, you can see your butt in the back. I was not -- nothing started until actually the fax came right through. They came in and said, "The fax is through and we're in." Yeah, this is strictly just -- yeah, this is definitely not -- I don't know if you guys have seen my body, there's no anabolicness speed there. This is as natural as it gets. You know, this is -- you know -- this is part Jewish, part Christian, part upper-class upbringing working as hard as you can genetics. There's no anabolicness going on here.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, I was here and, you know, I've invested a lot in this. I mean, everyone has - my family, my friends, my coaches. You know, I've invested a lot in this since I was 8 years old and I feel like you kind of -- same with Agassi. I've talked to him about it, obviously at a different level. But I know that he feels a great responsibility to what the game has given to him and how much he's putting into it. And, you know, obviously it seems a lot more worth it for him, but I feel the same way, just on a different level. I feel this desire and this, this need to eke out every possible piece -- you know, ounce of talent and memory that I can drag out of my body and my tennis because, you know, there's obviously going to be a time when I can't do that and, you know, maybe I'll be there asking the other guys questions. I just want to make sure that I got everything out of it that I could.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: How do you know I'm not already (smiling)?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: No.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: You know, this is my -- end of my 9th or 10th year, being -- this is the beginning of my 10th year on the tour and I've never gotten the lucky loser in my career. I was -- last year I was two out of Wimbledon. The US Open, I was two out of Wimbledon. A couple years ago I lost 16-14 in the fifth last round quallies and was first lucky loser not to get in. Last year I was first lucky loser not to get in. So not that I -- anybody deserves anything, what they didn't actually qualify, but I think I was due. You also win a lot of matches to be one of the top seeds in the qualifying. So I feel like it was -- everything I've been through, in terms of tennis, like I said, not -- most people in life have to deal with a lot more than I do, but I feel like in terms of tennis it was a well-deserved break.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Who won the NCAAs this year, national champions.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: No, I don't. No offense to UCLA. I loved it. I wish for different aspects of my life that I was able to spend more time in college, and I actively am still pursuing my college degree. I'll be at, you know, very slowly and Internet courses. But there comes a point, like you said, you go down a certain path and just kind of no returning. I mean, I was not -- not to toot my own horn, but I was the best junior in the country, I was the best player in college, I'd had some success as a pro. You know, I was -- you know, I kind of made -- that was the path of my life at that point. I'm a firm believer and 100% believe that I'll get a college degree. I love UCLA, spend a lot of time there. Don't second-guess that because my career hasn't been as, you know, impressive as maybe I would have liked. I mean, I think that I've always been proud that I've done the best I could wherever I've been.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I think that someone asked me the other day - is he in here? - no. He was kind of baiting me into trying -- he was asking me questions about Andy Roddick. He was kind of trying to -- I could tell the article was basically going to, you know, What's wrong with Andy Roddick? My -- I have a tremendous problem with that. I think that just -- take him for example, I think he's doing a great job. He competes unbelievably hard. He's a great ambassador for American tennis. He's a great player, one of the best players in the world. I think that American tennis is in great hands with him at the forefront. I think, you know, we have a lot of really good players, talented kids. James Blake is going to be back in the mix. Taylor Dent is doing well. You know, I think Robby Ginepri is underachieving and will do a lot better than he's doing. I think - who else am I missing? Who are some of the other Americans.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, Mardy Fish is, I think -- should do better than he is and will. You know, the problem is in America we're so spoiled. It's all compared to greatness. I mean, maybe we shouldn't always have five players in the Top 10. Other countries are kind of taking this seriously as well. I think we're doing fine. We'd always like to do better, that's kind of human nature. I was sitting watching Corina and Lindsay's double match yesterday, and these three guys were looking up at Henman's score and just blasting him to shreds saying, "I don't know why he doesn't retire, he's never going to win Wimbledon." After they're going on like this for a couple minutes, I finally -- albeit I am trying to live a kinder, gentler life, but I finally snapped and I just said to these guys, I just want you to know, you guys are the biggest idiots I've ever come across in my life. If you have any idea how hard it is to try and be one of the best players in the world or best people in the world at one thing, you guys have an unbelievable ambassador to England, he conducts himself unbelievably well, he deals with pressure, the pressure you guys put on him in this country as well as anyone can handle, he's a great person, family man, competes great, he's had a great career. Maybe he won't ever win Wimbledon, but since when is the barometer of success or failure being the absolute greatest at something? There's only one greatest at something. I mean, seriously, I think the bar is maybe set too high. That's the same thing with American tennis. I think we're not as great as we were in heyday but we've got a lot of good players, a great player at the top, and we have other guys that are challenging on a weekly basis.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, the bar was set so high. I mean, you're basically talking about a group of players that might never be matched again, that level of success and greatness. And that's just, you know, it's you're a product of that. It's just an unrealistic expectation, I think.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: '97, my first Wimbledon, Court 3. They were so disappointed with that result that they had to redo the whole center.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Wow, that's a very -- that's -- I don't know. My first priority would be to get my degree. You know, in my injuries, I spent some time doing TV, did some stuff for the Tennis Channel, some commentating, some reporting. I enjoy that. I think I've been involved in tennis a lot. If people are interested in hearing from me or think that I have something good to say, that would be an interesting forum. I've done some writing for some of the tennis magazines. I don't know. Maybe -- I don't know. Maybe any of those things. See what opportunities --

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I don't think so. I mean, I think my dad and my brother have that pretty well scoped out. And I don't think that -- I mean, I'm not saying that I'm opposed to accepting some of the fruits of their labors, but I don't think -- I think that they've got that pretty well handled and I'm not too interested in that.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: We're good here. This is my moment. You don't understand where I've been. Let's let them learn. Let me get my opinions across. Go ahead.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, you always have to factor in what he brings to the table, which is, you know, a lot of skills. I've played him a couple times when he was younger. You know, he brings a lot of things to the table and I'll devise -- try and match up what I need to do against him and, like I said, just I'll be ready to go and to compete and just try and do all the things I've been doing, with the thought -- with the understanding that, you know, last week I could very well be back in California, you know, getting more procedures done on my back. So try and enjoy it and -- but also know that I have to be obviously firing on all cylinders and really, you know, really ready to go to work.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Well, we still have two players in the Top 10, right? Roddick and Agassi, albeit, Agassi is -- who knows, Agassi could very well make another run this summer. He's got 9, 18, 27 lives. That guy is -- we all owe him. He's carried American tennis on his back. Roddick is going to be around for a long time. He's going to be challenging for titles every single week he plays. That's great that we have that. I think it's up to, you know, Blake, Dent, Fish, Ginepri, for those guys to step it up and really challenge for that next level. I think they're capable of that.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Did you write that article about him and Salzenstein?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, I liked it. I think it's a little -- it was a little bit -- it's tough. I mean, you compare two guys, Jeff Salzenstein -- Jeff Morrison has had a much more accomplished career than Jeff Salzenstein. I think the point was a little more relevant to Jeff Salzenstein because, you know, he's significantly older and I could see where more people would kind of question why he was doing what he's doing and, you know, bright kid, graduated Stanford, significantly older. You know, I think you got it -- he was a perfect guy because he loves playing, he has the potential to have some big wins, he's got a big game. You know -- he's you know, a great athlete. He really enjoys it. I think that was really relevant to the story. But Jeff Morrison, he's a younger guy, he's been -- I don't think he was as -- I don't think it was quite as relevant as pinning him as a journeyman at this stage.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Yeah, yeah. You asked me.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: You'll get my honest opinions. One way or another, you'll get my honest opinion. But I thought it was very well-written and it was a good article.

THE MODERATOR: Do you have a question?

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Right, right.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: Right.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I hope. I mean, I think that -- I think that, you know, I'm a little bit older than Jeff at this point. I think that -- I hope that the greatest match that I play is still inside me. I think more what keeps me going is that I feel like I'm still capable of improving and I still enjoy putting in the work. I think -- I actually spoke to Rusedski about this in Miami, and you were saying that as long as you like putting in the work, you know, and the travel doesn't get you down too much, there isn't a lot of downside to playing. Our lives, we have a -- you know, it's a pretty -- we have a lot going for us and it's nice to be able to be outside and compete and run around and play tennis for a living. There are downsides to it. But I think it's -- that's what it comes down to, the fact that I enjoy competing and putting in the work and the training. For me, it's a little bit more a matter of is my body going to hold up and withstand the amount of work I need to put in in order to be competitive with these guys because they're so good. So I hope that I have -- you know, I don't think there's any match, really, at this point that could change my life. But, you know, maybe there is. I've never gotten past the third round of a Grand Slam. I've been there a bunch of times. Maybe if I could go deep into a Grand Slam, maybe, you know -- you know, I don't -- maybe something will change. I don't know.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I don't know. Are we seeing -- we're seeing a few less out of me. But I don't know. I mean, we're still -- I saw Serena Williams break a racquet on the court yesterday. You know, it's early in the tournament. I'm sure Safin's got some stuff up his sleeve. I still have at least three sets out there. We'll see how that goes. I don't know. I think the ATP is realizing that it is important to get some more of the players' personalties out there. But, you know, there's obviously -- it's an interesting balance between trying to get, you know, get the -- keep the fans interested and the players, you know, from going over the line.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I 100% would not have been able to play.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: At that point, it wouldn't have mattered. He couldn't find another partner. If I couldn't get a cortisone shot, there is no chance I could have played.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I could barely -- I could not walk on Wednesday.

JUSTIN GIMELSTOB: I had it a week ago today, yep.