ROLAND GARROS

June 4, 2023

Elise Mertens

Press Conference

A. PAVLYUCHENKOVA/E. Mertens

3-6, 7-6, 6-3

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. You started the match very well. Everything seemed to go well and then there was this 3-1 game. What happened?

ELISE MERTENS: It's difficult to say now. I believe I didn't play badly. She played very well as well because she strikes very strongly, very hard, so it was difficult for me to strike winners. It was very tight in the second set.

I wasn't playing at a bad level, but I believe that she rose the level in the second and third set.

Q. The playing conditions were not easy. There was a lot of wind. How did you adapt?

ELISE MERTENS: It was the same thing the day before last, so I knew and I was used to it, but it wasn't easy because when the wind was against me as she was hitting hard, it was difficult.

I don't know whether it was an advantage or not to me because I had already played on this court with the wind, but I don't know.

Q. You had a slight physical issue. Can you explain what happened? How did you feel it?

ELISE MERTENS: I was already feeling that in the second round. We did everything we could with my physiotherapist, my private physiotherapist, so I was okay.

I was not 100%, but it was okay to play. Then it hurt when I was running. I had a problem. I was blocked. I had the impression I couldn't turn left.

So after that it was more difficult because she hits hard, she makes me run, and it was difficult to run fast on this side.

Q. Is it at the lower back?

ELISE MERTENS: Yes, and also in my left hip, and it was difficult to do anything after that.

Q. Does it explain also your double faults?

ELISE MERTENS: Well, I already had this in the first and second round of the tournament with the wind, but it's something I have to work on. It's not easy when there's wind, but I still play doubles, so I will have to give everything I can in the doubles.

I'm proud to have played this round, but well, it wasn't for me today. That's life. That's the way it is.

Q. You already gave part of an answer, but you are in the round of 16 in Roland Garros. Are you disappointed or satisfied with the result?

ELISE MERTENS: Well, I am disappointed because when you want to win and you want to have a good tournament, it's perfectly normal to be disappointed when you lose. Otherwise, it means you're not motivated, but I am motivated.

But I'm also a little proud because, as I was saying at the beginning of the tournament, I said I wanted to do as well as last year when I came to this round. So I was a bit disappoint and a bit proud; a bit of both.

Q. There's quite a lot of issues about the night session, and tonight is the first night session for women. There's a bit of an issue. We're not sure the seats will be full.

ELISE MERTENS: It's a bit difficult. If you look at my match today, it was almost three hours. Very tight, very close. So when you look at the level of women who play tennis, it's a very high level as well.

So I believe there are good matches that can last two hours or more, like today I played almost three hours. So come on.

It's nice as well to watch such a match. Everybody was happy to watch the match today.