US OPEN

August 24, 2003

Ashley Harkleroad

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Ashley, please.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I was injured after Roland Garros. I was playing with a tear in my ligament, in my elbow. I basically just needed to rest it. I didn't play any tournaments after Wimbledon. Now I'm just trying to come back and trying to do my best from the injury. But it feels good now.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No, it's not 100%. The doctor said I could play with it; it's not going to get any worse. I tape it up and everything. I take care of it well. It doesn't really hurt if I serve.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: It's a tear in my ligament. I don't know which ligament or what it's called exactly.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: It was if it was completely torn, and it wasn't. It was just a slight tear, so...

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I mean, I would say that, I mean, I haven't really played, uhm, any matches, so I don't really know how it's going to be during the match. But I can tell you that I seem to be hitting the ball well. Yesterday I was hitting the ball really well. It's just a matter of going out and competing and fighting and trying to do my best.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Like two months. But that's just the way tennis is, you know, it's up and down, you have injuries. You just have to deal with it.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Two weeks.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Uh-huh. I've been trying to get in really good physical shape with my trainer, you know, just working on other things right now. So I think, you know, just have to do my best. I think I'll be fine. I seemed to be hitting the ball very good yesterday, so...

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I mean, I wanted to play all those tournaments that I was entered in, like Stanford and San Diego and LA. Like I said, there's nothing you can do about it. It's just bad luck, you know. Everybody has injuries, and everybody has to take time off for it. It's just the way that tennis is. Luckily, I mean, I had had a really good, you know, couple months in Europe, so I was able to do that. I was able to take time off. It might have been good for me because maybe I needed to rest. I was over there for like two, two and a half months. So I think it was good. Maybe I needed a rest. Maybe it happened for a reason, I don't know.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Uh-huh.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I mean, I think I'm always -- I'm a match player, you know. I just think that once I get in the match, you know, if I fight and everything, then I'll be fine.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: No expectations. None. Just trying to, you know, play my best, keep my arm healthy, just build on it, build on it one match at a time, if I even get more than one match in. No expectations, but I'm just going to go and play my best. I know that I can do it. Even though I have been injured, I know I'm hitting the ball well.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: It's been bugging me off and on for seven months or so.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Well, you know, it's unfortunate that they're injured. Like I said, that's just the way that tennis is. If you know anything about tennis, you get injured. You have to take time off. You can't play all the time. It's still a very strong draw. We still have a lot of depth in the draw, a lot of good players obviously. I think it's unfortunate that they can't play and that they're injured. Like I said, we still have a lot of other, you know, girls in here that are very dangerous, so...

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Oh, yeah. Of course, you want to have confidence. I think I can, you know, play with the Top 10, Top 15. It's just a slight little injury, it's not a life-changing thing, you know (smiling). Everything's still fine.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Yeah, she's a good player. You know, I think she won Wimbledon Juniors. She's dangerous. I'm going to have to go out there and play my best and fight. Hopefully it will be a good match and I'll play my best.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: Difficult to play against who, my opponent?

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I think it's difficult to play against anybody, you know. Everybody wants to win. I certainly want to win. I don't think anybody that's out here wants to lose. So I think everybody's tough because everybody wants to win.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I don't really watch them that much. I'm kind of usually just focused on myself and my matches, you know, how I'm playing. But, you know, they are great players. I'm sure -- Serena won it last year. I'm sure it's a little bit of a disappointment towards people that are watching, you know, the fans and stuff. But, like I said, there are so many great players here.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: I mean, I don't know if anybody will be able to create a buzz like they create. I'm sure it's going to be missed a lot. But there's a lot of personalities here. I just think everybody's got something. But they are definitely going to be missed, I'm sure.

ASHLEY HARKLEROAD: You know, Henin beat Serena at the French. I think there's a lot of people that are very dangerous. Certainly Kim Clijsters and Justine Henin have proven they're great players, that it's not a wide-open draw. There are a lot of people here that can be very dangerous.