US OPEN

September 1, 2004

Angela Haynes

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Angela, please.

ANGELA HAYNES: I was just going out there trying to play the best that I could. My first-round match was excellent. I was just trying to take that energy and actually play like I did today. I felt I played very well. And just trying to feed off the crowd.

ANGELA HAYNES: Oh, God. Yeah (smiling). Every bit of nerves, just it all came. But I know that she was nervous, too, so I was trying to hang in there.

ANGELA HAYNES: I was hoping that it came together, yes. Because the year has been pretty shaky. But this is the best place to win, you know, get back to where I was and maybe better. So everything is just great. Just take one match at a time and move on.

ANGELA HAYNES: Oh, definitely. It is the biggest win. But I can't dwell on this match; I really have to stay focused here and the week is really just beginning.

ANGELA HAYNES: Yeah, sometimes. Sometimes. Everybody's different. Everybody peaks at different times. So maybe I am a late-bloomer - maybe. But I just have to stay within myself and play my game, do what I do best.

ANGELA HAYNES: Yeah, that was... it was a long time ago. I started at three years old. I have an older brother and older sister. We were very close as kids, and we still are, so my dad would take me to practice every day. I was daddy's little girl. So one day he just gave me a tennis racquet and I started hitting. He was like, "She's okay." But ever since then, I just been playing, playing, playing.

ANGELA HAYNES: My dad used to play baseball. He played a little for the Giants, but he got cut, so he took up tennis. I never really asked him much about his history with tennis. But he just trained me, my brother, my sister. My sister gave up. She couldn't stand my dad coaching her.

ANGELA HAYNES: Monica.

ANGELA HAYNES: You know, I never asked. It may be a sensitive subject for him, so ... I don't know what happened (laughter).

ANGELA HAYNES: I might ask him (smiling).

ANGELA HAYNES: No, my sister, she actually went to go visit my mom in Arizona because she lives in Texas, she lives in Houston. My brother is going to San Diego State right now. He's in school. So, hopefully, I can get my brother to come out here in the middle of the week or something.

ANGELA HAYNES: Yeah, when we were younger, when we were younger, when I was about 4, my brother was 7, my sister is the same age as Venus, they used to hit and everything like that. I was too young to hit with Venus and Serena. They were already hitting huge. I couldn't handle it. Yeah, we did kind of grow up together. Then they moved to Florida. And here we are.

ANGELA HAYNES: No, I actually live out in Riverside somewhere, yeah, in the middle of nowhere.

ANGELA HAYNES: Victorville. I know no one's ever heard of that (laughing).

ANGELA HAYNES: No. I been fortunate. It is tough. It's tough out there. You have to really be focused because, you know, you have people walking around, trying to get in your ear. But it does make you tough; you never forget where you come from. You always like try to take those little advantages when you get in a certain situation. It's just tough. It's life. But everything was okay for me. My dad always tried to give us the better things in life and just keep us focused on tennis. So it was pretty good.

ANGELA HAYNES: He was just my coach. My mom did all the working, and my dad was my coach. It was a big family sacrifice.

ANGELA HAYNES: I have no idea. Don't know. She's like a nurse. She went to medical school. But now she works for Honda. I don't know. I don't know what she does.

ANGELA HAYNES: Priscilla.

ANGELA HAYNES: No.

ANGELA HAYNES: They separated for a while because my sister went to school in Tucson, but there's no tennis in Arizona so we... We moved to California. So they never really got back together. My moms loves -- she hates California so...

ANGELA HAYNES: Uh-hmm.

ANGELA HAYNES: I like to be -- I like the quiet, you know. I need some tranquility when I go home. I don't really like the fast life. Like I'm dying out here in New York. I'm dying.

ANGELA HAYNES: Yeah. The people are pushing me out the way every day. Something serious.

ANGELA HAYNES: It's in the desert. It's hot as ever. I rarely go outside. It's just me and my dogs. It's nothing out there, really.

ANGELA HAYNES: Actually, I train in Florida. I train at Saddlebrook, Tampa, or I go to the stadium, the new stadium in Carson, the Home Depot Center.

ANGELA HAYNES: No, I didn't really play many Juniors.

ANGELA HAYNES: No, I wasn't really into Juniors. I didn't feel it could do anything for me. I wanted to just play pro. I already knew what I wanted to do.

ANGELA HAYNES: Oh, yeah, every college sent me a letter just trying to get me to go to their school but you know you could always go back to school. That is something that's important to me. I still consider going to school after tennis, though.

ANGELA HAYNES: Yeah.

ANGELA HAYNES: It's called City of Angels. It's like an independent studies for kids like me and a lot of actors, Brandi. A lot of other actors went to our school.

ANGELA HAYNES: My dad is just my coach. I'm not really affiliated that much with the USTA.

ANGELA HAYNES: That one (laughing). Grandstand, the US Open.

ANGELA HAYNES: Yeah. It's very nice. Very nice.

ANGELA HAYNES: (Nodding).

ANGELA HAYNES: Yeah, basically. I mean, until last year really, I'm just starting to get into the USTA. But, you know, I got to do my own thing. I got to stay with where I'm happy, and right now I just -- me and my dad are just focusing on each other. We're a team. So whatever happens, happens.

ANGELA HAYNES: Yes. That's my number one focus right now, my mental game. I'm not focused with physical or talent-wise. I mean, I think that's what my downfall was my whole career; I think I could get to No. 1 by my talent alone, and that's not going to help me at all.

ANGELA HAYNES: Ten years from now, I actually think I'll be done with tennis. I'll have a family. I would like to have had been No. 1 or maintain Top 5. Tennis will be done and I'll be living somewhere in the islands.

ANGELA HAYNES: Oh, yeah, Venus and Serena also -- actually, I just saw Serena this week. I haven't seen her since really I was four. But I saw Venus several times. She always talks to me, gives me advice. Richard also gave me some advice a couple of years ago. They're awesome. I mean, they're down to Earth. They're always willing to help me out.

ANGELA HAYNES: I actually went to his house two years ago after Miami and he helped me out like on my technique and stuff like that. I stayed there for about five hours just practicing. And we did a lot of drills. He's just telling me how it was on the tour. He was trying to get me ready.

ANGELA HAYNES: Just my basic footwork. Like how to minimize the court from like running from side to side, and how to like use my legs more, staying down, stuff like that.

ANGELA HAYNES: Yeah.

ANGELA HAYNES: Just staying focused, being smarter out there on the court, having more heart, determination. That's really all it is for me. Fighting, giving blood, sweat and tears for every match.

ANGELA HAYNES: I hope so. That's all I could say. That would be my dream.

ANGELA HAYNES: 'Cause I asked. I don't know. I have no idea. I don't know why I got it.