ROLAND GARROS

May 30, 2024

Olga Danilovic

Press Conference

O. DANILOVIC/D. Collins

6-7, 7-5, 6-4

THE MODERATOR: Olga, congratulations for your fifth victory in a row. Can you explain your feelings after this match.

OLGA DANILOVIC: Thank you. I mean, I'm just very proud of myself and just happy the way I played, the way I fought against such a great player. I mean, you know that you need to play the best to beat the best.

That was kind of my only thought, you know, that I have to be on top of my game to win. We had couple of weeks ago very tough match, as well. I knew it's going to be super tough. But I also knew that I can beat her, because I was there, very close.

Yeah, now it went on my side.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in English.

Q. Olga, I was just looking at your ranking, and I've watched you over the years and wondered what it is like playing the qualifying at events like this, and you've got through, and it's a struggle, I would imagine, because once you're in the draw, there are opportunities for points in particular. What is it like trying to make that transition from where you've been and where you're trying to get to?

OLGA DANILOVIC: For me, I mean, I will talk in my case, I'm not going to talk... because everyone has different story, but I have been dealing with injuries for a very long time.

Going through quallies, as I mentioned a couple of times before, it's so tough. I don't know if people understand how tough it is to qualify for a main draw. Because they're all top players in the world. We all want to come to the main draw. We all want to play. It's a great opportunity but also very tough.

So it is really tough, and as I said, you have to play the best to beat the best, but you have to also have this kind of line that you have, let's say, every week to play at some level, you know. And to be healthy, I think that's the most important thing, because when you're healthy the opportunities come. But when you're not healthy, you don't even have the opportunity to win and to go up in the rankings.

For me, that was my main struggle, you know, and I'm still dealing with some things, but when I'm on court, I really try to play the best I can, you know, to use all the chances I have. You know, I hope that I will have, like, a full season and I hope to get in the better rankings.

At the end of the day, you have so many qualifiers that are third round, whatever, fourth round. It doesn't matter. Sometimes it's more tough to go through quallies than maybe win a round, to be honest.

Q. Based on your experience of the injuries you've had and how far you've got here, what do you think you're capable of doing if you could stay injury-free over the next year or two?

OLGA DANILOVIC: I don't know. I don't want to say anything for myself, but I know I can do a lot, because I showed that I can, because -- I mean, last year I also played third round, the year before I played second round. Just here I've beaten good players, but I also know that, as I said, I am capable of, but let's see. It's a step by step.

Q. We saw Novak in the room just now, and you obviously know each other well. I just wonder, what does he mean to you as a Serbian player who's younger and has seen him for many, many years and knows him?

OLGA DANILOVIC: I said this billion times, I think, but I will say it again, doesn't matter. I mean, I don't know if we actually know what we have in our country. I mean, it's the best player in the world by far, the greatest player of all time is from our country, you know. What he does for Serbia in general, I mean, that he represents us in the best way and he's so proud that he's from Serbia.

Just the way he does things. I mean, he's super honest, super nice guy, humble. Because, I mean, as I said, he's No. 1. It's like there's no other player before him, and he's still a very normal guy, you know, simple guy, simple guy off the court. On court I don't want to -- that's their coach's opinion. But, I mean, we also played United Cup this year and it was, like, a dream come true for me. I played doubles with him and we won.

I mean, having him and him being open for us younger players, you know, to share experience and to show some things that he does, what he learned on his mistakes for us maybe to not have the same mistakes is just something that we have to appreciate so much more, and I honestly try to appreciate every moment that I talk with him, that we shared on court or whatever.