ROLAND GARROS

May 28, 2024

Elise Mertens

Press Conference

E. MERTENS/M.L. Carle

6-3, 7-6

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Was it the worst circumstances you played in in your career?

ELISE MERTENS: Oh, in my career.

Q. I don't know if you have other memories.

ELISE MERTENS: Yes, it was very difficult. At the beginning of the match it wasn't raining, and the covers had been on for a few hours already. So, yes, at the beginning I liked the conditions. Then it was a little bit more heavy. It was raining. The balls were very wet, and it was more difficult for me.

I think that the opponent liked it more than I did, but I was there mentally, and really the Belgians were really encouraging me, and it was very positive.

Q. So at the tiebreak it started raining heavily again. At that time did you think that you wanted to stop the match, or you wanted to go to the end? How did you manage that?

ELISE MERTENS: Well, a bit of both. I think that the first point was really the worst. The second service, it was really the worst. I couldn't really see the ball, but then afterwards it stopped.

So, no, no, we had to play. There was no question of stopping. Yes, it was very close, and I was very happy to win 10-8 in the tiebreak.

Q. Your level of game on the clay court when you start at Roland Garros, it's never easy, but your beginning of the match was 4-0. You must be really happy about that.

ELISE MERTENS: Yes, I think that I would like to play a little bit faster, so no, I think it wasn't bad, but I think that she didn't miss that many balls. So it was more difficult with the conditions. But all the same, I really fought until the end.

Q. So the conditions were very damp. You said that your neck was hurting a little bit. Did that go away immediately?

ELISE MERTENS: Yes, it's almost over. Well, I now have the Grand Slam ahead of me. In Rome it wasn't possible to play the singles, but I'm 28 years old, so sometimes it does happen. I didn't play at Strasbourg due to that, but it was the right decision to make.