ROLAND GARROS

May 26, 2024

Chloe Paquet

Press Conference

C. PAQUET/D. Shnaider

6-3, 6-1

THE MODERATOR: A wonderful winner for you. Can you talk to us about the match?

CHLOE PAQUET: Yes, a great win. Since 2017 I've been waiting to get through the first round, so I'm really happy. I really managed the match well from the first to the last point from an opponent who is playing very well, who is in good shape at the moment.

I had really prepared this match very well with my coach. Tactically I knew exactly what I had to do, and I'm really happy that it worked from the first to the final point.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Well done, Chloe. There's a sort of relief to be back once again into a second round of the grand slam at Roland Garros.

CHLOE PAQUET: Yes, relief, of course. Above all very, very happy. It's the first time that I was playing on Simonne-Mathieu in singles. I played a double with Clara, but this is the first time. As soon as I went on the court, I felt really good with the supporters, the atmosphere on this court, which is incredible.

Yet, quite a few French players playing at the same time, and I thought, Oh, no, there won't be that many people, but actually there were crowds of them, and it really pushed me. It really gave me energy.

I knew I had to stay very calm and manage the supporters who keep giving and giving and giving, but you have to stay calm. But I'm really happy because I managed from the first to the final point.

Q. So here and also on the court you keep grinning. You had a permanent grin on your face since the win.

CHLOE PAQUET: Yes, of course. I'm just realizing it little by little because, you know, at the match point the games just went really fast for me. It went very well... 6-3, 6-1. I didn't think it would be that easy, but yeah, the score is quite severe.

But, yes, I want to enjoy this evening. I'm lucky enough to win on a Sunday, so there are two days before my next match. This evening I'm going to make the most of it. Well, I'm going to make the most of it. I'm going to smile. Making the most of it means I spent 15 minutes with my family, yes, to kind of start relaxing and to enjoy the moment.

Then a good night's sleep, and we're back training tomorrow to prepare for the next match, which will be on Wednesday. But I was afraid of playing on Sunday, but actually when you win, it's quite good.

Q. Well done, Chloe. You talked about the supporters. There was this famous blue stand. Can you talk to us about this? What's it like when you are on the court and you have this group of supporters who are really close to the players?

CHLOE PAQUET: Yes, they're really close. We've been in touch for two months. They keep writing to me and saying, We'll be there for Roland for your matches. I managed to get a few invites for them as well. It was important for me to thank them for being there.

So the blue stand really is an incredible group of supporters. Really close to the players, as you said. And the energy they give from the first to the last point is exceptional, and I really want to thank them, and I hope they'll be there on Wednesday. In any case, we'll do everything we can so that they are there.

Q. Alexandre Muller was saying they're shouting any old thing, and you have to manage that. What do they say, actually?

CHLOE PAQUET: Well, as far as I'm concerned, you don't necessarily hear what they say. You can feel them behind us. To say what they said, I couldn't tell you thankfully because it might have made me lose my concentration, but hearing the "La Marseillaise" anthem when you are warming up is exceptional.

You're in France. You're playing Roland. You're French. You really want to do well. To see this group of supporters is excellent, and it's great to have them.

Q. As you said, you hadn't won in a grand slam for seven years. That was a long time. What happened in those seven years because there were necessary qualifications at grand slams and some disappointments? What happened?

CHLOE PAQUET: Yes, of course, at my level I would have never been in the top 100, so when I play a grand slam, it's a very important event for me, and I give it my max.

I played against good players, and it didn't work. Here I had a very close match against Sabalenka. One year I played against Pauline, and each time they were very good matches, but since 2017 I never got through that first round.

This year I feel good. I'm playing well. I know it. It is an objective, Roland. I had great preparation. I spent a lot of time on the clay court so that I was on top of my form for this tournament, and I hope it will continue. I'm going to give it my everything in the second round and win afterwards.

Q. The beginning of the season for you is very good. When did you feel that you were playing at a level that would allow you to win against a top 100 like in Strasbourg and here once again?

CHLOE PAQUET: Yes, I ended 2023 very well with that final in Angers where I was really playing good tennis, and I had some very good wins in the top 80 and the top 50. In the beginning of the season the two, three first months were tough.

The season was long in 2023. Maybe I was a bit tired in the first two months of the year, and for March we took the decision to really move on to the clay court and to spend time on that surface, as I said, to be on top form for Roland.

It is my favorite court. It's far more natural for me to play on clay. I immediately could feel the ball. I could feel that I was going to get results.

So, no, I'm happy. Always the objective of being in the top 100 one day. 101 is not enough. I can't say that I was top 100, so that is still my objective.

Q. Is it your life's objective?

CHLOE PAQUET: Yes, of course. Since I started playing tennis, I wanted to be in the top 100. I've always dreamt of that. I was very close. I was 101, but it's not the top 100. I can't say I'm in the top 100, and I hope it will be this year.

Q. There's something that's characteristic for you with your coach. You've been with him for nine or ten years.

CHLOE PAQUET: Eight years.

Q. It's quite unusual. There have been ups and downs. Often people change their staff to get better.

CHLOE PAQUET: Well, it's lasting because he really gives me everything I need, and it's myself who sometimes doesn't do what I should be doing. I can never blame the coach. It's really my fault. So why change just for a change?

It's not what I want, and so he knows me by heart. I trust him, and I think that he trusts me. We do good work together, so when things are doing well, why change?

Q. Why don't you do what you need to do?

CHLOE PAQUET: Well, sometimes I'm cross on the court. I have a bit of a character, but with age I'm starting to be a little bit more cool.