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WIMBLEDON

June 21, 2008

Jelena Jankovic

LONDON, ENGLAND

THE MODERATOR: Questions for Jelena.

Q. All the Serbian players are doing well. We think maybe you think the next one is yours. What do you think about that?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, the first two Serbians, Djokovic and Ivanovic, they won a Grand Slam. Djokovic won Australia and Ana won the French Open. It would be nice that I'm the third one to win a Grand Slam, as well.
I will try my best. I am here to play one of my favorite tournaments. It's a very prestigious tournament with a huge tradition. It would be a dream for me to win it once here.

Q. How have the two of them winning fueled your motivation and drive to join the party, so to say?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Just in general, you know, it's a dream of mine to become No. 1 in the world and win a Grand Slam.
Of course, Ana and Novak winning their Grand Slams this year gives me more motivations. It just shows that I can also win it. It's just a matter of time and just believing in myself and, of course, being healthy so that I can play without having injuries or health problems, enjoy my game.

Q. So how do you condition? At the French Open were a bit...
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, I had some problems. After the French Open, I was sick for 10 days. I was in bed. I also had an injury with my arm, so two things at once was not that great.
But, you know, I'm trying my best now to train as hard as possible, be ready for Wimbledon.

Q. Do you change your way of tactics playing in grass?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, the points are a lot shorter than on other surfaces. It's very important, the first two shots - the serve and return - and who gets the first strike.
Of course you change your game a little bit, but you still have, you know, your basics, the way you construct points, the way you win matches.

Q. You say this is a prestigious event. Could you tell us how it's any more prestigious or different from the other Grand Slam events you've competed in?
JELENA JANKOVIC: For me, Wimbledon is very special and it has a very, very special feeling. Just it's different to other tournaments where we have to all be dressed in white.
For me, one fascinating thing is that you never see somewhere that you see millions of people waiting in line in queue, you know, just to buy a ticket. It just shows how enthusiastic the people are, how much they love the game, and how much they want to watch the tennis.
So for me it's a great event, and I'm happy to be here. Hopefully we will all have a great tournament.

Q. If you had to pay to get in, queue in the rain for hours on end, who would you pay to see? Apart from yourself, of course.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Who would I wait in the tent for in the nighttime (smiling)? Who I would like to see would be maybe Federer to learn a little bit. For me, he's, you know, a great champion, and I would love to see him play - if I had to wait in line. My ticket would be worth it.

Q. Which player from the past would you queue to watch?
JELENA JANKOVIC: So many of them. I don't know who I would be -- but maybe McEnroe. I would love to see him fight with umpires. You know, his personality, the way he plays, it's a big entertainment.

Q. You like watching the men?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yes, I prefer to watch men. I don't watch women (smiling).

Q. What do you remember of Maria when she was at Bollettieri's?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Maria? What do I remember of her?

Q. Yes.
JELENA JANKOVIC: When we were very young, I was around 12, I remember that both of us, we were so skinny. We were young, very, very small girls. I remember that we were all fighting, you know, against each other when we played our matches. We all wanted to win. It was a big battle, a lot of competition in the academy.
You know, together, Golovin, me, Sharapova, that was the group that made it at the end.

Q. When she won here in 2004, did that surprise you? She was still pretty young.
JELENA JANKOVIC: No, anything can happen. It's the game. A little bit of luck and a good form, you have your confidence, you can win it.
It was, you know, a surprise because she was very young, but she had the potential to win it.

Q. What's been the reaction in Serbia to all of your fellow tennis players' and your success?
JELENA JANKOVIC: The people over there are so happy for us and very supportive. What we have achieved for such a small countries like Serbia, it's really amazing. We didn't have a tradition in tennis. We didn't have anybody to look up to. Especially with our financial status it was very difficult.
But now we have made it and we have No. 1 in the world, No. 2 and No. 3. It's something that, you know, we dreamed of. Hopefully we will motivate the younger kids and inspire them so that they can come our way. Hopefully we'll have better facilities in the future to help the younger generations develop their games so they don't have to go to other countries to train and do that.

Q. Why do you think it's happened?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don't know. We have been asked so many times this question. We all did it in different ways: I went to America. Ana went to Switzerland. Djokovic went to Germany. So we all did it in different ways, but at the end we made it. A lot of sacrifice, a lot of hard work.
But I think in general, as a nation, we are very hungry, very motivated. We want to be the best that we can be. We are very, very talented. It's just a matter of, you know, getting some help and getting so that you can do your job in the best way without having some troubles.

Q. Do you have any kind of routine the night before a match, in the morning, a particular thing to make yourself calm?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Just have, you know, a nice dinner, be with the people who have positive energy, who are fun people to be around, and very outgoing. That is, for me, the most important thing before matches, to be relaxed and not really think about, you know, the match that is supposed to be played the next day. Just enjoy my time and have a good laugh.

End of FastScripts

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