Tennis magazine TM
: Amélie, you have got
twenty years since some days. How do you have celebrate
this birthday ?
Amé : We have organize a
little lunch with a few number of person, here in Saint
Tropez. We were 8 or 10 persons. It was great, quiet. I
made no excess this night (smile). Because the others
friends I wanted to invite were not free at this date, or
were occupied in Paris, I consider to organize a bigger
party in september after the US Open in order to
celebrate this event really.
TM :
Ask you yourself : I am already twenty or I am just
twenty ?
A. Both. When I was a little
girl, I saw twenty years old like a far date. And now, I
am 20 and I think it is too young and that I still be a
kid but, on the other side, I have lived many things in
my private life and in my professionnal life. I am proud
to have made what I have made at just twenty. And I think
I have a lot of time in front of me to attempt my aims. I
am at the beginning of my life.
TM :
If you must compared today Amélie Mauresmo to the
Amélie who celebrated her nineteen's birthday, which
differences you see ?
A. In one year, everything
has changed. In tennis, I was able to pass a decisive
course and I have got many experience. On the side of my
personnality, i have damned changed. I am more mature,
more thoughtful, I trust more myself. I want more telling
things to people, I am more honnest. It is a real
transformation.
TM : When
appears this desire to change in your personnal life ?
A. It appears with maturity,
simply. What appears in my private life, what appears on
tennis court, everything has created, in fact, conditions
of this evolution. It is an age where you learn many
thing about life and where you ask yourself many
questions. Sylvie meeting was decisive in order to permit
saying and making what I wanted to say and to make.
TM :
When you think about the two big events you have lived on
personnal and professionnal side, do you believe all that
happened to you in a so short time ?
A. Now, I have stomach
everything that happenned since the beginning of the
year. Today, I search aims for the end of this season and
the next one. I relativize. The fact that not only tennis
is important in my life help me a lot. I feel good and
ready to go away.
TM : Because
of your sprain ankle, you couldn't play at Winbledon. How
have you feeled the fact to be away of professionnal
course and that you couldn't participate to this
important event ?
A. I don't believe hazard
and I think this sprain didn't occured by chance, it
occured at at a time where there had many, many pression
around me and many, many tension around me. Today, when I
think about that, I conclude that the fact to be out of
Wimbledon and to have not be in front of all the
tournament give, like scandalous newspapers, it was
simply a good thing. I needed holidays to rest physically
and mentally. On one side, this ankle was a worse thing
for a good thing (french expression).
TM : In
a such period, have you totally cut with tennis news or
have you got some informations from england tournament ?
A. Clearly, I have not
really followed Wimbledon. I have read sometimes
newspapers but rarely in fact. I didn't want to interest.
For me, this period has corresponded with a total
decompression phase and with care. With tennis, this
weeks were under the sign of the reflexion and distance.TM :
Decompression, reflexion, what do you mean ?
A. Decompression is spending
a quiet day, swimming in he sea, taking care of dogs and
the cat, meeting people, making other thing, taking
advantage of Sylvie, my friends and people where around
me. Reflexion is : coming back on what happened since the
beginning of the year, how, why. It's analyzing the past
in order to prepare future. It's making point and shedule
future.
TM : Which
are the main things that you have kept after all what
happenned ?
A. All the good results I
have got in Australia but in Coubertin and in Fed Cup too
became from the combination of two things : thruth in
myself and slackness. In Australia, I was relaxe and I
went further on. At Coubertin, I felt good because I was
on a court where atmosphere was fabulous. When I feel
good, when pression don't enter in my mental preparation,
i am able to play my best tennis. At Roland Garros,
pression don't permit myself to be at cent per cent and
to give all the tennis I have in me.
TM :
Exactly, Roland Garros, let's speak about that. You have
leave the tournament in a chair. How has evoluted your
injury ?
A. There has a ligament
rupture. My foot must be totally immobilized. Then I have
followed Two reeducation weeks in Boulouris (France). I
went here everyday, I started the morning and i came back
at the end of the day. At the end of the morning, i
received cares during two hours and in the afternoon, i
worked physically as much as I could with my ankle. Since
five days (interview dated some days after Amé birthday)
i have take my racket, i train myself one hour per day in
order to find my marks and my look on court (coup d'¦il,
french expression!).
TM : What
have you thought at the time of your injury on court ?
A. I have thought it was
serious. I have eared a creaking then it hurt me strongly
immediatly. I didn't think immediatly to the injury's
consequences but I was sure it was serious. People were
afraid about a bone rupture but finally, it was not. I
had wait two days before knowing exactly what I had
really. It was a very painful wainting. Physically
painful because it hurted me very hard. During two
nights, I couldn't sleep because of pain. Mentally, it
went good, i'm cool (in english in text), i take not my
head with that (french expression).
TM : Have
you know such a pain experience in your life before this
one ?
A. Never. I knew pain you
can feel after training when your muscles burn and make
pain but i never got such a pain injury.
TM : Have
you had time or desire to see womens final at Roland
Garros and if yes, what have you thought about that ?
A. I have see the two
finals. To speak about the woman final, i say bravo to
steffi because she is coming back from further. About
Hingis, i will say, like press, that she has showed at
this occasion her kid side and her excessive pride.
People have see her real face. She has breaked down, it's
clear.
TM : Can
you understand how she broke down ? Like her you're still
young and you know what does the pressure of 16 000
people looking at you mean, even if you never had such a
hostility from the crowd...
A. Hostility perhaps, but
she's got experience of this kind of very tensed match,
and she's used to play in 16 000 people stadium. As I
said after the Australian Open, she doesn't know anything
about life and she needs to learn. Everything doesn't go
as we want. We cannot allways win. Others also got values
and fight. She was programmed to become the champion she
is, yes, but she has to consider her opponents qualities.
TM : So
you were happy to see Steffi Graff winning...
A. I was really happy for
her, even more when I knew it was her last Roland Garros.
She had more solid nerves. Mentally, I's been stronger.
Graf is like a model for me. I already could train with
her. Working session were really intense. She's wilful
and fight till the end..
TM : In
Wimbledon she admitted she gave advices to Jelena Dokic
who asked her for it. Did she already do the same with
you ?
A. No, but perhaps because I
never asked her for anything (smile). I didn't dare last
year when I trained with her. But if tomorow I think she
can help me, I would not hesitate to ask her for two or
three advices. She's a very sympathic girl and I'm not
surprised she did so with Dokic..
TM : Did
Martina Navratilova try to contact you ? Like her, you
said publicly you were homosexual. Perhaps you wanted to
compare your viewpoints...
A. After the Australian
Open, she send me an e-mail in which she told about
nearly everything happened to her. She also told about
many technical things about my tennis. I was pleased to
see I interested her.
TM : Let's
talk again about Roland Garros. We already said you knew
physical pain. Could you say you also felt a kind of
psycological pain ?
A. Against Hingis, I felt a
huge frustration, because I didn't manage to play what I
wanted and to put into practice what I planed except for
the five first games. I wanted to crush her, I wanted to
do more, I wanted to do too much. Expectations were
enormous and I didn't know how to well manage with the
event. I've seen some pictures of the match which showed
me I wasn't really serene on that day.
TM :
Was you disappointed for you or for the crowd who
remained hungry ?
A. First of all, I was
disappointed for me. Personnaly, it's a difficult
experience to live. .
TM : Did
we finally expected to much of you for this event ?
A. Without doubt, yes. I
started the tournament unseeded, but people expected me
to reach at leat quarter or semi. It was a little too
much. I know my tennis can allow me to go that far, but
I've not been spoiled with the draw. I've done something
great in Australia, but perhaps I wasn't ready to
continue with such a result i Roland Garros.
Nevertheless, I'm convinced one day, I'll manage
something in Roland Garros.
TM : This
frustration is born from tension you felt. When did you
realised about this pressure on you ?
A. Before the tournament. I
had an enormous amound of requests from medias. I would
say I tried to do the least as possible in order to keep
energy and a kind of serenity. It was a real worry. I
didn't want to do too many things at once, but in the
same time, I knew there would be some disatisfied. Today,
I do not regret what I've done. If I compare with the
Open Gaz de France, where requests were also important, I
found it different, mostly from the crowd. In Coubertin,
it was smaller but warmer. People were all behind me. In
Roland Garros, it was not the same.
TM : If
you had to insist on an error you made in Roland Garros,
which one would it be ?
A. (silence) I think I sould
have limit the number of people in my close circle (in
Roland Garros, Amélie was adviced by the all
"Demongeot team" with Isabelle Demongeot,
Christophe Fournerie and Sophie Collardey). Less people
on the place with me, that would have been better.
TM : Too
many people around you, that's to say...
A. There were no
contradictions, everyone had the same speech. But in
fact, everything was dispersed. We talked about it in the
group. It went off well, everyone understood.
TM : When
one found himself on a giant poster on a whole building
Porte d'Auteuil, didn't he feel a shock ?
A. A shock, the word is too
much. On one hand, I was pleased. It was a big
recognition. On the other hand, it was perhaps a little
too much, as on this wall I took Ronaldo's place who's
perhaps the better football player in the world. But it
didn't disturb me, neither it gave me more pressure. I
took it simply.
TM : How
do you explain the impact you had in France ? You
immediatly became a star. Right away, your love rating
has been high...
A. I first explain that with
my declarations about my homosexuality. People appreciate
my frankness. They were surprised, even some shocked.
It's also because on the court I give pleasure to
spectators. I think I'm charismatic, I express what I
feel. I live the matchs intensively and perhaps they feel
as if they receive something from me. It's a little like
what Yannick Noah lived for many years. He also expressed
a lot on court and it pleased. And he also is in a
minority (smile).
TM : Which
are the best moment you lived during the last six months
?
A. Hours just after my semi
against Davenport in Australia were very strong. Then
there was the Open Gaz de France with a mad atmosphere.
It was more than tennis. It was a communion with the
crowd. The first time I came on court in Coubertin, I
felt at once people were waiting for me. I didn't feel
that in Roland Garros. I explain that because in
Coubertin, people came for me. As tickets can be bought
on the match day, spectators really choose the ones they
want to see. In Roland Garros it's different. Tickets are
sold six months before. People were not necessarily here
because they wanted to see me.
TM : Did
you already suffer from this fame ?
A. Since Australian Open, I
received about 2 000 letters. Some of them were a little
hard, but we cannot control humain stupidity (smile). It
was a small minority because most of the others were
terrific. Otherwise, I've never been verbaly attacked in
the street by exemple. People prefere send an anonymous
letter very cowardly (smile). Everyone who came to me
either to talk about my results or to evoke my frankness
toward my private life, was really positive.
TM : Did
the press glance change with the time ?
A. Without doubt, a kind of
press started to wait for a blunder in order to
"break" me, because some people couldn't accept
I'm talking about my homosexuality. In Roland Garros,
because of the frustration I talked about earlier I
didn't reply to public and media expectations, and
perhaps there were some deceptions from the press. There
were also Sylvie declarations which made people talk, but
some people didn't realized they were to pressing, and
sometimes it has to "explode" (after the match
against Hingis, from the stands, Sylvie Bourdon blamed
sharply Nelson Monfort, France Television journalist, who
was interviewing Amélie). I don't like when people try
to take up all the time of me. I need a vital space..
TM : How
did you feel that "polemic" ?
A. Some newspaper used this
declarations in order to hit me. If this declarations
were done, it's also because there was a reason, some
forgot it. As I said, some people rushed on me when I was
living a difficult moment. Sylvie had a protective
reaction which wanted to say : "she will come to see
you, but let her breath". It wasn't heard like that,
it's a pity.
TM : About
your fame, we cannot say you've been spared by Canal+
"Guignols" ?
A. In fact, I've never seen
the "Guignols" since I'm concerned. I've never
seen my puppet, but some people told me it was really
beautiful (smile). I only heard what some people want to
say me. It seems to be hard. But I heard someone from
Canal+ invited in a broadcast saying that in 10 years
with the "Guignols", the only mistake they've
done was with Mauresmo. At least, they realized their
stupidity.
TM : Has
your celebrity changed your appearence ?
A. I be careful that i say
and that i make. My relation with other people has
changed obviously. I'm more suspicious. I ask myself some
questions. I say to me that if some people come with me
it's only because i'm famous and it's obviously
disturbing..
TM : About
you, is it easy to be trap like Hingis and Davenport as
they have been by press at Australian open when they have
made all thier declarations about you ?
A. Yes, you can be trap, if
you are the 270eth in the WTA range and if it's your
first interview, it's normal to fall down in the trap.
But Davenport and Hingis were far to be beginners in
front of journalists. They have had a lot of interviews
before this one. They didn't fall down in the trap. There
was one of them who got upset at defeature. All she has
found to say is that i stroke like a man. But in fact,
her, she strike stronger than me, it's clear (smile). And
the other one has wanted to make a joke declaring what
she has said, but we have spoke before about that. She
must think before she open her mouth.
TM : Do
you think you're beginning a new period in your carrier ?
A. You can say that. The big
pression of this year is passed with Roland Garros. I'm
going to be more quiet in order to work. Now arrive the
US Open. At this time, my tennis programm still stay
uncertain. The only certainty is that i play at New
Heaven. I'm wainting in order to see how my ankle is
going to react with efforts. Flushing Meadow is a site
that i enjoy like the ground. At this time, i haven't
clear objectives for this tournament but at the middle of
august it's become clearer.
TM : Have
you had the time to make conclusion with your Demongeot
team where you are integrate since december ?
A. The thinking period that
i speak before was made in order to study how things have
evoluted with the team (in english in the text). We have
spoke about what is good and what is not. We're going to
start with better marks. At Roland Garros, as I have said
before, we have meat all together in the same place, on
the same ground. It's likely that there is only one
trainer for transfer messages than two or three one. I
must have only one person to speak with me.
TM : Who
will be this trainer ?
A. It will depend with
calendar. Each trainer of the team can today give me
different and complementary thinks.
TM : As
in Key Biscayne this year, will you make trip without
trainer ?
A. Yes because the relation
trainer-player can become a situation of conflict. You
must be able to take your marks. Even if i've got bad
results at Key Biscayne or Hilton Head, i had my own
feelings, more personnal. With such experiences, i
progress in my tennis and in my personnality.
TM : The
fact that you have three trainers to support, is it not
difficult, because each has his ego and want to highlight
himself ?
A. There is no problem
because the roles are well define. Isabelle is the
manager and Christophe and Sophie are the trainers.
Mistakes have been made but we have spoke about during
our meeting after Roland Garros..
TM : And
Sylvie, is she continue to follow you in the future ?
A. Yes. In Australia, she
has lived a very strong experience with me and she want
to relive it again. For example, she will come at US
Open. She has a good vision of things. She has
impressions less accurate than trainers but she feel good
what's happenned. Near the court, she give me motivation,
the enjoy to go on. I know she is here and it's help me.
Between the moment i've met her and today, i've changed
enormously, it's sure.
TM : Has
the homosexual community tried making you a standard
bearer ?
A. There was many asking for
that, there is less now because people who were concerned
have understood that i didn't like to be a standard
bearer. I have said what i must said for myself and for
my life. It's only concern myself, it's my problem. If it
can help other people it's great. If it can help society
to be more open and more tolerant, it's greater. But i
don't want transfer messages or be a standard bearer.
TM : Have
you receive many letters from homosexual people ?
A. There were a lot. Most of
them said thank you. But homosexual or not, people were
at all very nice.
TM : In
the tennis course, how was received your homosexuality ?
A. It's bizarre, but i have
the impression that girls who were concerned by
homosexuality were afraid compared to me as i will reveal
their homosexuality. I didn't want that. Everybody make
what they want. The WTA has reacted middlely. There was
two persons who have said : becareful of you're making,
you're saying. I have estimated that I have no score to
settle with anybody. I'm free. If i was direct, it's for
my well-being. They try to preserve their job, ok, but
they must respect freedom of others.
TM : In
order to conclude, what about Saint-tropez, how do you
feel in these holiday's site ?
A. When i open the windows,
i see the sea. It's a privilege (smile). I have luck to
live here. I feel good in this house. I appreciate the
fact that i have such a site like this one. When i'm on
the tennis course, i think to this site : i know it's
here i live, that's here where i enjoy to return. During
the last years, i was here or there, i had a flat in
Paris, but people can't say that it's my home.
TM : Are
you bother since the summer's beginning ?
A. It's ok. I take a hat and
glasses in order to go to the beach (smile). In fact, i
stay behind the beach and i swim with the dogs, so people
don't approach (smile). Here, when i go out, i have no
problems but in Saint-Tropez, it's harder. I go out
during night but never on pavement. I go in a corner and
i eat quietly. Forbidden to ride on harbour, it's
impossible mission.
TM : Paparazzi
do not enter in action ?
A. No, they aren't here but
they will not delay. Generally, they take their breakfast
at the "Gorille". We will look how it will
happen (smile). What it bother myself is that i don't go
to Saint-Tropez because i want to show myself but because
i live here. It's a different situation than the other
stars who spend their holidays here. I hope people will
respect my life and make the difference..
TM : Do
you help Sylvie at the "Gorille" ?
A. No, i go sometimes but i
leave her alone. It's not my job, it's hers (smile) !
during the night, i sleep.
|