Roger Federer before the French Open: "I have no great expectations"
Friday lunchtime in Paris. While the last players are still fighting for points and a place in the main field of this year's French Open on the outside courts of the Stade Roland-Garros, another type of competition is burning in the basement of the tournament's own museum.
by Florian Heer from Paris
last edit: May 25, 2019, 03:50 pm
Due to the renovation of the main square Philippe-Chatrier, the media center will be located there this year. And it's Media Day at Bois de Boulogne, which is a kind of marathon of press conferences. More than 15 of the main protagonists within the next 14 days answer the questions of the press representatives within several hours. You can find a selection of the answers here.
Rafael Nadal
"Le Roi de Paris" is back in the French capital. Number two on the seed list is chasing his 12th individual title. After his success at the ATP Masters in Rome last week, the Spaniard has regained confidence and wants to do the dozen full.
Nadal, who has a warm greeting for the lady of the conversation recording at the next table before the start of his press conference, reveals how he spent the time in Italy after winning the title.
“I was at home, played golf for a day and spent a day with the family. Now I'm back here and I'm trying to confirm the good level of the past few weeks, ”said Nadal.
The Mallorcan looks forward to the innovations on the Chatrier. “I've had a couple of good workouts here. The feeling on the field has not changed. The wind also occurs to the same extent. Only the arrangement of the boxes has changed. That made the biggest difference for me. "
Roger Federer
The changes in the only Grand Slam on sand seemed to be more drastic for the "Swiss Maestro" than for Nadal. Federer is competing in Roland Garros for the first time since 2015. "Sure, there are new impressions. For example, I've never been to this interview room before, ”joked the 2009 Paris winner at the beginning of his PK.
Otherwise Federer likes to emphasize how important the event is to him. “I started here as a junior in 1998. I got a wildcard a year later. That was 20 years ago. I played against Pat Rafter on the Suzanne Lenglen Court. My memories of the tournament go back a long way, ”said Federer, for whom victory ten years ago still occupies a special position. The 20-time Grand Slam champion described his triumph on the red ashes of Paris as "a dream that has come true".
"But the most important thing today is to stay healthy," explains Federer. "I have no great expectations. It's a little like Australia 2017. I'm just happy to be here again. ”
Novak Djokovic
The number in the men's world rankings was also looking forward to the second Grand Slam tournament of the year. “I've always loved playing in Roland Garros. In the past four or five years in particular, I have received a lot of support from the French public. I think this also helped me to win my tournament here in 2016, ”said Djokovic.
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Angelique Kerber
The German seeded at number 5 has the chance in Paris for her personal “career slam”. Because of the recently experienced injury, it is doubtful whether it will be this year. Kerber summarized the mishap in early May and the consequences:
“On the morning of my match in Madrid, I fell over and was therefore unable to compete in the evening. I went home to the doctor and had everything checked and the tapes looked anything but good. I was also unable to perform properly. My ankles are also no longer the youngest. Ultimately, however, it was luck in misfortune, as it could have been worse. When I started here in Paris it looked a bit tight in the meantime, ”explains Kerber, who has found the last few weeks to be“ very exhausting ”.
"I've only been preparing properly for a few days," said Kerber, who played her last match in the Spanish capital. “The focus was on being able to be there in Paris and being pain-free. I did it. However, the expectations for the tournament are not quite as big anymore. I will look from day to day and try to bring my experience into play. Let's see what comes out in the end. "
Kerber will start against Russian Anastasia Potapova. "She is a young player. I don't know much more about them. However, over the past few years I have learned that it is not so important who you compete against in a Grand Slam. You always have to get the best out of what's possible, ”explains Kerber.
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