I. BEGU/A. Rezai
6 3, 6 3
ARAVANE REZAI
Q. You've just lost, but wouldn't you say that your biggest victory was to be on the court today?
ARAVANE REZAI: That's true. I'm really disappointed to have lost. I would have liked to win this match, but, yes, to me it's a great victory to be on the court and to fight the way I fought today and to stay positive from A to Z and throughout my practice, as well.
I didn't give up at any moment. You know, I was not thinking like, I'm down. No. My objective in any case was to be ready for Roland Garros, and today I'm happy to be here.
I know that I'll be back and stronger, and my objective now is to have a good staff around me and to be all the stronger.
Q. What about your staff, your team? Do you know who you're going to work with after Roland?
ARAVANE REZAI: I have some ideas, but people didn't want me to think about this before Roland Garros. My objective was to keep my focus for this event, and now that it's over, all of us will be discussing this, what is good for me and my future.
Q. Now, what about the crowd? They were here to support you. Has this given you emotions?
ARAVANE REZAI: Well, of course, emotions, many emotions, of course. It's always pleasant to play for your country and also to be back here at Roland Garros, which to me is one of the best events, one of the best tournaments for me in my career.
I love it so much. I represent France and my country. This is something extraordinary. I hope that in the future I'll be able to do as well as what I did today I'll do the same in the future.
Q. Last year against Nadia Petrova, that was a great moment. You had found the crowd. The crowd was still here with you today. Is it important for you to know that you have all of these people supporting you in sometimes difficult moments? Is this a great support for you to practice and to work hard and to be back?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yes, of course, of course. The crowd here in Roland is a crowd I can never find anywhere else. It's so powerful, and I share the feelings, the emotions with the crowd. It's something unforgettable.
So we work daily on this so that there comes a time when we can share these emotions with the crowd. To me, this is something that gives me extra strength.
It's like playing a Fed Cup match is incredible, and representing my country is even more powerful. I've always loved playing here at Roland Garros.
I have like wings to fly above and overcome these efforts, and I'm aware of this. I know we're really lucky to have a Grand Slam in France. I really appreciate this. I do my best to give pleasure to people.
Q. Even though it's a bit fresh, would you say that you were totally focused on tennis today?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yes, of course. I decided to focus on this match. It was not easy, though. Everybody knows that there are problems, but I didn't want to think about those. This was my objective, and what I try and do well, you see, when I was on the courts, I thought, I'm going to beat the opponent. I will not think about my own problems. I wanted to be present, win the match, and go to the second round.
It didn't happen this way today, but it's a fight against myself every single day. But what I want is to be stronger every day and to find my own landmarks. This is what I do, and I do it well.
Q. It seems that you're positive. Are you relieved that Roland is now over? Because now you can think about the future.
ARAVANE REZAI: No, I'm not relieved because I've lost, no, no, no, not at all. My objective was to win, to go as far as I could.
But that's normal. It's part of a career, you see. For a tennis player there are ups and downs. You can win; you can lose. But the most important thing is to remain positive, which is what I do, in my personal life as much as in my professional life.
And for the time being I am happy because I do good things, thanks to my team surrounding me, supporting me, so that I can stay positive.
Q. What about Alexia? What did she say at the end of the match? And Nicolas Escude, have you talked to him at the end of the match?
ARAVANE REZAI: Not Nicolas Escude, I couldn't discuss with him, but Alexia said that yes, she was very proud of me for all I had done. It was a fight, a good struggle, and today is an example for everybody who was watching me today and watching what I do, and she was proud of me.
Q. Will you regret her?
ARAVANE REZAI: What?
Q. Will you regret her?
ARAVANE REZAI: No, no. You know, we have not yet decided anything. We don't know who I'm going to practice with. So I've had good relationships with Alexia. She's someone I really love, and her words really are dear to my heart, but there are so many people around me who are proud of me. It's thanks to them that I was on the courts today.
Q. What about the next two weeks? What will you do? Will you stay here in Paris and watch a few matches? Or will you say, Roland Garros is over; I'll think about something else?
ARAVANE REZAI: I'll stay here. I don't know at all what I'm going to do, but I have so many things to do. I have to be ready for the next tournament.
Q. What next, then? What about your matches?
ARAVANE REZAI: Next tournament will be in Birmingham, and then Eastbourne and then Wimbledon. So on grass. That's when it's going to start for me.
Q. Would you say that you had so many problems at a moment in your life that you thought about stopping or putting an end to your tennis career? You've said you're fighting against yourself. What do you mean by this, fighting against yourself?
ARAVANE REZAI: Fighting against myself means to find some type of peace within me, to be positive, to be comfortable, at ease, and not to think about my problems; to be really in peace and not to think that it's the worst thing that would happen in the world. No. To be positive and to do my best so that I'm happier.
I would say the best word for me is to have peace in me, in myself. Serenity is what I'm looking for every single day.
Q. What about putting an end to your career? Is that something that you've been thinking about?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yes, it happened to me in the past. In January, yes, I was thinking this way. But not now. I've grown. I'm much more mature. I know what I do in life, and I've decided not to stop, because I love tennis.
6 3, 6 3
ARAVANE REZAI
Q. You've just lost, but wouldn't you say that your biggest victory was to be on the court today?
ARAVANE REZAI: That's true. I'm really disappointed to have lost. I would have liked to win this match, but, yes, to me it's a great victory to be on the court and to fight the way I fought today and to stay positive from A to Z and throughout my practice, as well.
I didn't give up at any moment. You know, I was not thinking like, I'm down. No. My objective in any case was to be ready for Roland Garros, and today I'm happy to be here.
I know that I'll be back and stronger, and my objective now is to have a good staff around me and to be all the stronger.
Q. What about your staff, your team? Do you know who you're going to work with after Roland?
ARAVANE REZAI: I have some ideas, but people didn't want me to think about this before Roland Garros. My objective was to keep my focus for this event, and now that it's over, all of us will be discussing this, what is good for me and my future.
Q. Now, what about the crowd? They were here to support you. Has this given you emotions?
ARAVANE REZAI: Well, of course, emotions, many emotions, of course. It's always pleasant to play for your country and also to be back here at Roland Garros, which to me is one of the best events, one of the best tournaments for me in my career.
I love it so much. I represent France and my country. This is something extraordinary. I hope that in the future I'll be able to do as well as what I did today I'll do the same in the future.
Q. Last year against Nadia Petrova, that was a great moment. You had found the crowd. The crowd was still here with you today. Is it important for you to know that you have all of these people supporting you in sometimes difficult moments? Is this a great support for you to practice and to work hard and to be back?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yes, of course, of course. The crowd here in Roland is a crowd I can never find anywhere else. It's so powerful, and I share the feelings, the emotions with the crowd. It's something unforgettable.
So we work daily on this so that there comes a time when we can share these emotions with the crowd. To me, this is something that gives me extra strength.
It's like playing a Fed Cup match is incredible, and representing my country is even more powerful. I've always loved playing here at Roland Garros.
I have like wings to fly above and overcome these efforts, and I'm aware of this. I know we're really lucky to have a Grand Slam in France. I really appreciate this. I do my best to give pleasure to people.
Q. Even though it's a bit fresh, would you say that you were totally focused on tennis today?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yes, of course. I decided to focus on this match. It was not easy, though. Everybody knows that there are problems, but I didn't want to think about those. This was my objective, and what I try and do well, you see, when I was on the courts, I thought, I'm going to beat the opponent. I will not think about my own problems. I wanted to be present, win the match, and go to the second round.
It didn't happen this way today, but it's a fight against myself every single day. But what I want is to be stronger every day and to find my own landmarks. This is what I do, and I do it well.
Q. It seems that you're positive. Are you relieved that Roland is now over? Because now you can think about the future.
ARAVANE REZAI: No, I'm not relieved because I've lost, no, no, no, not at all. My objective was to win, to go as far as I could.
But that's normal. It's part of a career, you see. For a tennis player there are ups and downs. You can win; you can lose. But the most important thing is to remain positive, which is what I do, in my personal life as much as in my professional life.
And for the time being I am happy because I do good things, thanks to my team surrounding me, supporting me, so that I can stay positive.
Q. What about Alexia? What did she say at the end of the match? And Nicolas Escude, have you talked to him at the end of the match?
ARAVANE REZAI: Not Nicolas Escude, I couldn't discuss with him, but Alexia said that yes, she was very proud of me for all I had done. It was a fight, a good struggle, and today is an example for everybody who was watching me today and watching what I do, and she was proud of me.
Q. Will you regret her?
ARAVANE REZAI: What?
Q. Will you regret her?
ARAVANE REZAI: No, no. You know, we have not yet decided anything. We don't know who I'm going to practice with. So I've had good relationships with Alexia. She's someone I really love, and her words really are dear to my heart, but there are so many people around me who are proud of me. It's thanks to them that I was on the courts today.
Q. What about the next two weeks? What will you do? Will you stay here in Paris and watch a few matches? Or will you say, Roland Garros is over; I'll think about something else?
ARAVANE REZAI: I'll stay here. I don't know at all what I'm going to do, but I have so many things to do. I have to be ready for the next tournament.
Q. What next, then? What about your matches?
ARAVANE REZAI: Next tournament will be in Birmingham, and then Eastbourne and then Wimbledon. So on grass. That's when it's going to start for me.
Q. Would you say that you had so many problems at a moment in your life that you thought about stopping or putting an end to your tennis career? You've said you're fighting against yourself. What do you mean by this, fighting against yourself?
ARAVANE REZAI: Fighting against myself means to find some type of peace within me, to be positive, to be comfortable, at ease, and not to think about my problems; to be really in peace and not to think that it's the worst thing that would happen in the world. No. To be positive and to do my best so that I'm happier.
I would say the best word for me is to have peace in me, in myself. Serenity is what I'm looking for every single day.
Q. What about putting an end to your career? Is that something that you've been thinking about?
ARAVANE REZAI: Yes, it happened to me in the past. In January, yes, I was thinking this way. But not now. I've grown. I'm much more mature. I know what I do in life, and I've decided not to stop, because I love tennis.
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