00:00BNP Paribas, partenaire des plus belles histoires de Roland-Garros, aux côtés des ramasseurs de balles depuis plus de 50 ans.
00:30Hey Coco, was Clayte so comfortable for you from the beginning?
00:44I mean, I know you've talked about going over to Maritogu's academy.
00:49Was it sort of an initial comfort zone?
00:53Because it certainly has become very comfortable for you throughout your career.
00:57Yeah, honestly, I feel like when I started then and when I was young, I just played on it.
01:04I feel like at that time I didn't gauge surfaces or anything.
01:07I felt like I should just be good at everything.
01:10So it just felt like that.
01:12But I would say definitely for sure, I think once I won Junior French Open, I still didn't even think about it being like a surface thing.
01:21But I think once I got on tour, I was like, okay, I actually feel really comfortable on the surface.
01:26And I've noticed that, you know, when I would go from hard to clay, it was pretty easy for me to transition to.
01:32So, yeah, I definitely think it's something that I'm comfortable on.
01:35And I think I'm mainly credited to me probably sliding a lot on a hard court.
01:40So when I go on clay, it just feels a lot easier.
01:43And then in terms of the behavior of the ball, does that work for you?
01:53Do you think it can play into your skills and talents?
01:56Yeah, definitely.
01:57I think especially with how heavy I hit on my foreign side, I definitely think it helps enhance that.
02:02So, yeah, and then obviously, like, athleticism, I feel like it's very hard to win on the surface if you don't move well.
02:11You know, you can, but I just feel like it's hard to do.
02:14So, yeah, I think it helps with that, too.
02:17Hi, Coco.
02:19Can you talk a little bit about the success of U.S. women's tennis?
02:24What are the main reasons to explain this success?
02:27You are four in the top ten.
02:28Yeah, well, other than, like, the obvious, like, size of country and things like that, that plays a big role.
02:35But I feel like just us having a lot of role models to look up to throughout the history of the sport,
02:41there's always been American women, multiple American women doing well in the sport.
02:45So it inspires other people to do that.
02:48And obviously, when you have people who've done that before and the coaches are still very involved in the sport,
02:54it helps develop young players, and we have a lot of resources, thankfully, in the U.S.,
02:59especially when it comes to tennis.
03:01So I think that also helps.
03:02And then, obviously, being on tour, just seeing your compatriot do well.
03:07You know, you have to remember a lot of us grew up playing against each other,
03:10and juniors lost to each other and beat each other.
03:13And I think if you see your friend who you beat or used to beat or beat in juniors
03:18and they do super well at a slam or at a big tournament,
03:21then you're like, OK, we were at the same level at this age,
03:23so I don't see why I can't do the same.
03:25And a lot of tennis and a lot of being successful is literally just that belief factor.
03:29It's not as much the game.
03:30And I think we have a lot of belief in our country just because of the amount of success
03:33I feel like it's had over the years.
03:37Can I just ask, three years ago when you lost the final here,
03:41how did you find the period after?
03:42Were you kind of, was your confidence increased because you'd got to a final,
03:46or was there a bit of a kind of hangover at the defeat?
03:48How did you find that period after?
03:50Yeah, I think immediately after it was a tough feeling for me
03:54because I felt like I very much underperformed in that final,
03:57not necessarily obviously in the game-wise,
04:00but mentally I was very disappointed how mentally I approached that match.
04:03And I just felt like maybe I couldn't ever overcome that.
04:06And then I just turned it into motivation, and I knew that, I don't know,
04:11you just had a deep-down gut that I was going to be in a final position again,
04:14and I was like, I'm not going to go out like that.
04:17If I'm going to go out, I'm going to leave with my head held high.
04:20And so I was able to approach that US Open final differently,
04:23but I definitely think I needed that finals loss to reach this point for sure.
04:28Do you have one question?
04:33Hi, Coco.
04:34I mean, we all know you're here to hopefully win the title,
04:38but I'm just wondering if after the Australian Open this year,
04:41you change maybe the way you're approaching the Grand Slam,
04:44maybe to a little bit of pressure or not?
04:49Yeah, I mean, I felt like in Australia I was playing great tennis,
04:52and then I just played Paula, who was also playing great tennis.
04:56So, you know, I think my mindset going into this tournament,
05:01I didn't feel that much pressure really going into Australia.
05:03I was playing pretty free, and I don't really feel that here.
05:06I think I've learned, I feel like I know that it's a long way to the final.
05:11After experiencing here and then US Open, I know it's a long way.
05:16So, yeah, I think just taking it match by match, point by point,
05:19and, you know, hopefully I can end up there.
05:22If not, I'll, you know, go back to the practice
05:24and figure out what I can do to do better.
05:27Hi, Coco.
05:28Hi.
05:29What were your feelings today on the Philippe Chatouillet?
05:32What was your, how did you feel?
05:34Yeah, I think it's such a nice court.
05:37I think this is my third practice on it,
05:39and I really enjoy playing on this court.
05:42And, yeah, I'm super excited.
05:43I hope I get to play some matches on this court the next few weeks,
05:47or next two weeks.
05:48So, yeah, I'm really excited.
05:51Hello, Coco.
05:52Do you think, like, the window to win the title this year
05:56is, like, more open than ever?
05:58Because it's like everybody in the top five can have the chance to win.
06:04Yeah, I think everybody's playing some great tennis.
06:07So, yeah, I would definitely think it's pretty open.
06:11I mean, obviously, I hope I'm up there,
06:13but there's obviously, like, Jasmine, Irina, Iga, Kunwen, Mira.
06:18There's more I can name that all have the opportunity.
06:22And who knows?
06:23I mean, we all have seen, like, things like U.S. Open happen when Emma won.
06:26So there's literally anybody can win this tournament.
06:29And, yeah, I think that's what makes women's tennis exciting.
06:33I think this is why everyone should tune in because, you know,
06:37I feel like it's maybe not so much on the men where maybe you have, like,
06:41maybe the top three or four you know who's going to win.
06:43I think women, there's so many possibilities.
06:44So it makes each matchup equally exciting.
06:48What was the lesson that you took from Saturday and the way Rome ended?
06:55Yeah, I think for me, I mean, that was a tough match.
06:58I think I was a little bit mentally – no, excuse me.
07:01I just was mentally, a little mentally drained from the long match of Kunwen.
07:05And so I think just approaching it a little bit different.
07:09But I wasn't nervous or anything.
07:11I think I maybe made too many errors that match.
07:13I feel like maybe when I'm not feeling the best on the court,
07:16I can, you know, take some more time in between points,
07:18try to build the points more, maybe not rush out at them as much.
07:21And, you know, it was tough.
07:23Jasmine was also playing great.
07:24So I felt like that day it just wasn't meant to be.
07:27But, you know, I put it past,
07:30and I know that next time I maybe feel like that on the court,
07:33I can do some other things to kind of make myself get back into the match.
07:39Hi, Coco.
07:41Even with all of the experience you have and the success you've had,
07:45does it feel to you like you're still and always kind of learning
07:51and trying to improve maybe day-to-day or week-to-week or tournament-to-tournament?
07:55And if so, do you think that will ever change?
07:58Or will that always be part of who you are as a professional athlete?
08:03Yeah, I feel like I'm always learning, especially at this stage of my career,
08:07I feel like I have a lot to learn and a lot that I can improve on
08:10and a lot that I can get better at.
08:12And I feel like it's always going to be like that at any point in my career,
08:16even if I – I mean, no one has, I don't think,
08:19ever gone through a whole year and not lost a match.
08:22So I feel like if you're – unless you're undefeated,
08:25then you probably – or you don't lose a set,
08:27then you probably always have something to work on.
08:29And so I know that throughout my career,
08:32I'll be always something that I'm going to want to improve,
08:34even maybe as – not as much now.
08:36Like, I feel like I have big things to improve,
08:38but maybe I'll reach the point where it's just taking care of even smaller little details.
08:42But I feel like as long as you're improving, it gives you a goal to get better.
08:46There's a lot of questions.
08:48Can I?
08:49On a separate topic, pretty much everywhere, every tournament, every surface,
08:55there are no more line judges.
08:57It's all electronic.
08:59Yeah.
08:59But here, they still do have the line judges.
09:02I'm wondering, which do you prefer?
09:04Do you care which way it is?
09:06Do you think it's odd that this tournament is still sticking to the old way of doing things?
09:13Yeah.
09:14I mean, I don't know if it's like Gen Z of me,
09:16but I think if we had the technology, we should use it.
09:19I don't have strong feelings of it.
09:21Obviously, umpires are great.
09:22But I think, to me personally, I just feel like if we have the technology,
09:27it should be used.
09:28And, you know, these small details in the match can matter in the grand scheme of things.
09:33But I respect the tournament's decision.
09:35And I respect the fact that they still have line umpires.
09:38I don't feel very strongly in either way.
09:40But if you ask, like, my opinion, I would say I prefer, like, the electronic line system.
09:47But, yeah, I'm not going to be out here advocating and pushing for it.
09:51Um, but, yeah, if I had a preference, I would choose to play on the court,
09:54maybe, where the robots aren't making the decisions.
09:57You're welcome.
10:03Okay.
