 Day 13 - An interview with Justine Henin - Friday, June 8, 2007
 Q. Day before a final, whether it's here or any place, do you have a routine that you like to go through, something that perhaps relaxes you a little bit the day before the match? JUSTINE HENIN: No, I just prepare my match exactly the same as I did for my first six matches. I don't change anything. I did practice at the same time, but here in Roland Garros, which wasn't the case the last few days before my matches, but that is the routine I had the last few years before. So I'm going to keep going with it. Now I'm going to have lunch here and go back to the hotel, work with my trainer. Try to be relaxed, and try to get a little bit of sleep, which is not really easy before a big day. But I don't change, no, my routine at all.
Q. This tournament is so intense, not only in terms of time, but the length of the points and the fact that it's on red clay, that so many of the people that have won this have had sort of -- try to have a no pressure kind of ambience with them as they go through the draw. I remember when Sergei Bruguera won it for the first time, he said he didn't feel any pressure. He just tried to have a good time here. Does that come into play for you as well, trying to find something to take your mind off tennis a bit? JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, that's what I always try to think about something else. And also, I really need to be in my tunnel, you know, just being ready and really stay focused. Even if I can do other things today, I'm in my match already. And that's very important to me to stay concentrated. But in another way, I like to be with some people around me, and do something else, talk about something else, and think about holidays in a few weeks, and that's good.
Q. You have such a professional attitude, and it almost sometimes seems to veer how you are on yourself and everything. I was just wondering what kind of luxuries do you allow yourself? JUSTINE HENIN: Wow, you would be surprised (laughing).
Q. Surprise me. JUSTINE HENIN: No, you know, even if I look very serious, I can be a crazy person. I have a lot of humor and I talk a lot. I mean, I talk a lot, even if you don't feel it. But I love to be with good people around me, and I need to share everything. And then, no, I just live normally like everyone else. And pretty serious in my job, but I can be very funny, and maybe not, not in a press conference, but because I'm still in the professional attitude. But, I can make the differences between my professional life and my private life. And I'm very different person. But I think I'm getting better, and everyone starts to know me much better than in the past.
Q. One other thing on the match, Ana is sort of an unknown quantity. You've seen her play, but you haven't played her much. I'm just wondering do you prefer -- do you like a situation where you're playing somebody you've played many times especially recently, or are you equally comfortable with somebody who is kind of an unknown factor? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, you don't have the choice, so you have to deal with the situation. And I never say, Oh, I prefer this or I prefer this, because, it doesn't matter what I would prefer. So in this situation, I play someone that I don't know that much. I mean, I didn't play her -- I played her only once in my career, so it's not that much. When we see players like Kuznetsova, Sharapova, or Jankovic now, it's not the same anymore. But anyway, I just have to stay concentrated on me. And what I will have to do on the court, and no matter what happens on the other side of the net, that's really important to me that my goals are clear in my head. And I know what I want to do on the court. Am I going to be able to do it? I don't know. We'll see tomorrow. But doesn't matter who I have to play.
Q. You're closing on the third straight title, and you haven't dropped a set here for a long time. Are these things that motivate you, or do you try to block them out and forget about records when you're playing? JUSTINE HENIN: I forget about this, because it's not going to help me to win, probably. The thing is that I want to win tomorrow, because I love to win, generally, even if it's in Warsaw, in Dubai, in Paris, probably, a little bit more here. But I'm a real competitor, and that's why I love to win matches, and big matches like tomorrow. So then if I can win the third one here in the world, that would be great, that would be a great achievement. But right now, it's not my main goal. I'm focused on winning this title and that's it.
Q. Coming back to Ana. I presume you watched yesterday's match. What you made about it? JUSTINE HENIN: I didn't much watch that match because it's -- you know, I really had to prepare my match. And I don't like to watch a lot about my other opponents. And she's in confidence. She proved it. She played a great tournament. So you can see it different ways. She will have nothing to lose tomorrow. And in another way, it's her first Grand Slam final. But I don't want to count on anything from her. I just want to be focused on me. And if I want to win this match, I will have to go and try to win it, not the way that she'll give it to me, because she won't. So everyone knows, you know, she's young, so she's going for the winners. And she's trying to take her chances. But it's going to be 50-50 tomorrow, because it's a Grand Slam final, and everything can happen. And I don't consider myself -- everyone is waiting for me, but I just have to forget about that and just be ready and try to play my best tennis. But much more important than that, just to win the match.
Q. Can you talk a little bit about your decision to skip the Australian Open and the rationale behind that. JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, I think that I don't have a lot of things to say about it. Everyone knows what did happen, and I just want to keep it private. So when you have other things in your life that you cannot be at your best, you just try to, yeah, organize your life, move forward, and you need some time. Tennis is not what I have the most important thing in my life. It's important, it's my job, it's professional, and I love to do it. But when you have something else going on in your private life, you just need the time to fix that.
Q. Can you talk about how difficult it was, you know, when the tournament was going on and you were not in it. I mean, did you watch it? Did you, you know, read about it? JUSTINE HENIN: No, I didn't watch it. Seems very far away from that, actually. It's almost six months, and a lot of things happened since then, and I'm back on the tour. And I enjoy my life; I enjoy being on the court. So what did happen in January, doesn't count anymore to me now.
Q. Why are you so much happier? I mean, you said, you know, a lot of things have happened in your life, but can you give a specific example on why, you know, you're just sort of a lighter personality now? JUSTINE HENIN: I don't know. Because I just try to see how I can be happy in the future. And also, also my family back in my life, that makes a big difference. And it's just great. I can make my decisions. And I'm 25 years old. I'm still very young. And I just love being out there on the court. And I have good people around me, and I have everything. Life has been hard with me in the past. But like I said, I have no regrets about anything. Yeah, I would love to have my mom with me; that's the only thing I would love to change. But in another way that gave me a lot of personality, a lot of character, and that's life. Everyone has pretty hard times. You always can take something positive from any experience. That's what I tried to do in the past. And now I just want to enjoy every moment of my life, because it's too short. It's going very fast, and I just watch to take everything I can.
Q. The question is not about the final. You were singing a song in Jukebox this year? JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, it was great.
Q. Tell me about these feelings. Was it easy to feel yourself as a singer? JUSTINE HENIN: I love to sing, yeah. No, no, I love to sing. I know that would be my second career (laughing).
Q. After a match tomorrow, is it your advance that Ana Ivanovic can't be coached? JUSTINE HENIN: That what?
Q. That Ana Ivanovic can't be coached tomorrow by Sven Groenefeld? JUSTINE HENIN: Oh, you know, I don't know about that. You have two players on the court, they want the same thing, and forget about what's happening off court. It's going to be at 3:00 o'clock tomorrow that you're going to see what's going to happen.
Q. When you're a Top 10 player, it's easy to love playing tennis. But have you ever tried to define in your mind what it is about tennis that you love so much? JUSTINE HENIN: Oh, oh, I think I said it many times in the past. It's just that tennis is a great sport. I think it's because it's very complete, you need to be strong physically, technically, mentally. It's very hard. For a kid who starts tennis, it's pretty hard. And the thing is that I think sport generally is great, and to push my limits back, like I said, it's great. It's a great lesson in my life. It's a great school of life, I think. And the great thing in sport is to share emotions with people. When I watch another athlete in any kind of sport, I can cry in front of my TV, because it's a great moment of emotions. And people are together, and, you know, they want the same thing. And it's a great feeling. So I feel very lucky I had this talent when I was born. And I had to work pretty hard and I had to make a lot of sacrifices. But I was born with that, and I feel grateful to life for that.
Q. Talk about pushing your limits? Do you think anyone has actually tested your limits so far in this tournament? Have you actually felt under much pressure in the matches? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it's -- you're always under pressure. When you look at the score yesterday, it could be easy, 6-2, 6-2. But I had to work hard. And I just tried to, you know, be active, and not only a reaction on the court. I just tried to do something with the ball, and that's what I did yesterday. And we'll see tomorrow what kind of match I will have to face. But I will be ready for a very tough match to fight on every point. And like I said, the best will win.
Q. Obviously, you're a world-class athlete followed by millions of people, and we know much about your life. Yet, you have to draw boundaries about your own privacy. But your reconciliation with your father really is a wonderful event. JUSTINE HENIN: Thank you, uh-huh.
Q. As anyone would be proud and feel good about that. Is there anything you can share with us about that and how it feels for you in your heart? JUSTINE HENIN: Not that much, because, like I said, it's my private life and I want to keep some distance with that. Because that's really our history. And the only thing I can say is that probably my mom is really proud of it now. And that makes me really happy about that also.
Q. The cytomegalovirus, are you still taking medication for that? Or do you need to be checked every once in a while for it? JUSTINE HENIN: No, no. Yeah, we keep checking everything, but it's okay now for a long time.
Q. Thing of the past? JUSTINE HENIN: Yeah, yeah. Even if I know -- after everything that happened three years ago, I have to take really care of myself and my body and my health. And I'm not that strong, you know. I need to be careful all the time. But it's okay now. It's from the past.
Q. How often do you check for it? JUSTINE HENIN: Every two, three months.
Q. You said you're crazy off the court and when we don't see you, what kind of crazy things do you actually do? JUSTINE HENIN: It's my personal life, so... No, no, no. It's just -- you know, I'm a real -- I'm a normal person, you know. Everyone sees me very serious in my press conference and the tennis court, because I know what I want so much. But, you know, I laugh all the time, and, no, I'm just normal. So nothing very special. But maybe ask my friends or people that are around me, they will give you some answers. THE MODERATOR: Questions in French, please.
Q. You said you would have lunch here and then go to your hotel. Could you take us to your bedroom and tell -- JUSTINE HENIN: Whoa, what a question.
Q. How are you going to organize your time from now until tomorrow? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it's 1:00 o'clock, so I'm going to have lunch. And then I'm going to watch part of the men's matches. This is what I've done last year. So I watch Federer for half an hour. Then from half 3:00 to 5:00, I'll work with my physiotherapist, because this is what I've done every day after a match. So that's until 5:00 o'clock. Then I'll take two hours for myself, alone, in my bedroom. Okay, I might make a few phone calls. But I really need to have a bit of time to be faced with myself. And I'm starting concentrating. I watch TV. I read. I listen to music. But I'm already in my match. I know that tomorrow is going to be one of my great days. And that will take me until 7:00, 7:30 p.m., then I'll have dinner. I'll see my physiotherapist just before I go to bed. Then I'll fight, I'll struggle to get a bit of sleep, just like every day before a great match. That's all for the details.
Q. You'll be facing a 19-year-old girl. Does it remind you of good old times when you were young, or does it show to you that time flies like an arrow? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, it does fly. I'm 25. I'm still young. But also I need to realize that time flies very fast, and I need to make the most out of each moment. And I need and accept that there is this new generation coming up. And, you know, it's quite all right. Fine by me. I know that there are many competitors out there, and that's the principle of the game. You know you won't last forever. And to be honest with you, I didn't like the days I had five years ago. I had less experience. I would find it more difficult to step back. So I feel more -- I feel more relaxed today than five years ago, that's for sure.
Q. Can you remember your first final in Wimbledon? And can you compare your mindset at that time to that of Ivanovic today? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I was supposed to play on the Saturday, and the match took place on a Sunday. So that was difficult. And then I felt something was going on around me. My grandfather had died, and, I wasn't feeling well. And I was one set away from winning. But I didn't feel well. It was difficult. But now, you know, we're all different, and we all react in different ways to this type of situation. So I try not to think about how Ana Ivanovic is going to manage her match. This is not going to help me at all. I need to remain very much focused on my objectives. I need to capitalize on what I've done over the last days. But I know I need to expect a very tough match or all that matters is winning now.
Q. Did you experience this feeling of fear with everything going too fast, everything being too big? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, yes, to be honest. The first time you don't feel that you're in the right place. As for me, the court had become huge, and, you know, the balls can be very fast on grass. It was difficult, but it still is an exceptional memory.
Q. Yesterday you said you don't like the first rounds here. Why? Is it because there is a special pressure? You're not allowed to make mistakes? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, yes, there is a bit of that. Everybody is expecting a lot from you. You need to play well. You need to win. And it's not easy. And it's probably not my favorite moment on the tennis court. But I know I have to go through this. And I need to be very careful. That's also difficult to manage.
Q. We'll have elections in Belgium on Sunday. JUSTINE HENIN: I'm not interested in that at all, because I'm not going to vote, and I'm not interested in politics. But go ahead, ask your question.
Q. I was going to ask you if you would give mandate to anybody in Belgium to vote for you? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I'm quite at ease, because I live in Monaco, so I don't need to vote. That's why I left and went to Monaco.
Q. But if you were living in Belgium, would you make a choice, and if yes, which? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, to be honest, that's something I'm not interested in at all. I am -- I kept an eye on it because there were elections in France, but I'm not interested.
Q. But you're a serious lady, so you should understand that it is important. JUSTINE HENIN: Yes, it is important. I understand it is important, and that's why it's so disappointing, because it's sometimes ever so poorly managed. But there are other Belgian citizens who will vote on Sunday.
Q. Do you know Ana Ivanovic off the courts and have you done things together? JUSTINE HENIN: No, we don't know each other at all.
Q. She seems to be very nice girl? JUSTINE HENIN: And I seem to be a very nasty person, don't I? No, but we don't know each other at all. You can't know everybody, really. And part from saying hello, goodbye, we have very few contacts, very few relationships with people. But she looks -- she looks a nice girl, but I don't know her.
Q. What about the match you played in Warsaw? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, that was back in 2005. That's too far. That's too far away. I can't remember. I remember the result. And she wasn't what she is now and I wasn't what I am now. So that's too long ago for me to compare anything. We need to see what happens this week. And anyway, every match is different. We don't know each other much playing on the court, and there won't be any observation round. And we both know that we'll need to take all opportunities to win.
Q. You've always been very much supported by the audience here, but maybe Ana is the new favorite from the crowd. What do you expect from the audience? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, I expect nothing. I'll have great pleasure walking on the court. I know that I'll have many people behind me. I know that people can play a role, but I need to remain focused, not to pay too much attention to this. It is a great honor for me to walk on the central court for the final. I guess the French audience will be behind both of us. So we need a winner and a loser. That's sports.
Q. Do you feel that people will expect even more from you tomorrow? JUSTINE HENIN: Yes, I mean, having won the tournament three times over the last four years, of course people have expectations. A final is always something exceptional. And I hope I'll get great support. I'll give the best I can give, but you need to try and forget about people's expectations, because that's an additional pressure you don't really need when you fight on the court, really. So I'll try and make -- play my best tennis, give pleasure to people, and have pleasure myself. And enjoy every moment of it, because that is a great honor.
Q. You said you were very happy. You resumed relationships with your family. Will your family be on the court tomorrow? JUSTINE HENIN: Yes, my sisters and brothers will be here tomorrow.
Q. There were not many tough matches in the last rounds of this tournament. Do you have any explanation to this? JUSTINE HENIN: Well, in the men's draw, you didn't have many difficult matches either. There are differences, but, you know, it depends from one year to the other. The level was quite good. I saw many good matches, whether in the ladies or in the men's tournament. Of course, people would like to have tighter matches. But, you know, as a player, when you can win rapidly, you feel relieved. Thank you very much. |
