News & Photos / Interviews / Interview with Svetlana Kuznetsova

Pre-event - Interview with Svetlana Kuznetsova

S. KUZNETSOVA/D. Safina

6‑4, 6‑2

An interview with:

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Tell me about your emotions. Youmust be very, very happy?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: I'm still in some of theshadow yet. I don't understand whathappened, really. But I came on thecourt and I just played the match. Itwas just one more match. If it was firstmatch, it was last match, I just did my best.

Definitely it was a lotof emotions inside of me, but I control it. I still cannot open it yet to go out. But, you know, the most important thing happened, and finally I wonhere.

I want to ‑‑ my favorite tournament is New York andhere. It's very big for me.

Q. Wasit also a mental game out there in which you could sense that Dinara wasstruggling with her serve and maybe more under pressure being the No. 1, had toprove she's the No. 1?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: I don't know. I don't want to talk for her. She's amazing athlete. She works very hard. One day she'll make it here. You know, I respect her a lot, and she playswith too much pressure.

This is what I want tosay, and I play just to have fun and to enjoy it. This is it. But, you know, she work hard, and she's No. 1 because she deserve to bethere.

Q. You had to wait for five years. Do you know why? Was it also foryou, because you had so many emotions inside, time for you to learn to controlthe emotions and show your best game?

SVETLANA KUZNETSOVA: It's like this because God wants to be likethis. I work hard and I still did hardwork every year and tried to do my best here. It's very important tournament for me, because it's full of emotions.

I lost twice: once to Anastasia, and then she won, I hadmatch point up and I lost to a champion. Then I lost to Justine Henin, match ball up, and missed like this. Then I lost final. I had opportunities.

I said I just gonna keep trying and keepworking and keep doing this. This isfinally my trophy. I'm really happy, andnobody one can it off me. I have wonRoland Garros and I have won US Open, and this is it. I don't know why five years, ten years,whatever. I'm have it now. This is it.

Q. Youcould have been coming in here losing 3 to 1 and saying, Well, the way Dinarahas bee playing, et cetera. How didthat affect you last night or this morning before the match? Did it make you looser to know that all thepressure was on her?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: You know, come to the press conference and say pressureis on her. But do you think I want tolose going out there? Definitelynot. So I go out there, and it was verysimilar. I was calm.

It was similar feelingwhen I won the US Open. I cannot explainit. It was same when I was going on thecourt in US Open. I came out there andsaid, Everything's great. I'm just doingmy thing I love. I'm enjoying. It's my passion, what I'm doing. It's my job. This is it.

And I cannot ask for more. You know, God gave me this opportunity to dowell, and I'm doing my best. I cannotwish for more.

Q. Wasit easier or more difficult because she's your countrywoman?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Look, two finals I wonagainst Dementieva and Safina. It'sweird. For me it's weird. I had troubles playing Dinara. But anyway, it was most important match we'veplayed, I guess. I won it, and I'm happyfor this.

I'm just lookingforward for new battles. I have greatpleasure and honor to win this trophy, and especially Steffi to give it to me today.

Q. You had some very tough times after winning the US Open. Can you just kind of take us back and thinkabout from where you were in a low point and how difficult it was, the journey,to get to where you are now today?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Yes. It's been very tough times for me, especiallyI think the tournament before French Open last year. I was in some point I was saying ‑‑ Ilost in Rome and I left to Moscow and my coach was not happy about it.

I say, I don't want totrain. I don't want to think aboutit. I don't want to go back to Spain. I said a few times I want to quit playingtennis. I said it. I never felt it.

Definitely I would still play to enjoy, tohave fun. I said it to Marat fewtimes. I said, Marat, I don't know, maybeI should not play. He said, Okay, youare crazy or what? You have unbelievableopportunities. You just have to play.

This probably was the worsttime. It was last year. It was everything was on top of me, and I hadto take this decision finally to leave Spain. For me it was big. Some people was telling me to do it earlier,but I was not ready.

For me, it's very important tolisten to myself and be ready to do the things what I'm doing.

Q. Sveta,to get to this point where you go back to Moscowand you start putting things together, what was really the most importantthing? Taking pressure off? Not worrying about winning? Believing more in yourself? Being more independent?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: I came back to Moscow, and I had so manypeople telling me, You wouldn't be able to play here. You are not able to train here, because it'stoo much information; it's too much destruction, too much night life orwhatever.

And once ‑‑ yeah,here we go. In Olympic Games, I reallyhad tough times because I lost first round. It was big one for me, you know. I was not ready because the schedule was so hard.

I had my friends, basketball players, thegirls, they asked me ‑‑ I asked them if they wanted to go to seetennis. They said yes. They came to the club, and they told me theysaw Roger and they say, Can we have picture with him? And I was like, You know how I love Roger,and I never came to him myself asking him for picture. I never did.

For me, it's better to do somethingfor other people than for myself. So Idid go to him and say, Can you do the picture? So while I was looking at him and, he was looking at me and said, Whatdo you want?

But, you know, me for me it was big,because I never ‑‑ like I knew once he said he likes my tennis andstuff. I also appreciate. I didn't believe it, but... (laughter.)

Yeah, because they said Roger saidthat. I said, Where? Show me this, because I won't believe whatyou're saying. He was very nice. He did picture with the girls. I had a talk with him like for 10 minutes,and I never spoken to him before. I wastalking to him about the problems I had.

He was listening, and said, Look, Iwant to move from Spain. I want to go to Russia. Everybody telling me this. I don't know what to do. He say, Look, you can only depend onyourself. You can control it. If you can concentrate and live in Moscow, do this. If you cannot, only you can judge, youknow. Only God I say can judge us. You know, this is it.

I really believe in it. I came back to Moscow and I work hard, and I had my time todo everything. I had my time to doeverything. I had my passion, I have myfriends, I am in my home country. I'mvery patriotic. I love being there.

This is a moment turn, because Istart to work hard. But still, I let itgo. I said, Whatever happens, I just dowhatever I feel doing. I gave mybest. This is it.

Q. Everyonehas always said in the locker rooms, especially the Italian girls, that you arethe nicest to talk, to have jokes, to go out in the evening. Before the last question you didn't seem tosmile so much, so I was going to ask you why? Because on the court, even during the ceremony, you were sort of very sortof still concentrated.

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: I'm shocked. I'm shocked, yeah. You know, I knew ‑‑ I believe that Icould win today. I knew that. But, you know, if I start ‑‑ like I playlast match with Sam or another with Serena, I was 4‑up, break up in the secondand I have a set, and I make myself concentrate on these moments so much, soI'm still playing the match inmyself.

You don't have to thinkabout that you win before you win. Sonow I won, but I still trying to focus on the match because I push it so muchinto myself, this thought. That's why Idon't smile. But maybe I have fewglasses of wine, I relax, and something happens. But for the moment, it's really big for me,this win.

Q. Anyway, you came with the makeup, with the white jacket. You look nicer. Very good. Very good. Congratulations for everything.

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: You like it? Thank you. I was trying. I was trying. Maybe it's not my best profession to domakeup and hair, but I was just trying to express myself.

Q. You said many times that you like Roger. Are you going to watch tomorrow his final, and are you going to root forhim?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: I wish I could, but, youknow, I have not been to Moscowfor two months, and I'm just crazy to go there. I going to have only four days, and I don't know yet. What time is the final?

Q. 3:00.

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Maybe if I take the earlyflight I can watch it back in home on TV. Maybe my friends convince me to stay here. I don't know yet.

But for the moment, myflight is around 12:00 to leave to Moscow.

Q. What would it mean if he would win for you?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: I was thinking a little bitabout it. You know, it means a lot to meif Roger wins and I win. I think when Iwon the US Open I think he also won.

Definitely I would gofor him totally, but I don't think matter if I'm here or not. It doesn't matter. I would be happy for him anyway.

Q. When you saw that last ball hit the tape and float towards the alley fora double fault, did you smile then? Whatdid you think? You knew then that youwere the champion.

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: I could not react. First serve she served, I thought, oh, myGod. She's nervous. I said, I don't believe she can do same onesecond one. You still have ‑‑ youwant it or you don't.

I was like, Oh, my God,double fault. I just turn to my crowd,turn to my fans, and went like this because I really believe that God helpme to do that.

I went to the net and I had to shakehands. Yeah, before I wasimagine if I gonna go down on the floor if I win Roland Garros in mydreams. Hey, I could not do it today,so...

Q. Youdidn't smile when the double fault...

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: No, I cannot smile at herface and you double fault. No, I respecther a lot to do that. Maybe I smile backwhen I turn back, but definitely not after double fault.

Q. What about the special dedication to your physio?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Oh, nothing. It's just a joke we have on the team. It's not special. It's just the way we call each other.

Q. What is his name?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: His name is David, and heonly came to work here in Paris, you know, and Larisa work only fourweeks. But it was unbelievableatmosphere on our team. Everybody was sorelaxed and so easygoing, and this is really what I need.

Before coming all claycourt season, I spoke to Shamil and I say, Shamil, and I say, Shamil, I don'tknow what to do. I don't want togo. I mean, I have so difficult scheduleto play Stuttgart, Rome, Madrid,one week, French Open. I couldnot imagine to finish all these tournaments, and I did great almost, not counting Madrid, for example.

But I was tired then. He said, Yeah, but we need you for FedCup. I said, I know, but I still want toplay good in French Open. He said, You'lldo good. You need good team. Everybody relax. Everything going to be fine.

I said, Look, Shamil, I respect youa lot. I cannot leave you. I go to play Fed Cup to defend to defend, todo as better as I can. I'm still sorry Ididn't do well, but I still put all my effort into it.

He help me also. We had great team. Everybody great.

Q. Thisis the title of your second tennis life basically. You're making your own decisions. Is this just kind of a symbol for you,because when you were 19 you were still a young girl?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: Yeah, this is big. Didn't happen just by luck. To have two Grand Slam trophies, big, youknow. I just cannot express myfeelings. I just have feeling inside andneed to share it with my close people.

Q. Russia is also suffering from the economical crisis. Do you think that your victory can helpRussian tennis again? New clubs maybe?

SVETLANAKUZNETSOVA: I don't think my victory canhelp economic system, because they don;t care if Safina wins or Kuznetsovawins.

You know, I think I'mjust proud for my country that today we played Russian final, and it's big for Russia. I hope tennis can develop even more bigger inRussia.