Tennis Panorama News

Q.  You have a new ‑ at least I have not heard you before ‑ when you miss a shot you go, Aye‑yi‑yi.  Is that a new saying?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, my friend actually is Mexican.  She was telling me a long time ago that I do that.  I’m like, Really?  She said, Yeah.  I was like, I didn’t know.  She claims that I have been doing that since we have been friends because she does it all the time.  Maybe she rubbed off on me.  I didn’t even realize that I did that.

Q.  You have had a long career, a lot of ups, few downs.  Where would you rank the last couple of months in terms of enjoyment, fun factor, both on and off the courts?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  It’s been extremely fun.  I’ve really appreciated the past few months.  Really the past year has been really amazing.  Coming back playing ‑‑ starting at Wimbledon, even though I think I lost in the fourth round, but pretty much did really well since then, really consistent, and came from, you know, 170‑something to back being, you know, top 5 and obviously trying to move ahead with that.  So it’s been really a great, fabulous time for me.

Q.  But more so the last couple of months, like post‑Paris.

SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, and winning the gold medal.  I was getting there, Doug.  Patience.  And winning the gold medal has been, I think, amazing.  I really wanted to win it in doubles like I always say, but I think deep down I really, really, really wanted it in singles.  And then Wimbledon is just crazy.  Winning that was ‑‑ winning another Grand Slam after being in the hospital is shocking and cool and amazing.  So it’s been really amazing.

Q.  So you’ll never wear that French Open dress again?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  No.  I threw them all away, actually.

Q.  Talking to Sharapova yesterday, who ended her engagement with her fiance, separating off court and the on court, not bringing off‑court stuff on court, have you always been good with that?  Talk about the challenge of keeping personal life off the court and focusing.

SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, you know, I have been really good at that.  I went through a breakup, too.  But, yeah.  It’s tough.

Q.  What kind of conversation did you have with Venus after a tough loss the other night to prepare for the doubles match that followed?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  No, really she’s so positive.  She really just always ‑‑ doesn’t matter whether she wins or loses, she’s so positive.  We went into that doubles match, and I’m thinking, Okay, I’m going to play really well.  She just got off the court really.  I really want to do well, and she kind of held me up.  So that’s just the kind of person and player and champion that she is.

Q.  When you see Andy Roddick and Kim Clijsters, the wave that you were in, deciding to retire, what goes through your mind?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  Honestly I thought I definitely don’t want to end it.  Like I feel like if anything, I want to be here even more and play even more.

Q.  How did you keep Andy’s secret for a year?  You’re a good secret keeper.

SERENA WILLIAMS:  Yeah, I’m really good at keeping secrets, so if you tell me something, I never open my mouth to anybody.  You, know, not even to my friends.  I was hoping he’d change his mind.  I love that guy.  I love Andy.  He’s just a great person.

Q.  Roddick last night was playing to a lot of the crowd and the crowd was loving him.  Do you love to be adored by the crowds?

SERENA WILLIAMS:  I think everyone loves to be adored by the crowd.  I feel like I have so much support here in New York.  When I played her last year I felt unbelievable support.  I feel a ton of support in a few different cities that I go to as well; namely, in Australia.  I love it there.  It’s always awesome to have that crowd behind you and have that support and to have those fans that you really love and adore.

Q.  What are your thoughts on the Davis Cup tie against The Netherlands in Amsterdam?  Will you be there?

ROGER FEDERER:  Probably take a decision soon.  It’s obviously one that’s an interesting choice of surface from their side, playing outdoors on clay.  But then again, you know, it’s an exciting tie because Dutch fans are always amazing.  I remember when I played there 2004 maybe, I’m not sure how long ago it was, 2003 I think it was, we had a great time.  I hope obviously the Swiss can win.  But it’s going to be difficult.  Away ties in Holland are always very difficult.

Q.  But will you be there?

ROGER FEDERER:  Don’t know yet.  Take a decision next 10 days.  A lot is happening in my life.

Q.  The Spanish media published today that Rafael Nadal may not play until next year.  How do you feel about it?  Did you ever have a conversation with him about his many injuries?

ROGER FEDERER:  No.

Q.  Maybe gave him some advice?

ROGER FEDERER:  No, we never really spoke about it, even though we see each other.  He sees me taped up.  I see him getting taped up.  We see each other warming up for matches and so forth.  You never really talk about that.  I think it’s quite personal except if one guy goes up to the other.  But we’re both very open and honest, you know.  When I ask him how he’s feeling, he’s not feeling well, he’ll tell me, I’m tired, a little injured.  There’s no real secrets out there because he knows and I know when we tell each other that stuff it doesn’t leave the room.  That’s a nice relationship I have with Rafa.  It’s based on a lot of trust.  So it’s obviously not great news but one that was a possibility.  So I’m not shocked about the news.  I’m still hopeful that he’ll be okay for the rest of the year.

Q.  When you started out, social media is not what it is today.  Is that better for a player to be able to tell people in their own words or is it better to be judged by the outside world?

ROGER FEDERER:  Well, I mean, yeah, it’s true, social media didn’t exist when I was coming along.  I don’t remember anyone doing it back then yet.  Now it’s got really big.  Obviously now we have a lot of quick news, quick info, almost a bit too much for my liking at times.  Sometimes you don’t go in‑depth any more.  It’s finding out a lot of information as quick as possible.  You definitely have to get used to that as well.  So the question was exactly?  I’m a little slow, you see (smiling).

Q.  From the athlete’s standpoint, are you happier being able to give out the information yourself, or do you want other people to judge you?

ROGER FEDERER:  Well, I started using my website for that some time ago.  Whenever I had an announcement to make, important, not important, at least it was a neutral platform.  So none of the journalists would feel betrayed that I used one to announce.  So I put it on the website and people did what they did.  For me, the most important was that I could communicate with fans.  The communication with the media happens for me here.  I don’t necessarily need social media to communicate more with you guys.  I’m doing so much media all the time.  For me, most important are the supporters and fans who travel the world with me.  When I see them at practices or matches, this is when I want to interact with them.  Of course, now there is this platform.  Of course, from time to time I do write stuff, as well, but it’s not my favorite thing to do.  I do it because I know that the fans take pleasure.  I don’t actually post for anyone else but the supporters and the fans.  People use it differently.  I use it that way, still very casually, but it seems to work so far.  We’ll see how it goes in the future because things are changing.

Q.  You tell us sometimes what you eat before a match.  After a match as physically draining as that, what type of food do you put in yourself?

ANDY MURRAY:  A lot of protein.

Q.  Meat, fish?

ANDY MURRAY:  Meat, fish.  I have like protein shakes I take after the match.  I try to get about 150 grams of protein in me today, tomorrow.  That helps repair the muscles.  Yeah, just really a lot.  I need to eat a lot.  You can lose two or three kilos.  Matches like that, you don’t drink properly.  Obviously when you finish you’re still burning calories.  Yeah, I just need to make sure I stay topped up on that.  If you don’t, you’ll be tired going into the next match.

Q.  What will be on the menu tonight?  Big steak?

ANDY MURRAY:  Sushi.  Sushi tonight.  Go for sushi tonight, I think.  We actually had steak a couple nights ago.  Maybe tomorrow I’ll do that.  I try and eat ‑‑ for dinner I’ll have fish one night, chicken the next, then steak.  Try not to have the same thing every day.  Probably be good to get some steak tomorrow.

Q.  It looks like you’re going to play Raonic, who you played three times this year.  Can you talk about the challenges he presents.

ANDY MURRAY:  Yeah, I mean, he has a huge serve.  He’s improved a lot from the back of the court.  He goes for his second serve, as well.  You know, he can serve some doubles but also get free points from his second serve, too.  Yeah, you know, it’s a similar kind of match to playing Isner.  I would say they have a similar game style.  You know, he has the same power on the serve as Isner.  Probably can’t hit the spots that he can because of the height, but is maybe a little bit more solid from the back of the court.  But, yeah, this is his best year on the tour so far and it will be tough.

Q.  Do you see him as someone that is really going to be a contender for majors?

ANDY MURRAY:  Yeah.  I mean, I think he obviously has the potential.  When you have big, big weapons, that obviously helps.  He’s had some good wins this year.  He’s also had some tough losses.  Like against Tsonga at the Olympics, he lost a very close one.  He lost a close one against Querrey at Wimbledon, as well.  His match with Hewitt in Australia was a tough match, too.  He’s obviously playing better and better.  He’s gaining experience all the time.  Yeah, he’s definitely going to be dangerous.

Q.  How do you see Nadal’s injury, his future?

ANDY MURRAY:  I mean, I don’t know exactly the exact problem he has with his knees.  I’m sure he’ll come back strong.  It might just take a little bit more time.  He’s not really been out for really long periods of time beforehand.  But he’s always come back to be one of the best players in the world.  So I would expect the same this time.  But it might just take a little bit more time because of the length of the injury.

Q.  You’re having a great summer.  If you had to step back and say what the one or two toughest things you’ve had to go through in your career, what would those be?

ANDY MURRAY:  Toughest in any respect?

Q.  Yes.

ANDY MURRAY:  My wrist injury when I was young.  That was pretty hard.  It was really painful.  Took me a while before I started feeling comfortable on the court again.  It was probably about three months but wasn’t really feeling good till five, six months afterwards.  I found that hard.  Yeah, I mean, a lot of the stuff you do away from the court when you’re training, that hurts a lot.  That can be some of the toughest stuff that you do mentally and physically.  That can be some of the most challenging.  And then in terms of matches, I mean, Wimbledon this year was probably tough for me.  But I haven’t rebounded from a tough loss like that one like I did obviously at the Olympics beforehand.  So I was happy with the way I played at the Olympics because of how hard Wimbledon was.

Q.  Going away as a kid, was that tough?

ANDY MURRAY:  Yeah, I was 15 when I left home.  The first few weeks were hard.  But when you’re 15 and it was in Barcelona, I met a lot of new people.  I didn’t have my parents to tell me what to do all the time.  And, yeah, you have a bit more freedom that way.  But it’s hard.  Sometimes when you’re that age, you have some problems, not being able to speak ‑‑ you can speak to them on the phone, but not having your family around, yeah, can be hard.  But it also I think helps you later on in life, as well.  So there’s positives and negatives to leaving home.

Q.  It’s obviously such a big achievement for anybody to win one major.  Do you ever look at Roger’s 17 and wonder how that kind of achievement is possible?

ANDY MURRAY:  Yeah, I mean, obviously everything that he’s achieved, Sampras before him, obviously Rafa, his record at his age, hopefully he still has a few more years left at the top of the game, it’s incredible.  But that happens in a lot of sports.  You have exceptional, you know, players that have a combination of many things from great work ethic, talent, all the other intangibles that you have.  They’re incredibly talented individuals that have learnt how to use all of their skills in the most important situations.  I mean, I can see how it happens.  It’s happened before in other sports.  But the consistency in doing it over such a long time is what is so impressive.  You know, obviously Roger now is 31, I think, and he’s still No. 1 in the world.  He’s playing great tennis.  You know, I think it’s good for our sport.  But it’s a very, very hard thing to do.  So you won’t see it that often.  I’m sure it will be a while before someone breaks his record of majors.

Q.  When we spoke to Feliciano, he said any other era you would be No. 1 for a long time.  Given a choice, would you rather be in this era, which makes it tougher for you, or is there a part of you that wishes those guys didn’t exist?

ANDY MURRAY:  Obviously, you know, if they weren’t there, there would be more chance for me to win major tournaments.  But I think I’ve improved as a player because I’m competing against them, as well.  You know, if you look at it purely on how much people have won, then, yeah, I would obviously rather be in a different era.  But I think I’m playing better tennis than some guys may have in the past because I’ve had a chance to compete with them, play at this level, again those guys.  There’s obviously pros and cons to it.  I enjoy competing against them.  I’m happy to be part of a bunch of guys that plays against them on a regular basis and it’s definitely improved me as a player.

Q. The crowd was very supportive of her tonight.

ANA IVANOVIC: Yeah, I expected that. I played her last year in the same situation. I played Serena a few times here. The crowd is always going to be for home favorite. But I really enjoyed. It was great atmosphere out there. I really tried to stay focused on my game. I had great support from my box, which is always nice.

Q.  Do you feel any added pressure with Roddick retiring?  A lot of people pointing to you as the next American hope maybe under the Isner group a little bit.  Does that put any pressure on you?

JACK SOCK:  No, I’m not the only American coming up.  There’s seven, eight others, so there is no pressure really on me.

Q.  Rising in the rankings on the ATP is tricky business.  Can you just talk about your process, your career?  You had a match with Andy last year, if I recall correctly, the mixed win.  It was a good tournament here for you.  Do you feel you’re trending in the right direction?  Do you see some problems?  What are your thoughts about your process?

JACK SOCK:  Yeah, I mean, I think definitely going in the right direction now.  I mean, this tournament last year was great for me, getting my first Grand Slam win and then winning in mixed pretty unexpectedly.  Had a rough fall.  Actually think the injury I had after Indian ‑‑ or I mean throughout the spring, the surgery I had was actually almost a blessing for me.  I think it was kind of good for me to kind of start over and regroup and actually get on the right track to start.  Things were going fast, and I was able to kind of step back and definitely get in a lot better shape than I was in and kind of improved my game there.  I kind of had an off season in the late spring and early summer before I started playing tournaments.  I started playing in Newport, so for about a month and a half before that I was in Vegas training and getting ready for this type of tennis.  It’s been a really weird first year, but I definitely think I’m going in the right direction now.

Q.  Is playing against Venus the other night in that sort of situation great preparation and experience for you to win a Grand Slam?

ANGELIQUE KERBER:  I mean, I’m not thinking about to win a Grand Slam right now.  I’m looking from round to round.  But for sure that was a very good experience for me to playing night session against Venus.  Yeah, I won the match.  So it was, yeah, unbelievable feeling out there.  And, yeah, I’m happy that I won this match because it was very tough and close match physically and mentally.

Q.  Off court you seem like you’re pretty shy, but on court you show your emotions.  Do you feel like you’re quite different on and off court?

ANGELIQUE KERBER:  Not really.  I mean, I’m for sure very quiet and not too loud.  But on court I just try to play my game and focus from point to point.  Of course, I’m a very emotional person, so it doesn’t matter if it’s on or off court

 
Q. Were you ever a racquet smasher?

MILOS RAONIC: I think I did once or twice. But it was more me shooting my mouth. That not only got me in trouble with coaches, parents, everything, but it just didn’t help my tennis.

Q. When did you make the concerted effort to stop that? How long ago?

MILOS RAONIC: When you fail too many times doing it, you don’t keep banging your head against the wall, you try to find a way around it. I figured out that’s when you have to be done or I wouldn’t be in the position I am today.