EXCLUSIVE - Roland-Garros: "It's a real challenge for me", says Amélie Mauresmo

Colin Abgrall 07:47, May 23, 2022, amended at 07:48, May 23, 2022

EXCLUSIVE

While the Parisian Grand Slam tournament opened on Sunday, the first under his direction, Amélie Mauresmo, 42, gave an exclusive interview to Europe 1. Successor of Guy Forget, the former quarter-finalist at Roland-Garros talks about her responsibilities as tournament director, her adaptation to her role, her favorites and all the changes made to this tournament, including the highlighting of wheelchair tennis. 

His adaptation to his new role: "It's a real challenge for me"

is also very interesting, and it's a real challenge for me to get up to speed as quickly as possible.

I hope it's good that I did the job.

It was very instructive for me.

I learned a lot, I listened a lot, I played, I observed.

I also arrived with a vision for the whole sporting part, everything that is more visible, with the desire to move the lines in certain areas and that's what I was able to do to a certain extent, which will also continue for future editions.

For this 2022 edition, I am quite satisfied.

I couldn't wait to get to the heart of the matter."

was very instructive for me.

I learned a lot, I listened a lot, I played, I observed.

I also arrived with a vision for the whole sporting part, everything that is more visible, with the desire to move the lines in certain areas and that's what I was able to do to a certain extent, which will also continue for future editions.

For this 2022 edition, I am quite satisfied.

I couldn't wait to get to the heart of the matter."

was very instructive for me.

I learned a lot, I listened a lot, I played, I observed.

I also arrived with a vision for the whole sporting part, everything that is more visible, with the desire to move the lines in certain areas and that's what I was able to do to a certain extent, which will also continue for future editions.

For this 2022 edition, I am quite satisfied.

I couldn't wait to get to the heart of the matter."

which will also continue for future editions.

For this 2022 edition, I am quite satisfied.

I couldn't wait to get to the heart of the matter."

which will also continue for future editions.

For this 2022 edition, I am quite satisfied.

I couldn't wait to get to the heart of the matter."

His two priorities: "The well-being of the players and filling the stands"

We expect a lot and not always optimal conditions.

We also put them closer to the stadium... It's full of little details.

It was definitely a look I wanted.

But there have been others since.

That was really my vision from the outside.

The filling part is a real challenge because for now, it's been years that as a spectator or television viewer, we say to ourselves 'ah, it's a shame, between noon and two, the lower part is not full .'

So we tried this year to set up side tickets up, which had already been in the works for some time.

We hope, thanks to that, when we see that attendance is low, to tell them 'come to the Philippe-Chatrier court, you will have the opportunity to stay for half an hour, an hour, two hours.'

We have to try, we will take stock at the end.

I think that to fill this stadium is a challenge that is very difficult to meet.

Make no mistake, the stadium is not going to be 100% full from A to Z, from the first day to the last.

We are trying to put things in place so that it circulates on the Chatrier.

On the introduction of the Super Tie-Break in the fifth set: "We have to show unity"

But despite that, for well-being and physical health too, it may not be so bad.

I think Grand Slams today, in a time when tennis is facing a lot of competition, whether it's on television, whether it's in practice, etc., I believe in showing unity to try to move in the same direction."

On Carlos Alcaraz, the 19-year-old Spanish prodigy: "Is he ready yet?" 

we beat the best before arriving at a Grand Slam and that we won titles, it is an enormous confidence.

After doing this whole journey in the best of five sets, is he already ready?

On Djokovic: "He has revenge to take"

"I think he is hungry. When you know his character, you know that he is also sometimes built in adversity. I think he has revenge to take on what happened in Australia. This race they have with Rafa, that too, I know is in him. It's a huge motivation so I think he is gaining momentum."

On Iga Swiatek (World number 1): "The great favorite of this Roland-Garros"

“Clearly, I see her as the big favorite of this Roland-Garros. She is quite impressive all the same, we have the impression that mentally, she goes through all that with great ease, an incredible naturalness. She dominates, indeed. So it will be interesting to see if this player who won a Grand Slam (at Roland-Garros, in 2021), manages to settle down a little bit with the stoppage of Ashleigh Barty (Ex-world number 1), to settle down as the patroness of tennis. We are waiting for that, one, two or three players who manage to dominate a little more and almost share the Grand Slam tournaments to find this rivalry that has existed for many years. years in men's tennis, but which also existed in women's tennis. If we are on this road, it would be good news."

On the situation of French players: "The great champion, the great champion, we can train him"

is one thing.

I believe that the great champion, the great champion who is going to lift a Grand Slam trophy, we can train him.

But it will form, it will come out afterwards on its own.

You have to train him technically, give him a good foundation.

But I'm not far from thinking that afterwards, on the last step, it's in the belly of the player that it happens and it's up to them to put in place the structures, the people, the good people, to look in the mirror also to point the finger when it's not going well, to accept it and to make sure to move forward when it is.

It is obvious that we are a great tennis nation.

We have a grand slam at home, we want to see our players shine, that's clear."

the great champion who is going to lift a Grand Slam trophy, we can train her.

But it will form, it will come out afterwards on its own.

You have to train him technically, give him a good foundation.

But I'm not far from thinking that afterwards, on the last step, it's in the belly of the player that it happens and it's up to them to put in place the structures, the people, the good people, to look in the mirror also to point the finger when it's not going well, to accept it and to make sure to move forward when it is.

It is obvious that we are a great tennis nation.

We have a grand slam at home, we want to see our players shine, that's clear."

the great champion who is going to lift a Grand Slam trophy, we can train her.

But it will form, it will come out afterwards on its own.

You have to train him technically, give him a good foundation.

But I'm not far from thinking that afterwards, on the last step, it's in the belly of the player that it happens and it's up to them to put in place the structures, the people, the good people, to look in the mirror also to point the finger when it's not going well, to accept it and to make sure to move forward when it is.

It is obvious that we are a great tennis nation.

We have a grand slam at home, we want to see our players shine, that's clear."

You have to train him technically, give him a good foundation.

But I'm not far from thinking that afterwards, on the last step, it's in the belly of the player that it happens and it's up to them to put in place the structures, the people, the good people, to look in the mirror also to point the finger when it's not going well, to accept it and to make sure to move forward when it is.

It is obvious that we are a great tennis nation.

We have a grand slam at home, we want to see our players shine, that's clear."

You have to train him technically, give him a good foundation.

But I'm not far from thinking that afterwards, on the last step, it's in the belly of the player that it happens and it's up to them to put in place the structures, the people, the good people, to look in the mirror also to point the finger when it's not going well, to accept it and to make sure to move forward when it is.

It is obvious that we are a great tennis nation.

We have a grand slam at home, we want to see our players shine, that's clear."

people, good people, to look in the mirror too to point fingers when it's not going well, accept it and make sure to move on when it's the case.

It is obvious that we are a great tennis nation.

We have a grand slam at home, we want to see our players shine, that's clear."

people, good people, to look in the mirror too to point fingers when it's not going well, accept it and make sure to move on when it's the case.

It is obvious that we are a great tennis nation.

We have a grand slam at home, we want to see our players shine, that's clear."

On wheelchair tennis, present on the central court this year: "We must highlight wheelchair tennis"

"It was really a desire for openness, inclusion. And we decided to offer wheelchair tennis on Friday and Saturday on the last week of the tournament. On Saturday, it will be a final, that's for sure. On Friday, it could still be a semi-final. We'll see depending on the schedule, depending on whether we have French people still in the tournament. I think we should also highlight wheelchair tennis, among other things, too because we have the Olympic Games in Paris coming up, the Paralympic Games. It seems natural to me to do it and I hope that the public will also be there for these matches.