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Jelena Jankovic interview transcript, Wimbledon 2009 on June 27, 2009 following her third round loss to unheralded American Melanie Oudin 7-6, 5-7, 2-6.
Q. Can you tell us just how difficult conditions were for you.
JELENA JANKOVIC: Conditions were quite tough. It was very warm out there. But that was not, you know, my problem. After the first set, I felt really dizzy, and I thought that I was just gonna end up in the hospital. I started to shake. I was losing my ? how you say ? consciousness.
I didn’t know. I was really gonna lose it, you know, to fall down and just, you know, probably go ?? call the ambulance and leave the court. But I came back. Like I started to feel a little bit better.
But, you know, I was feeling quite weak. No power. I wasn’t the same player. You know, I didn’t have the power in the shots. I felt really tired and exhausted out there. It was very difficult for me to play in these kind of circumstances. That made me, as well, quite nervous.
Q. Do you think it was heat stroke or dehydration or what?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don’t know. It’s as well some woman problems, as well. It’s not easy being a woman, you know, sometimes. All these things happen. What can I do? I tried my best.
Q. Have you been struggling for a few days, or is it just today?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No, I felt okay, and then all of a sudden I won that first set. I felt, you know, I was like a ghost, you know, white in the face. Really, I didn’t know where I was.
The physio came out and she asked me, Do you know like what is your name? I just saw blurry. I didn’t know. It was really strange feeling. I was scared and I started to cry in this kind of situation.
But what can I do? These kind of things happen. Didn’t have, you know, enough energy to hit the shots, to go after the shots, to do the right things. But I did the best that I could. And what can I do?
Q. Is that the first time your monthly cycle has affected you so dramatically like that?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No, I never had problem like that in the past. It was my first time experience, so…
Q. Your physical condition aside, what can you say about Oudin? She’s 17, quite young.
JELENA JANKOVIC: She runs quite well, you know. She’s, you know, a short girl, but she moves very well. She was running those balls down. You know, I had to play and I had to hit. That was what made me tired.
And, you know, normally, playing on grass, you know, I would go for my first serves, but I just didn’t have, you know, enough power. The speed of the serves and of my shots, the pace of the ball was quite low. I didn’t have enough power and energy to hit those shots.
You know, she made me run and she made me hit a lot of balls every point, and I just couldn’t do it. It was too much for me. Especially that third set, you know, physically I was really, really, really exhausted and didn’t have enough energy to stay in the match and win it at the end.
Q. She’s still very young, but can you tell us what you think her potential is?
JELENA JANKOVIC: No, it’s tough to say. But, you know, from what I have seen, you know, she can play if you let her play. But she cannot hurt you with anything. She doesn’t have any weapons, you know, from what I’ve seen.
You know, I played with half pace. I served, you know, like almost my first serve was like a second serve and all those kind of things. But if I had a little bit more ?? if I felt a little bit more fresh at the end of that second set, I could have won in two sets.
But I just was ?? the more I ?? the longer I stayed on court the worse and worse I felt, and that was not good for me. I know my chance was to win that second set, but unfortunately didn’t happen, and then everything went in her favor.
Q. Except for her movement?
JELENA JANKOVIC: She’s a consistent and quite solid player. She doesn’t make so many mistakes. But she doesn’t do anything either, so it’s like she’s depending kind of on you. And, as well, it’s another story when she’s young and she has nothing to lose, no pressure. You know, even when it’s an important moment, she can just go for it.
And nobody’s expecting her to win, so it’s just a bonus if she does well. But if she loses, you know, nobody will tell her anything.
So it’s a different, you know, situation for those kind of players. And then for players like me, which you’re expected to win, you have pressure on yourself, you have expectations, as well. She just goes out there to enjoy it and give her best.
Q. Last year Serbian tennis was very much on the up with Novak winning a Grand Slam, Ana, you getting to a Grand Slam final, finishing the year No. 1. What has happened this year, particularly in your case?
JELENA JANKOVIC: You know, in my case a lot of things have happened. You know, it’s not so easy. I had great results last year and the year before. I finished No. 3, and last year I finished No. 1. I had, you know, quite consistent results, and I played quite a lot.
You know, my goal was to start 2009 even better, to be fitter, to be stronger, to bring my tennis game to the next level. But, you know, I started the year in a very bad way. I felt so slow. I added some muscle, as well. I had maybe seven kilos more than I have now maybe. It didn’t really give me results. I didn’t feel comfortable on the court.
Especially when you don’t move well, you don’t have the balance to hit the balls, you’re never on the position, and it’s difficult to stay in the game. And especially those girls hit the ball very fast, you know, the game has become much, much stronger than before, and movement is very important, reaction, first step, and all these kind of things.
And, you know, then the confidence goes down a little bit, as well. As well, some personal problems. All these things, when you add them together, it doesn’t give good results.
But, you know, I’m just trying to stay positive and trying to get it back to the position where I can play good tennis and compete and have fun out there.
Q. Did injuries play a big part in your problems?
JELENA JANKOVIC: Yeah, I had as well some injuries. So many things that, you know, at the end of the day don’t give you a positive result. But, you know, now it’s coming the part where I like to play. I like to play on hard courts, and some of the tournaments where I like to go and places where I like to go.
So I will try to prepare the best that I can, and hopefully start to play some good tennis again.
Q. Of the disappointments you felt and the physical problems you’ve had on the court, how would you compare today with all the rest?
JELENA JANKOVIC: What do you mean with all the rest?
Q. Other problems that you’ve had on the court, when you’ve either had an injury or sick or had a disappointment, how would you compare today?
JELENA JANKOVIC: I don’t know. But, you know, every time you lose, it’s of course disappointing. Nobody likes to lose. It’s tough to accept losses, but you just have to try to learn, you know, from the losses. And I think from losses you learn much more be when you’re winning.
To be honest, I played quite well in that second round against Benesova. I felt quite happy that I was coming back, that my game was starting to get together. I was quite pleased. And then today I just came out and just didn’t feel really good.
All these things with the health, you know, didn’t turn out to be a good day for me. But what can you do?
via www.wimbledon.org website
