Q. That looked pretty hard out there. What exactly happened at the end of the second set there?

JELENA DOKIC: Uhm, I don't know. I felt like I played okay in the first set and then kind of wasn't feeling great at the beginning of the second. And that's where things just started going downhill.

Yeah, just couldn't get myself together and couldn't get my game together. So, yeah, all in all, pretty disappointed.

Q. You seemed to be bending over.

JELENA DOKIC: No, I've been weak. I was straightaway weak after the first set. I was even struggling after the end of the first set, but it got worse in the second.

So, uhm, yeah, I don't know, just...

Q. How has your back been since had you to retire in Paris?

JELENA DOKIC: It's been good. Haven't been maybe practicing as much as I wanted to after Roland Garros. That was a big letdown to have that happen.

But, yeah, all in all, it's been pretty good.

Q. What did the trainer and doctor say when they came on?

JELENA DOKIC: I think when you have something like this, nothing they can do really. It's not like an injury or anything. Yeah, maybe it's a virus or something, yeah.

Q. So was it an antiinflammatory or something you took at the second set break?

JELENA DOKIC: No. Just, yeah, antiinflammatory, just because I was aching a little bit and I was dizzy. Yeah, just to help that a little bit.


Q. So you feel it's more like a cold coming on or something like that?

JELENA DOKIC: No, I don't think it's a cold. I was dizzy for the last week, about four or five times in a few different days, so maybe it's just a virus or something. Just today I felt it a lot more.

Obviously a match situation is always different when you have nerves and everything, so maybe it was just worse because of that.

So, yeah, I mean, maybe I should have called the trainer earlier. I don't know whether it would have made a difference. But I was still feeling pretty bad in the third set, so...

I don't know whether it would have made any difference.

Q. It must be very disappointing, given it's a few years since you played in the main draw here, isn't it?

JELENA DOKIC: Uhm, yeah. Obviously. I mean, Roland Garros was really a big disappointment for me because I was playing so well and wasn't able to finish that match.

And that was probably the best tennis I played since the Australian Open. You know, when you're beating the world No. 3 a set and a break, it's disappointing that that happens.

I think that maybe actually took more out of me mentally, and I wasn't able to recover. So maybe that just had an effect. You know, I haven't played any grass court matches coming into Wimbledon. So, you know, all the little things put together, you know, that brings up a loss, so...

Q. How special is Wimbledon to you, given that great day when you beat Martina Hingis? Do you think of those days, how it was?

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, it was a different situation then, obviously. But, yeah, I mean, it's something that, you know, kick started my career here. So, you know, obviously it was a big thing for me in this tournament.

But, you know, I mean, sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, even in tournaments like this, even where I've played the semifinals. You know, that doesn't make much of a difference.

Yeah, it's disappointing because I had the match in my hands. But, yeah, you have to go on.

Q. Does that Hingis match feel like a lifetime away, given all that's happened to you in the intervening years?

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, it's been a lot of stuff happen. So, yeah, I mean, I don't feel like I've played as much tennis as I probably should have in the 10 years. I mean, I lost about four years, which is disappointing.

But, uhm, yeah, and it's very hard to get out of that situation and start playing again when everyone else has been playing. You know, there are new and younger girls coming. You know, but I'm trying my best. You know, I'm here.

Uhm, I'm in the Grand Slams and I'm just gonna have to, you know, go back to the drawing board from here and just get myself together and, you know, try to get some matches now under my belt, as many as I can, and try to get back on track.

Q. When you haven't been able to follow up your successful Australian campaign, is it difficult to bounce back and reestablish yourself?

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, I think I made a major mistake with my schedule after the Australian Open. I think ‑ yeah, I mean, I just played the wrong tournaments. I didn't play enough of them. Sometimes you're worried about not playing too much.

But there are players that are, you know, in the top 10 already played 30, 40 matches this year, and I haven't played even close to that. Or even more, 50 matches.

So I think I made a huge mistake with my schedule. Coming into Roland Garros I only played four events, and I think that's nowhere near enough. Going to Australia to play on a grass court in the middle of April for Fed Cup I think hurt me a lot.

And I couldn't play so many clay court events. Couldn't get into the next two following the Fed Cup and couldn't play the week of the Fed Cup, so I think that really hurt me.

Yeah, I guess I really need to go back and figure stuff out now, you know, maybe try to play some more doubles and just try to get some more matches and get some consistency.

I think I've lost that a little bit since the Australian Open, and I think not playing enough matches doesn't help. So, yeah, hopefully I can just kind of turn it around now before the US Open.

Q. The back injury, and now what's happened today, will fitness be a big priority for you in the time coming up?

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah. I mean, fitness is always a big priority for me, because the fitter I am, the better I play. I've never really had a problem with injury.

So fitness in itself... I mean, I played four or five matches in three sets in Australia, in the heat, and didn't struggle. So, you know, today ‑ that's why today's disappointing, because I think today is an exception. Maybe something else is going on inside.

But, uhm, yeah, I need to ‑ I think I need to spend a lot of time on the court and off the court now. Maybe just refocus for the next three, four days, take it off, and think a little bit, you know, about the last six months, what I want to do different, and just, you know, keep on training hard.

I think, you know, overall I have the game to be better than I am at the moment. And I think I've showed that, but just not enough, just by losing matches that I shouldn't have.

And, yeah, like I said, mentally French Open was not so easy for me, for that to happen in such a way, because I was playing well. That was a big disappointment I think mentally.

So, you know, there's nothing I can do. I just have to go on. You know, sometimes you win; sometimes you lose. I have to try to learn from this loss.

Q. How hard has it been over the last couple of months to block out your father, the distractions he must bring to you?

JELENA DOKIC: You know, I think Australian Open, I think I've answered all the questions regarding that. I just ‑ like even the past 10 years, since I've last been here, it's always been questions ‑‑ being asked questions about that. I just don't think it's necessary anymore that I answer that.

It's just something that hasn't been a part of my life for a long time. It's something that also took me a long time to figure out and get over. So I really don't think that for me to answer questions regarding that, every time he does something, I just don't think it's necessary, because it really has nothing to do with me.

I haven't even been reading the papers or the Internet. I didn't even have any idea what was going on. And, you know, then finding out that I'm in some other country when I'm practicing in Eastbourne, so I just don't see any use for me to answer those questions anymore.

I did it all in Australia. I did it even before Australia in the last few years. I did it since Australia. So I just, you know ‑ I know you guys have to ask those questions, and those are more interesting than the tennis, especially when a player loses. But, you know, I just don't feel like I have to answer them.

Q. Do you sometimes wonder what might have been if things had been different?

JELENA DOKIC: Uhm, I think you can always say, What if? I wasn't lucky in that sense. You know, I had some unfortunate things, but you can't pick what happens. And it happened. I think it was unfortunate that I had it so early on in my career. I was so young when things were going on, even here at this tournament when I was 16.

So, uhm, yeah, I mean, I still feel fortunate, though, that I was able to give myself another chance and get back in the top hundred and give myself a chance maybe to do better.

You know, honestly, two years ago this time, I wasn't even playing and I was thinking about quitting, so I think I'm still in a good position.

I think I handle situations like this, losses, very well still. I'm able to pick myself up and go on.

Q. What was it that brought you back from the verge of quitting then?

JELENA DOKIC: I don't know if I can pinpoint one thing. But, uhm, I mean, I was at a point where, you know, it was like I don't know if I could have gotten any lower than that.

You know, when you're battling depression, when you're overweight, you haven't touched a racquet for whatever, six months or a year, you really don't care anymore. That's the stage that I was at.

You know, then slowly I was actually thinking about what I might do with my life, because I made a decision at the time not to play. And then just, you know, out of nowhere, six months later, I thought I'd just try to pick up a racquet and play for fun for myself.

It turned into something different. I got that desire back. I thought, you know, I might give this another try, because I was not 30 or 35, I was still 24, and I still had a chance to come back.

I don't think I can pinpoint to a certain specific situation that turned it around, but I did, so...

Q. Top 50 still...

JELENA DOKIC: Why not? Things can turn around in one tournament, in one Grand Slam. They did at the Australian Open. So, uhm, I probably have my favorite part of the season coming now with the hard courts, indoors, even some clay events following Wimbledon.

There's still a lot of tournaments and tennis I can play, so hopefully I can turn it around and get some consistency.

Q. How far are you off being as fit as you'd like to be?

JELENA DOKIC: I still think I have a long way to go for my level. I still think I can be much, much better than I am. Especially playing more and more matches, that always helps, which I haven't had.

So, uhm, yeah, I don't think I'm probably as fit as I was in Australia, even though I've probably been playing more than I was before Australia. But, you know, I had a very good off‑season there for about two months. It was a good preparation.

But I still think I have a lot of work to do on and off the court definitely.

Q. It was a huge boost for Australia to have you back for that Fed Cup match. You now look at that and think that was an unwise thing to do?

JELENA DOKIC: I don't think it was a mistake. I love to play for Australia. I made myself available for Fed Cup, since I've played for Australia.

Yeah, I mean, maybe sometimes you need to focus on yourself. So, I don't know. Didn't help, obviously, but what's done is done. There's no blames. I mean, I don't blame anyone. I don't make excuses. You know, it's my fault if I lose or win. It's mine. I don't make any excuses.

But, yeah, it hasn't been easy since then.

Q. What has been the reaction of the public to you? What do people say to you? Do they remind you of 1999, or what?

JELENA DOKIC: It's been great. Look, you know, even though I've done well and I was No. 4 in the world, I still think I get pretty big crowds for someone's who 70 in the world at this stage. It's been nice all over the world, in Paris, here, Australia. It's been great to have that, so...

I was actually surprised with how full the court was today. It was unfortunate that I couldn't use that like I did in Australia to get me through the match today.

Q. How hard has it been to prepare for this Wimbledon, particularly with your injuries and stuff that's going on in your personal life?

JELENA DOKIC: I think not having any matches didn't help, and I knew it would be tough going into Wimbledon without any matches. Even though I played my Fed Cup on grass, I haven't played that much tennis on grass in the last five years.

I don't feel quite comfortable on grass like I used to just because I haven't played on it, you know, every year and haven't played any matches on it. But, uhm, you know, just not having enough matches I knew would hurt me probably here.

But still there is no excuse, especially after winning the first set. I think I should have, you know, finished the match and won the match.

Uhm, I got myself in a really good position to get through the first round. Yeah, it's very disappointing that I didn't finish the match, but sometimes that happens.

Q. Have you been surprised at how much interest and even affection there has been from the public over the last six months?

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah. I mean, I think I've had a very strange situation with everything that went on off the court. So I think maybe sometimes, you know, people look at that, and that makes a difference.

But, you know, I would like the people to come and watch me and see me as a tennis player, not because of something else. So, uhm, yeah, but it's still nice to have so much support obviously.

Q. I understand your reluctance to talk about your father. There has been speculation in the last couple weeks about some kind of reunion between the two of you.

JELENA DOKIC: Once again, I've said it a million times: I have absolutely nothing at all to do with him. So I don't see why people would think that I would reunite with my dad when every single question I answer is about me not doing that.

So, you know, there were reports I was there during Eastbourne, and I was practicing three times a day at Eastbourne in front of players and people. I don't understand where all these articles come from.

But it's okay. Now and forever, there is nothing, no way that I would ever, uhm, reunite with him or ever have a relationship with him, so...

This is the last sentence ever you guys will hear from me, and that's the way it is.

Q. Where does your schedule take you next?

JELENA DOKIC: Two clay court events after Wimbledon, and then on to hard court.

Q. Are you enjoying tennis at the moment compared to your younger days?

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah, I don't think I enjoyed it when I was younger. It was a completely different kind of pressure when I was younger. Obviously had other stuff going on off the court so I couldn't enjoy it as much. I played the quarterfinal, semifinal here two years back to back. I don't think I even knew how big that was. I don't think I knew how to enjoy it.

You know, the Australian Open, when I did well this year, it was a completely different kind of experience. And now, you know, it's not easy to lose a match like today, but I will be disappointed a little bit. But, you know, I still enjoy tennis. You cannot play well every day. That's the whole point of this sport.

And you get a chance every week. Every week is a new opportunity to do well. And, you know, if I'm able to come back and be in the top 30 or top 20 or top 10, great. You know, if not, I will know that I've tried. I can't change what has happened and what will happen, but I will try my best, you know, until the rest of my career and see how well I can do.

Q. A word about your opponent today. She was quite athletic.

JELENA DOKIC: Yeah. You know, I felt like the whole time when I was losing I was dictating the match, but just, you know, in the end made too many unforced errors. And, yeah, just wasn't able to play the right shots at the right time.

But, yeah, didn't play well at all end of the second set and the third especially, so... Need to do some work on that.

Q. When was the last press conference when you were only asked about tennis?

JELENA DOKIC: Never, unfortunately (smiling).


(via www.wimbledon.org, photo/Reuters Pictures)

Wimbledon 2009: Jelena Dokic 23. June Interview