QUESTION : When did you realize you became a real tennis player ?

AM : There were several triggerings off. First in 1996 when I won Roland Garros Junior, I 've realized I could do good things. Then there was Berlin in 98 and the Fed Cup. In fact I would say Berlin where I reached the final, marked the beginnings of a career which really began in Melbourne last year. That's sure, because everything don't come overnight. Regarding fame and prestigious its came suddenly in one week in Australia.

QUESTION : Which memory do you keep from the Melbourne Park Stadium ?

AM : I've got only strong pictures and intense moments of emotion. In my head , I've always got this picture where I exult at the end of the match against Davenport. There is only good . Honestly I was quite impatient to be there.

QUESTION : When you talk about this strong picture verse Davenport in semi final. Is a memory you felt right off or the picture that everybody have seen of you ?

AM : I've often watched the match on video tape and what I see again it's what people have watched on their TV because I have no memory of what I 've felt except the impression to feel a huge shiver and joy right off. I haven't thought about the final.

QUESTION : And after the final lost ?

AM : It was a feeling of relief. First there was a huge satisfaction. I had succeeded in a fabulous course for me. I was happy. Even if I was a little bit disappointed at not to manage my last match.

QUESTION : What are the reasons that you believe to suceed this year again ?

AM : Work, because I work to win. One lesson of 99 was I coul repeat on several occasions a good matches serie . In Melbourne where I played better and better the passing two weeks and in Coubertin in Paris as well. My results in sydney proof I became more solid il all part of the game. As days and years go along I will play more regularly my best level game. I know I 'm going to be more and more consistant and steadier.

QUESTION : But this year 99 was afterwards full of sudden revivals. How do you consider it today ?

AM : There was everything, good, very good and bad moments too. There was pressure, moments of mediatic fury. I've heard ,seen, or read things about me which weren't easy to take. I became hardened.

QUESTION : As you talk about the mediatic pressure which happened after your exploit but above all after your revelation in Melbourne. Did you expect this pressure or did it go beyond of what you have been expected ?

AM : I enterely underestimated what it has happened in France when I came back. And with distance, I think we were right to take 2 week's holiday immediatly after the Australian Open. It allowed to everybody to came down on earth. Because when I saw tons and tons interview requests I realised that something was happening .

QUESTION : Which distance, did you regret your public declaration about your relationship with your girlfriend ? Isuppose it hasn't been easy to control it when you came back in France ?

AM : No never. This question was often asked to me and I 've never regreted my behavior at any time. Because I know wether I well played in Australia it's because I assumed my private life. It allowed me to be in harmony with what I was. I felt more free. And don't forget I've declared my homosexuality not after the final but after the second round.

QUESTION : Are you proud of your gesture ?

AM : In a certain way yes because I'm in harmony with myself but it hasn't been easy.

QUESTION : The fact that nobody blamed you or criticized you didn't suprise you ?

AM : Yes, everybody found that normal or pretended to find that normal. But at the end it wasn't negative. That's true.

QUESTION : Did you draw many lessons from it ?

AM : In fact this year corfimed what I was thinking. You get nothing for nothing. If I've got these results in 99 it's not by hanging about all the day and getting out everynight as I could have heard or read. I understood that.
And I understood you'd better be honest with yourself if not you don't feel good.

QUESTION : And all this perssure, do you think it prejudiced your tennis ?

AM : No, I think I came through it well. I've done what I've thought it was good. Especially in the media's choice and I don't have any regret.

QUESTION : Nevertheless, after you injury in Roland Garros, you said that accident wasn't happening quite by chance.

AM : That's true. At the approach of RG, pressure was growning to become very strong after the draw and incredibly intense at the second round's eve verse Hingis. Perhaps I wasn't ready to support that so early in a tournament. And the following day of my defeat, I perhaps suffered because of a certain decompression due to the nervous tension which disappeared at one go. If I've been seriously injured on the court it was surely due to a loss of watchfulness. It's why I said it wasn't necessarily a lack of luck.

QUESTION : You analyze things like Noah's way.

AM : I'm not surprised. I think we've got the same way to see things. In a certain way I feel close to him.

QUESTION : Do you think that injury's effect hasn't been totally bad ?

AM : In fact, it strenghtened me, because it allowed me to support quietly and lonely everything which has been happening since Australia. A thing so strong that it's got a tremendous impact in tennis world and in society too
Me, I needed to digest everything. With distance you don't come out unhurt of six months of madness like that without going crasy. For me it was expressed by an injury. And I think it will have been positive for the rest of my career.

QUESTION : And for yours thighs injuries ? Is it the same problem. Have you a logic explanation ?

AM : No in this case it's a specific problem. I've got a weakness. I try to correct it with work. A pain in my right thigh has been broken out since the US Open. I think it could come from a compensation problem with my ankle.
Anyway, during my Australian tour preparation I felt nothing. I hope it was just an after effect of my accident in RG.

QUESTION : Can you tell us more about your changing of caoch. What's happened ?

AM : In fact, I LEFT Warwick Bashford in 98 because he tended to appropriate my results. I didn't want to know this situation again and that's why I joined the Demongeot team in 99. I wanted to join a structure without going back in routine. I needed little bit of independance. So after few months of good work with Christophe Fournerie, the team coach, he's got different views with Isabelle Demongeot who is the chief. That explains the end of our collaboration and I've found Sophie Collardey.

QUESTION : But in Austratia CF talked about your collaboration in long term ?

AM : It's a mistake from his part. It has never been question that he 'd follow me everywhere as he pretended. I remember he said " I'll go with Amelie on every tournaments " It has never been question of that. First of all I want to go alone on certain tournaments and secondly I own to nobody !

QUESTION : In this case, didn't he repeat what you was reproaching to bashford ?

AM : Yes certainly, a little bit.

QUESTION : You seem to be very careful to people doesn't appropriate your merits ?

AM : Yes, because I begin to have a certain exprerience of player-coach relationships. I don't want a coach saying " It's thanks to me that… " I don't say that I manage alone. There are people helping me, it can be my coach, it can be Sylvie or people around me. But I think there is nobody who can say " It's thanks to me ". Don't forget it's me on the court, it's me gripping the racket even if there is work done and advice given to me. It's a state of mind, and this training system fits me well.

QUESTION : But that's a lot of coaches since yours beginnings ?

AM : It depends on people's nature. Graf's got only 2 coaches in her career and it succeeded. Me I need to change. I've got the impression I need a new person regularly.

QUESTION : And with Sophie Collardey ?

AM : A sum up of the situation will be made after the Australian Open or after the Gaz de France Open in Paris. It's true I've been trained by several persons for one year. The fact I change coaches don't mean I don't get on with them. But Idecided to work like that. It's a willing from me. For the moment nothing has been decided for the rest of the season. The decision will be taken with Isabell Demongeot.

QUESTION : Don't you be afraid of not to play enough and take the risk to see the interval growing between you and the best players who play regularly and progress in each match ?

AM : Nobody is in my place. If some players play 30 tournaments and find pleasure, fine for them. Me, I prefer playing less tournaments and favouring the qualitative.

QUESTION : It's double edged because you get a great pressure on each tournaments becoming necessarily more important.

AM : I 'm going in a tournament when I really want to play. I can't play my best tennis for eleven months, so I choose. It's my nature. I need to feel pleasure in winning, I don't say " playing " I say " wining ". Wining without pleasure boring me. Everyone 's got his choices.

QUESTION : But like this you don't have chance to meet regularly the best players, especially as your ranking you have to reach the last rounds to play big matches.

AM : Maybe, but they lack references verse me. In Australia Davenport wasn't expecting the game level I've played in semi final. Perhaps one day it will be a disadvantage. But my desire is not to play 30 tournaments in a year. Nevertheless, last year I played 16 tournaments missing 2 months. I'll say I can play 18 or 20 touraments. Davenport, Hingis Williams played 20 tournament maximum.

QUESTION : What will your choice ? To leave aside everything for five years, live only for the tennis and become number one or to favour alife harmoniously shared between tennis and private life even if it means a career less prestigious ?

AM : Its not an easy question, but anyway, I think I'm unable to eat, sleep and think tennis for five years. I need a balance to be fine. Perhaps it's because I made the contrary for years. To eleven at eighteen, my entire life was devoted to tennis. At a certain moment I had to invert things and it's when I inverted the system results began coming.

QUESTION : In your mind, where are you placing you in relation to Hingis, Davenport, Williams ?

AM : I don't wonder this kind of question. I know I can be at their level at grand slam tournaments. In any case my aims are not a matter of ranking but a matter of game. I want to have more fun on court.

QUESTION : In matter of victory, with which victories could you consider to have suceeded your career ?

AM : What I want at the end of my career is to win a grand slam tournament, RG of course. But beyond the ranking, I put a great importance in emotion on the court. I 'd turn towards this direction rather than want to be number one. In fact I think I can win several grand slam tournaments on different surfaces.

QUESTION : Has the expression of the other players on you changed with the passing months ?

AM : No, I don't think so. Generally I've always got good relationships with the other players.

QUESTION : And you've got still problems with some of them ?

AM : (laughs) I don't go throw my arms around Hingis ' neck. A victory against her gets a paticular favour, it's sure. In Couvertin in Paris I didn't let her away with it and beat her was very good. Beat her again in Sydney, then Davenport, let's say it's a little satisfaction.

QUESTION : In private, do the other gay players grateful you for your revelation ?

AM : Not really, I'd say they are afraid of I denounce them. (laughs). There is only one who congratulated me. Only one.