For her return to the courts at the FFT Elite Challenge in the South, Alizé Cornet, 30, does not have to travel far. La Niçoise, out on Thursday in the quarterfinals of the stage ... from Nice, quietly goes back and forth from her home. The world number 59 is much more apprehensive about the possibility of a trip to the United States…
How is the recovery going?
ALIZÉ CORNET. It's weird, especially since it's not a tournament we're used to. It's very silly but we don't have pickups, we're going to get our balls… It looks a bit like training matches but with the challenge of wanting to do well and get back on track. There are very few people, members and chaperones of players who are authorized. It is not unpleasant, good enough child.
Were you worried about sanitary measures?
No, there is just a certain euphoria to find a semblance of competition and the stress to be up to it. But you shouldn't have too many expectations. I take a look at the level of play and we are not at the best. Physically, we are all a little in agony because it is hot and we have not played games for a long time. The body shoots right away ... But all of that gives us hope.
The circuit should resume in early August. Can you imagine playing the US Open?
To be honest, I have a lot of trouble, especially when I see how they want to organize it (Editor's note: from August 31 to September 13) . The on-site measures will be drastic, limit too much. An oversized American that does not reassure me. It’s all very anxiety-provoking. It gives the impression that it is far too early, but that we are doing it anyway because the business must continue. Even for travel, quarantine on the outward journey or on return, it is still the artistic blur. The WTA prefers to make a circuit that is not fair rather than no circuit at all.
Will it really be the US Open?
It's going to be at several speeds, even more than usual. It is a shame that there are no qualifications! I don't even know how they dare to suggest that. It is absurd. We have been talking for months about the players between 100th and 250th who are struggling the most and the first decision of the US Open is to penalize them. It's absurd. Already that tennis is unequal ... All that does not enchant me.
Newsletter - The essentials of the news
Every morning, the news seen by Le ParisienI'm registering
Your email address is collected by Le Parisien to allow you to receive our news and commercial offers. Find out more
When will you decide to go?
(Smile) I'm waiting, but I don't know what I'm waiting for. What blocks me is this story of quarantine. I don't want to arrive two weeks early and be stuck on the way back. I am a player with a soft stomach, around 50. I also cannot afford to miss a Grand Slam in terms of money and points. My interest as a player would be to go there. But is it my interest to be human? I do not know…
View this post on Instagram
ᏫᎻ ᎽᎬᎪᎻ • #freedom 🥳💃🏼🎾
A post shared by Alizé Cornet (@alizecornet) on May 12, 2020 at 11:01 am PDT
How is tennis going through the crisis?
There was a lot of noise for not much. We talked about the ATP-WTA merger and nobody talks about it anymore, we talked about helping the players but I don't really see the benefits, we have a recovery that nobody is convinced of the timing… I don't don't know if it comes from tennis or just from the company which gropes with this virus. The WTA and ATP are trying to survive and are doing what they can to put their interests first. It defends itself but up to a certain limit. The well-being of the players must be a priority and I sometimes have the impression that this is not the case.
It pulls a little from all sides…
We are ultra-divided and I thought that these events would bring us together. I am completely for someone to represent us and to stop leaving in all directions. But we are still at the same point. There are too many players with ATP, WTA, ITF, Grand Slam tournaments, the players' council but which works in parallel for ATP and WTA and lacks impartiality. On arrival, nothing changes and we are led by the nose because we are not united. Too bad the crisis has taught us nothing. We could have gotten together and said sorry we're not coming to the US. And what do you want the US to do? They weren't going to play it without players! This is where we are really stupid… ATP, WTA, ITF divide to rule better and we let ourselves be done because we don't really have power.
What inspired you from the wave of positive cases of Covid-19 in boys?
We are part of the population, everyone can catch it, we saw it with Frances Tiafoe. We are as vulnerable as the others. Afterwards, the Adria Tour was an international scam, this thing of taking no action and believing yourself stronger than everyone else. You really have to be serious and I am very surprised that Djokovic could have taken this risk even if it started with a good intention. In such a crisis period, you cannot do anything.
Exactly 6 years ago 💭💭💭
On this day of june 2014, I lived one of the craziest moment of my career @Wimbledon 🤯🙏
Really missed this special athmosphere this year # Wimby #memories
Exactly 6 years ago, I lived there one of the craziest moments of my career 🤩 #Wimbledon pic.twitter.com/QdqnVsuZP1
The ticket office for Roland-Garros has just opened. Does that put balm in the heart?
Yes, see you there. The fact that this is played with a few audiences is comforting. Sport is communion with people, encouragement, applause. When it's not there, it takes magic out of our profession. This is why we do this job, show and sharing.
The containment has allowed you to quench your passion for writing. Do you always spend so much time on it?
Less, necessarily. I loved the containment. I did an hour and a half of sports a day, one or two hours of writing (note: his first book must come out at the start of the school year) , I read… Life started again at 200 an hour, we found the old women habits. I will have more time when I am in a tournament with the hollow moments of travel and hotel stays.
