TMS - LISBON

November 27, 2000

Alex Corretja

ALEX CORRETJA: I feel great. After I've been fighting so hard this year, I think it's an honor for me to be back in the Masters. You feel like you're one of the best players in the world.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, I hope not. I believe it's going to be okay for me to play good tennis this week. If I play well, it's going to be all right to get to the Davis Cup in good position, confidence. If not, I will have some days for practice to get used to the clay again. Of course, we talk a lot about this thing. I hope it not going to be a problem for me to adjust my game to clay because we have to remember that for us still it's easier to play on clay than on hard courts.

ALEX CORRETJA: I hope. I mean, I've been playing on hard courts for a while already. It's not going to be easy to make it. Maybe I need a couple of days. Of course, we still have a really good team, so if I'm not 100%, we have Ferrero, Costa. They're good enough or even better than myself to play on Friday or Sunday, whatever the captains decide.

ALEX CORRETJA: I think we are open guys, open mentalities. All of us, we try to work really hard. Beside that, we don't care if the other does better than we do. Usually we get motivated. It's not something like you get jealous because your partners are playing better than you. You get motivated and feel like you want to do it well, as well. For Davis Cup, it worked.

ALEX CORRETJA: Working and working, that's the only key. Of course, playing a lot of tournaments, making a lot of efforts, practicing pretty hard. From my point of view, after I won 14 tournaments in my year, I believe seven of them are either on hard courts or indoors. Maybe it means I'm not just a clay court player, like many people said. Once I show I can play there, I'm hoping I can do it well on grass once because at least I will prove myself I can play there.

ALEX CORRETJA: I believe I have good chances. I also feel like I can really win the tournament. I also can say I can lose three straight matches in the round-robin. Level right now is pretty equalized, pretty even. It's not going to be easy to find a winner before the tournament starts. Maybe that's happened in the past, but not this time.

ALEX CORRETJA: It's unbelievable, like a dream come true. I played once, I won. Hopefully I can repeat again.

ALEX CORRETJA: If I would think that way, I wouldn't be here. From my point of view, my preference was to be 100% for Davis Cup. When I talked with my coach, my trainer, we decided it would be better to play this tournament after we've been fighting so hard this year to qualify, then we will have some days to get ready for clay. Also, if I would be the only guy we have in our team, maybe I should consider it to stay home. But since we have Ferrero, Costa already practicing there, and Ferrero and Costa can play singles even better than myself, we are not worried about it.

ALEX CORRETJA: Both are really important because you've been fighting the whole year to qualify to play here. It is true that you have to play here because the calendar, it says Masters is first, then is Davis Cup. But if I will have to pick, of course, I won Masters once and we never won Davis Cup. For me, it would be really nice to help my team win the Davis Cup. Right now I'm just focus on this tournament. The main thing for me is to play well here, get confidence, get back to Barcelona, practice on clay, get used to. If the others play better, I will have some more days for practice.

ALEX CORRETJA: If I would be surprised I wouldn't be a tennis player. It's impossible. You are proud to be here because you fight to be here the whole year. I been here already once. For me, it's a confirmation that I can think I'm in a good way.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes, yes, because otherwise I won't be here. I mean, if you don't believe in yourself, you cannot be anywhere, you know. It's true that when you start the year, you have some doubts, you are 30 in the world, you're not Top 10, and you lost at the beginning of the year bad play in Australia. Still you feel like you going to be back. That's why I'm here, I trust in myself, I kept working. Finally, here we are.

ALEX CORRETJA: This year till today, I think it's my best year.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes. I still have two big tournaments to come with this Masters and the Davis Cup final. If I'm able to win one of those or if I don't win here but I help my team to win next week, I will consider it as my greatest year. '98 was great, but I believe this year, it's even better.

ALEX CORRETJA: It was special. Indian Wells was special for me. It's been a while for me to win another tournament. Of course, I play pretty good tennis at that time in Indian Wells. It was difficult time, especially after '99 when I was injured with some problems, mentally a little tired. It was great to come back and win a big tournament.

ALEX CORRETJA: The main problems are when you work hard, you practice a lot, you travel all around, you have to fight every match. Sometimes you feel like you're weak and you want to rest, you want to stay home. That's the main problem. It was nothing that I can say I was sick because I had something, some illness. No, I had some virus, but that was part of my life, my tennis. I had to deal with that. I wasn't worried about it because I thought and I knew and I was hoping to be back at my best level. That's why I'm here.

ALEX CORRETJA: No. In 1998, people thought I had no chance to win Hannover. What it means, that nobody knows anything, not even the players. If I had to pick two players to play in the final Sunday, I probably make a big mistake. Maybe I will pick two guys, and none of them will be there. It's impossible to make a comment or preview saying, "These guys are going to be there." Who knows? It's difficult, especially these days when everybody is playing good tennis. At least I hope this year is going to happen the same thing. In the magazine, I hope they say I have no chance to win.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, you have to realize that here we are eight players and I can face him. I have to be ready for everything. Of course, I think it's going to be bigger next week in Davis Cup final, but still it depends in which round it can be here. It could also be really big here. I have to be ready and see how it goes.

ALEX CORRETJA: I mean, every match is different. When you play indoors on this surface, it is different than playing next week on clay in Barcelona, Davis Cup. You never know. Of course, sometimes it help a little bit. You got to go day-by-day. You don't know if you're going to be better than him on Tuesday, and maybe you can lose to him on Wednesday.

ALEX CORRETJA: The rest of the team?

ALEX CORRETJA: We're feeling great, yes, because I think our team is pretty strong. We play at home, we play on clay, where we prefer to play. Already we're practicing on clay and getting ready. Even if I'm playing here, we are not worried because we believe that if I'm not a hundred percent to play, I won't play, that's all. We have strong players to play even better than myself. It is not a problem for us. It would be a problem if I'm the only one in my country who can play Davis Cup, and I'm playing here. Maybe we could talk about it. But right now, that's not the case because we have a big team.

ALEX CORRETJA: That's not my call, because I'm not the captain - yet (laughter). Of course, there is a chance. But I have my doubts.

ALEX CORRETJA: I'm feeling okay.

ALEX CORRETJA: I'm not a hundred percent sure because I would have to practice again in Hannover or get back. I would say it's pretty much the same. Probably the ball here is a little slower than on that day. Probably, but I'm not sure. Maybe you should talk to the others. I feel it's pretty much the same, maybe a little slower than in Hannover, from my point of view. I think it's slowed down a little bit, the surface. I think it's good for everybody, no?

ALEX CORRETJA: '74 or something.

ALEX CORRETJA: Thank you (laughter). Well, of course, by the tournaments I play, it is successful. If you play four tournaments per year, you win one, reach quarters in Bercy, now you have a chance to do well here, it means that you adjust your game pretty well, you develop your game better than before, and you are better tennis player. Otherwise, it would be impossible to be there, no?

ALEX CORRETJA: That's difficult to say. If we play on that part of the season, with this weather, unless you go to someplace in South America, which I thought next year we were going to be there, but I don't know what happened, we're going to the other side of the world. It is difficult. I think for the show, for the spectators, it is better to play indoors. It's easier to have the times, you know, you're sure it's not going to rain, there's not to be bad winds. Also, if they play on conditions like this court, I think it's fair for everybody. It won't make that much sense to play on clay at the end of the year because if we play through September, after US Open, indoors, then Masters we have to play on clay, I told them already, maybe for me it would be better, but I would see it a little strange.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, it's the same as we had in semifinals when they said it was great chance to get to the finals. It was the first time that we play home. We had the chance to go there. I think we should consider it the same way as we've been doing. We are not going to find anything new to prove. You have to go on the court, practice hard, practice every day, then get ready for Friday, the guys who play, and see how it goes, go point by point.

ALEX CORRETJA: Which result? Here or Davis Cup?

ALEX CORRETJA: No, I cannot. It's impossible. It's not my style to make predictions unless I'm home with my family. Here I won't say that because it's really difficult. I said before, I don't believe anybody knows what's going to happen this week and not even next week. It's really impossible to know. The only thing I can say is I hope we going to win.

ALEX CORRETJA: But I said "at home." I don't even know. I don't even think about it. Because I'm still here. For me, most important thing is to concentrate on this tournament, go day-by-day, play my first match and see how it goes. From my point of view, we are a little bit more favorites than them because we play home and because we play on clay. If we would play in Melbourne on Rebound Ace, their surface, in front of their home crowd, I would say they're the favorites, honestly.

ALEX CORRETJA: We'll see next days if I'm playing good enough to win. Of course, I feel good on the court. I feel good outside the court, which is also very important for us. I can say my chances pretty high in this tournament. Also, as I said, I can see my chances losing three rounds in the round-robin. Level is pretty even. Everybody plays good tennis. Here there are just eight guys who have been playing pretty good tennis through the whole year. They already show they can do it better and better.

ALEX CORRETJA: Like Mel Gibson, you mean, in the movie? I know (laughter). For me it's great, mainly because I love to live where I live in my hometown, which is ten kilometers from Barcelona. It's a quiet place, nice place, open city, open minds. We are, I believe, people with a lot of friendship there. We like to be there. We like to live there. We have a living. Sometimes it is tough for us to go outside because we really feel well at home.

ALEX CORRETJA: All my family is living there, my family is. Girlfriend is living there. That's why it's important for me to come back to Barcelona sometimes.

ALEX CORRETJA: It was a great experience for me to know a little bit better the ATP inside, to see how the people work inside the ATP, and to thank them at the same time. When you are outside, you feel like they doing something wrong the whole time, you criticize more things, and you don't know why. But once you're there, once you're inside, you appreciate much more the work these guys do because it's pretty difficult. We were pretty complicated, and we are not easy persons. Sometimes it feels like we are, you know, stars, but probably we're not that much as we believe. It is good to see that these guys are doing a terrific job. And at the same time you feel like the tennis players, when you need them -- I would say tennis players, probably many persons in this world, when you need them, they are not there, you know? It is good to see how it works.

ALEX CORRETJA: I'm happy with the way it works right now. Of course, we still have something to improve - like everybody. I think it is nice to see that we can still increase our credit. I believe it's still a moment where many people don't know exactly what the ATP is. I think we are a big sport, really nice game. We could still develop better our game, which I believe is going to be good for everybody to know everybody how it works, the ATP.

ALEX CORRETJA: It's difficult to know. I believe they know a lot about the ATP, but we are a lot of players. Before maybe they just know like four players, they always play finals, semifinals, and they can identify themselves with the players, you know. But now it's different. Every weekend there is different winners - almost every weekend. It's not easy to identify yourself with the players because everybody has his own personality, his own mentality. Is not easy to find a way to get involved with the people, no?

ALEX CORRETJA: I believe, yes, because it would be better for the players, of course, maybe better for the game, better for the public. My situation, it's much comfortable than the others, much easier than the others. At this moment I'm not maybe ranked 70 in the world or 80, which they can talk about other situation. Maybe they said, "Well, you're talking from there because you are No. 80 in the world." Then you could say, "It would be better if we reduce it." You should think about the others, as well. Of course, to make it more popular, I think we should reduce calendars.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, many. You can pick Sampras. You could say Safin, Krajicek, Rusedski, Ivanisevic, many others. I don't know if I forget someone.

ALEX CORRETJA: It depends. It's difficult to say that because it depends on the surface. Maybe you like Agassi's backhand. For clay, maybe you prefer better, Costa.

ALEX CORRETJA: Same thing. To play on hard courts, it is different. Maybe Sampras has really good forehand. Maybe to play on clay, I would prefer maybe Moya's.

ALEX CORRETJA: Well, many things happened in one year. Right now, it is difficult to remember. You need some time to remember that. When you're traveling around, you always have some good experience. Funny ones, this year at the Olympics was pretty funny experience with all the athletes because it was special for us. We're not used to play there. It is, of course, a different situation. You have to share rooms with all players, with the other people. That was a great experience. I don't know if more the funny one, but it was good.

ALEX CORRETJA: I'll tell you, don't follow me (laughter). I don't know yet. I need to think about it. It will depend how it go in Davis Cup. As you know, after Davis Cup we'll have to do some things. I will see. Of course, I will have some rest, pretty long one, because I don't want to stress myself. Next year, at the beginning of the year, I'm going to start and I don't want to push myself too much. I did it in '99 and it didn't work. I hope with that experience, it will be better for next year.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes, a little bit.

ALEX CORRETJA: On the court, I don't like to step on the lines. When I'm running during the point, I'm looking at the lines. When I finish, I don't like to step on the lines. Sometimes I take the ball from the same ball boy that give you the last time because you won the point. Usually, I leave the racquet in the same position when I go to my bench. I don't know, something like this. Outside the court, it depends how it goes, it depends how you feel, how crazy you are at the moment.

ALEX CORRETJA: I personally like the Champions Race. I think it was a good idea. Maybe at the beginning nobody understand it so much. I hope after one year, everybody is going to understand it easier. When we start next year in January, I believe nobody's going to say that the guy who wins the first tournament is No. 1 in the world. The No. 1 in the race is going to be at the end of the year. If you win the first tournament of the year, you are leading the race. At the beginning, every time you change something, it's always some controversy. The feedback is sometimes good, sometimes it's not. From my point of view, it's pretty good. It's easier to count. There's no bonus points. Everybody knows how many points you reach, how many points you get, and that's all. I don't know if some people said it's not the same to win, I don't know, let's say Sampras in Wimbledon than to beat a Spanish player in Wimbledon. I know it's not the same, but it's not the same to beat Bayern Munich at home than to beat another team elsewhere.