ROLAND GARROS

May 23, 2026

Diane Parry

Press Conference

THE MODERATOR: Diane, could you please explain how your preparations have been going for Roland Garros?

DIANE PARRY: Pretty good. I arrived here a few days ago, and practicing here in Roland Garros with nice weather, so everything going well. Excited to start, and always happy to be here.

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. I'm curious how you're feeling about your level, especially after your performance in Paris. Where do you feel you're at?

DIANE PARRY: Good. I had a good last ten days. Good week in Paris with the win and even in Strasbourg even if I didn't go as far as I wanted, I played two good matches.

Not much energy in the last one, but yeah, I had some good stuff on the court. My game is here, so yeah, I'm happy and excited to start here.

Q. It's been really interesting watching you in the last, I don't know, year or so with your backhand and using two-hander sometimes and one-hander other times. I'm curious just what your aim is with that, and when did you decide to make that change?

DIANE PARRY: The preseason is almost the only period when you have time to work on things. So with my team we always try to improve also, of course, my game. It was a part that it was important to improve, so we were thinking maybe this can help me to return with two-handed.

So, I mean, that was the first I've wanted, and I convinced my coach, so we tried. I mean, of course, and taking time to feel good and be better on the return, but I think it's going well.

I feel much more comfortable than already like a few weeks or month ago. I think it's in a good way. If I improve, it can be a good weapon.

Q. What is the challenge of returning with a one-hander compared to a two-hander?

DIANE PARRY: I think you have less strength. I mean, it's tough. I was always returning with a slice, because I didn't have the time to change my grip to have the grip for my backhand. Yeah, it was a part that I wasn't satisfied about it. I wasn't able to take control of the points as much as I wanted.

So, yeah, I think with the two-handed I can at least, you know, block and return faster, and this can help me for my game.

Q. I'm sure you've talked about this in the past, but I believe when you were younger, you had a two-hander, right?

DIANE PARRY: Yeah, I changed when I was, like, 12 maybe.

Q. What was that process like when you changed to a one-hander?

DIANE PARRY: I had to start all over again. I forgot everything about my previous backhand. I couldn't put one ball on the court at the beginning, so, yeah, it was just, like, doing some again.

Also, I just need to return, so it's not that tough as if I have to change the whole backhand. So I'm trying to work on it, and it still has to improve.

Q. One more backhand question. I saw in your match against Raducanu, when you were serving for the match, you hit one single-handed winner and then one two-handed backhand winner. At times, do you use the two-hander in kind of open play as well when it feels right?

DIANE PARRY: No, I feel it's more the feeling at that time. You know, you don't have the, like, minute to think about it, so it's, like, just reaction.

On this ball I felt that it was the most safe shot to do, so I just did it. I think I was right, because sometimes, you know, you're not always in position to hit well your backhand, so sometimes it's easier if you have your second hand to help you.

On that shot it was the case, so yeah.

Q. (Off microphone.)

DIANE PARRY: I don't have any in particular. It's just, like, when it comes.

THE MODERATOR: Questions in French.

Q. They are announcing a lot of heat, very hot weather. So what do you feel?

DIANE PARRY: Well, you know, we know usually about the weather. It can be very difficult, for example, in Australia and then depending on where you are, but it's just a question of adaptation, because lately the weather has been cold and rainy. So you need to take a few days to adjust, but even for the tournament it's much more pleasant to play under those conditions.

Q. Talking about warmth again, we talk more and more about the heat. Especially in Cincinnati and Shanghai, even though it was humid weather. Have you been adapting to these heat waves or not?

DIANE PARRY: Well, you know, not really. After all, we don't have much time in between the tournaments to do. So, you know, well, my preseason was always in Paris, as I live in Paris. Obviously that wasn't the best thing to get prepared for Doha or Australia, but for the past two years now I've been living in Dubai, so it's much east to adapt to the weather.

It's easier as far as the trip is concerned. When I go to Australia, it's shorter. The preseason is probably one of the few periods of the year where you can adjust, but otherwise, you don't have time.

Q. After Dubai are you going to change the idea of relocating there in view of what's happening politically?

DIANE PARRY: No, I'm there, and I'm not changing things for the moment. We are just watching the situation hoping things don't get worse and come back to normal.

Q. (Off microphone.)

DIANE PARRY: No, the tour didn't enable me to do so, especially after I had Indian Wells and the clay season in Europe.

Q. Diane, there are still line judges here, linesmen. What do you think about that?

DIANE PARRY: I think it's a good thing, because it is a certain tradition, even though it's one of the only Grand Slam tournaments and one of the few tournaments which hasn't switched to electronic devices for arbitration, but I think it's better to have linesmen, plus the Hawk-Eye, because when you only have Hawk-Eye or the electronic device, you may have mistakes, and it's even more frustrating.

Q. Question about Gael. You were in the party on Thursday night. What's your vision about that party and about Gael?

DIANE PARRY: This was a bit of a surprise. He called me the day before. I thought I was going to stay sitting in the public, but he called me to take part in the evening, and I had absolutely no second thought. I said yes right away.

It was a great pleasure to be part of this with all the great players that were on court. I hope he's going to give us beautiful emotions, beautiful moments for this last Roland Garros in his last year.

Q. What would you say would be a successful Roland Garros for you?

DIANE PARRY: It's a good question. Obviously to go through several rounds. I would already like to manage it through the second week. It would be very satisfactory.

But in Grand Slam tournament matches are very difficult. I'm going to play against a girl who is highly confident these days, so it's going to be a very difficult match already.

So the most important is to feel 100% at physical level, and I will play my game as I want on the court, and I hope this will take me up.

Q. You used to say that you get on better with all the girls in the locker room. What about Gael? Is it the same?

DIANE PARRY: Yes. We got much closer during the Olympics last year. No, two years ago. Oh, it's going fast.

So we were all together for two weeks, and this created a lot of links between us. We kept that, and it was extraordinary. So I don't think the age difference and the age gap makes a difference for him, and it doesn't make any difference to me, so it was great.

Q. In terms of confidence, how helpful was it to have good results in the Clarins Tournament and then in Strasbourg?

DIANE PARRY: Well, that's all you can wish for before you start Roland. If you can bring in victories, it helps your confidence, and I'm really happy to have had that behind me.

I hope to continue along the same line, to continue feeling well in my game, to continue making headway and keeping my game plan.