ATP Tour World Championship

November 23, 1998

Alex Corretja

Q. What do you think of the draw?

ALEX CORRETJA: I hope that I am ready to play any of the players that are here. It's difficult for every player. Doesn't make a difference to play in one group or another group.

ALEX CORRETJA: It's obvious people are thinking about the other players. If we were playing on clay, maybe they would think about me. At this moment we are playing on hard court or GreenSet. It's normal that they think about other players. At the same time, I've been playing better this year. I won a title already. I think I'm quite prepared to do it well. I know it's not going to be easy. At the same time, I think I have some chances.

ALEX CORRETJA: They're doing maybe these changes because they are necessary. I would just hope it's fair for everybody. They'll have to try to think about players, hard court players, clay court players. We are all in the same group, on the same Tour.

ALEX CORRETJA: I don't know exactly what is the story. I don't really know. I just heard some rumors.

ALEX CORRETJA: Yes, much more than before. I was practicing for the last couple of years on hard courts. I was making a lot of efforts. I was practicing my aggressive game. I was improving a lot. It seems that all these efforts pay off right now, and I'm really glad about it. At the same time I was kind of tired that everybody called me a clay court player. Still the people call me clay court player, but I just laugh when they tell me like this.

ALEX CORRETJA: I don't care anymore. I'm kind of tired to hear people say, "You're just a clay court player." Or even when they call Americans hard court players. We are all in the same group, we are on the same Tour, and we are just players. I think we should consider the guys as professionals. It's obvious that you were born in Barcelona and you grew up on clay, you will be playing better there. If you were born in the States, it's normal that you play better on hard courts. But not because of this you have to be called clay court or hard court players. We are just players. The other things are just stupid things. It's obvious that you have maybe a preference to play on hard court or on clay, but not because of that they don't have to respect you when you go to play a hard court tournament.

ALEX CORRETJA: It's a medium surface. I think it's quite good. Let's see when we play a match because it's always a little faster, because we change balls every seven and nine games. It's normal that it's a little faster. But it seems quite good. I hope it's going to be fair for everybody.

ALEX CORRETJA: When I have time, I try to help people, in Spain and around the world when we are on the Tour. Sometimes you have the chance, I like to go there and visit the kids because we help a lot and give to them some good spirit, and they see something positive when they see people who are in good shape, play sports like tennis. They try to grow well. That's what we're trying to do normally.

ALEX CORRETJA: In my personal group, I think I will have to play really good tennis. It's obvious that will have to play Rios, Agassi and Henman. Two of them are baseline players, they play real aggressive. The other is playing good serve and volley, puts a lot of pressure to you the whole time. For sure it's going to be tough to win any of these matches.

ALEX CORRETJA: That's a funny question because I was practicing with Agassi when he hurt his back. I was playing a forehand to his forehand. He just fell down. I'm really sorry about it. I felt a little bad.

ALEX CORRETJA: For you maybe. I think it's better for everybody can play because he deserve it. He's been playing well through the whole year.

ALEX CORRETJA: I don't even think about it. It's interesting for the spectators to see the guy who can finish No. 1 in the world. Not especially for me. I don't think it's going to make any difference honestly.

ALEX CORRETJA: I think it's a good court, a medium court. Not too fast, not too slow. I think it's fair for everybody, maybe for the guys who can play from the baseline, and also maybe for the serve and volley. I think it's going to be good tennis.