Cornetová enjoyed the tournament and her free time in Prague. And he’s about to break the record
Prague is a favorite destination for Alizé Cornetová. And the Czech capital is not just one of her tennis addresses. “I love this city, I’ve been here before, I think seven or eight times. The last time I played here was the Billie Jean King Cup six months ago, but it was freezing here, so the conditions were completely different, and I have to say that I love summer Prague more,” smiles the vital Frenchwoman, who played the role of the fifth seeded player at the Livesport Prague Open. “You have a lot of parks here, which I really like. I like to walk in them and one is right next to the tennis complex, so sometimes I pick myself up between training sessions and go for a walk in Stromovka,” he admits.
The best period of her career was experienced by the French player in 2009, when she climbed to the eleventh place in the WTA rankings. “I think I’m a better player now than I was fifteen years ago, even though my ranking was better then. I’m really happy because my performance can be seen throughout my career, even now I’m in the Top 40. But I’m definitely different, I control my emotions better, I’m more mature and calm,” thinks the native of Nice by the sea. Although her temperament has definitely not left her: “I definitely have the same fire in me as when I was fifteen years old and that’s what people like about me. He knows that I will always see how I fight on the court. That’s just how I am.”
The Prague tournament is Cornet’s first stop after the successful Wimbledon, in the third round of which she sensationally knocked out world number one Iga Šwiateková from Poland. “It was a special moment for me. Beating Iga, who was undefeated at the time and had a 37 match unbeaten streak, was a really big deal. I figured someone had to stop the streak, and I was happy it was me. Plus it was on court number 1 at Wimbledon, which was incredible. Thanks to such moments, I work hard every day,” she confessed about the feelings she experienced a few weeks ago at London’s All England Club.
The fact that a truly great personality of world tennis has arrived in Prague is evidenced by one admirable statistic that adorns Alizé Cornet: “I haven’t missed a single one of the last 63 Grand Slams, which is a bit of a miracle. Now I should break the record at the US Open, so I hope to stay healthy until then. I’m really excited about it because it’s probably the truest expression of my career. Constantly playing at a high level and not being injured even once is something I can be proud of,” says the quarter-finalist of this year’s Australian Open.
Currently, she and the Japanese Ai Sugiyama have 63 Grand Slam appearances in a row, so a new world record can really be set in New York.