During her preparations for the current US Open Series tournaments, gave an interview to popular North American website associatedcontent.com. The following is an extract from the Q & A interview with journalist Jason Burlew:
What do you feel you need to do in order to once again reach the success you had at the 2008 French Open?
There really is no substitution for hard work - hard work is what it will take. I am prepared for this and I am dedicated to my training. It's also important that I keep believing in myself and my ability. It's not been an easy two years, with many disappointments, but my motivation has never dropped. I am a very positive person and I like to look ahead, and I am optimistic about the future.
How frustrating have all of the injuries you have experienced since the 2008 French Open been?
Very frustrating. Injuries are the most frustrating thing about being a professional athlete. I still haven't mastered the ability of accepting your physical limitations. I am always so eager to get back on the court and play, and in the past that has caused me stress, because I was all the time thinking, "when will my body be ready to practice again?" And then when I was ready to at least hit, I would be frustrated that my timing wasn't there immediately, or I couldn't play to my maximum intensity.
Instead, it's important to accept that injuries are part of the game and they take time to recover from. The only thing you can do is work on strengthening your body in order to prevent them. Although I've had lots of small injuries, I am lucky that I haven't had one big one that has kept me away for many months.
What are your goals as you prepare for the U.S. Open?
My goal is always to play to my potential. If you play to your potential and lose then you can have no regrets. Sometimes you can play really well but not take your chances and lose, and on other occasions you can play so-so but take your chances and win.
If I can reach the level that I know I am capable of, I can go far in my tournaments, including the U.S. Open.
