Why do you believe it’s important for young athletes to interact directly with world-class tennis icons during their development?
I think that Roland-Garros Junior Series by Renault is a great opportunity to be close to all those young people, so that they can share their fears, their pressures and their doubts about how to continue their career and how to become professional. My role is to offer them reassurance and confidence, and to show that with hard work, anything is possible. So, I think it is a very intense week where I like to be able to give them all my teachings and experiences so that they can apply them tomorrow in their career.
Which qualities and values do you consider essential for young players aiming to become future Grand Slam contenders?
The values that the players must have, like anyone, is respect for the work, for their coaches, dedication to the effort, and to work hard. I think that serves you for a tennis career and for building your personal life. It seems to me that tennis qualities develop afterwards, with time, and they are very personal to each one. Without a doubt, there are many chances that things can turn out well with those values and that the kids can manage to become professionals.
Receiving a wild card to compete at Roland-Garros Juniors in Paris can bring significant pressure. What key advice would you offer to a young player stepping onto the red clay for the first time at this level?
This is a topic that is much discussed during the week, the pressure that the kids have because it is a unique opportunity to be able to play at Roland-Garros, to feel what it is to be there in Paris and so on. My advice is always that instead of taking it as pressure, they must take it with joy and as a great opportunity that they are fortunate to have. And while it is a great chance to be able to compete at a world level and play a Grand Slam and feel all that, if things do not turn out well, afterwards they are going to have many other opportunities.