There were many occasions in my career where I could have given up, where I asked myself whether I would ever make it.
Yes, I have had difficult times on court and at certain tournaments but you need to forget about it and go forward because that's the way it works in our world.
We all had, at some point, matches we should have won and we didn't and that's the game. That's just the way the sport is. Otherwise, if everything was written before, we don't need to play.
Right now I have more confidence in myself. I grew up.
My coach told me I had to expect, you know, some long rallies and stuff. So, you know, I was ready for this.
Whether it's in the right way or sometimes the wrong way, you learn about life and its lessons.
Another factor is the education and culture in which you grow up. I didn't grow up in the culture of victory, where you are expected to be or have to be, the best. It was not at all like that in my family. Tennis was really a hobby. If it led to something, great. If not, there were other things in life. I think that was something I was missing at some points in my career, because when I see Hingis or the Williamses, you see how they were educated for this: to win, to be the best, a bit the American mentality. Number one. Number one. Number one. I didn't have this.
It took me time to adjust and to realise it was not going to happen like it did in the juniors.
If you are not physically strong, it's difficult. But at the same time, I think you need something more than that; you need to vary your shots, as Justine has been able to do in Amelia or Charleston, where she beat her -- I can't remember where it was on clay. So you need this kind of thing. But of course if you're not fit, you'll never make it through.
Well, I guess I needed this tough first round to really put me into that tournament, to really erase what happened at Indian Wells, which is now the case, you know.
I have been amongst the best players in the world for 8 years. None at that level played as many ties as I did.
The more kilos you have to move around, the more it weighs on your knees. Then of course in terms of stamina, the way you move around, it's a little extra. It might not be much, but when you exercise with two, three extra kilos, you can feel a difference; it's important.
I think you always have, you know, new players. Every year you see new faces, juniors coming into the seniors. I was one of them at the time long time ago now.
This trophy is so special in the world of tennis and it feels great.
I definitely wanted this win today and I don't want anybody to talk about my nerves anymore.
All the people that still believed in me, after seven years - it's a long time.
Unlike in my young days I'm not able to eat, drink and sleep tennis.
When you start off a new tournament, you want to do well.
You have to adjust to where you are but the French are all together - the guys and the women. It's good.
When I finished the juniors I felt, perhaps for about a year and a half, that everything was going to be the same and that I would be able to go out there and win any match. But it wasnt the case. I struggled.
I think I have handled things pretty well last year and this. What I have to do now is try do it even better.
The day I stop feeling the pressure and I'm just enjoying myself and taking it easy is when I'm 35, asking for a wild card and playing mixed doubles with Arnaud Clement.
When I finished the juniors I felt, perhaps for about a year and a half, that everything was going to be the same and that I would be able to go out there and win any match. But it wasn't the case. I struggled. It took me time to adjust and to realise it was not going to happen like it did in the juniors. It was three years between the junior ranks and reaching the Australian Open, and even then, having reached the final against Hingis, I wasn't really realising what it would take to go higher.
