An Interview With Jelena Jankovic
Date: 2007-07-08
Jankovic/Murray def. Bjorkman/Molik 6-4 3-6 6-1The Moderator First question for the Wimbledon mixed doubles champions.
Question Has it sunk in yet that you are Wimbledon champions?
Murray I don't know. It feels pretty good though.
Jankovic It does.
Question Can you recall your thoughts after the winning point and also as you went up into the Royal Box?
Murray I was just looking for that kiss from her, to be honest.
Jankovic No, I was motivating him every time. When it was a breakpoint, I'd tell him, Jamie, let's go. This return, hit a good one because you gonna get many kisses, you know (laughter).
You know, at the end, he did it. I was like, what I have to do to get him, you know, to pump him up a little bit so that he can play great tennis.
But it was amazing. After I look back two weeks ago, we came at the same time with the van and he asked me to play. I was thinking, what are the odds that we come at the same time and he ask me.
If this didn't happen, we wouldn't even play this tournament. Wouldn't even win Wimbledon. But maybe it was like destiny, it was meant to happen. So I'm really happy that, you know, we won this tournament. It's amazing.
Playing with Jamie, it was a great experience. Very nice guy. Very sweet, as well (smiling).
Question She put in some serious tennis at the end of that match, didn't she?
Murray I mean, she won the match in the end because she kept returning the guy's serve and I couldn't do it. Eventually I made one. They left it. We got that 5-1, and then she served it out pretty easy.
I got to say thanks to her for that.
Jankovic You're welcome.
Question Given the motivation now, there's obviously a chance to get a lot of kisses. Where does Eric fit into this?
Murray Eric doesn't deserve the kisses (laughter). I'm with her now.
Question Jamie, do you have a girlfriend?
Murray No.
Question Do you have a boyfriend?
Jankovic I have lots (smiling).
Question Have you spoken with Andy at all?
Murray Yeah, yeah, I saw him as I was walking off the court. He was pretty pumped up.
Question Did he say anything to you?
Murray He said he was so proud of what I've done.
Jankovic He was jealous, for sure. No, just kidding.
Question Obviously everybody said the Murray name was going on a Grand Slam trophy. In your wildest dreams, did you think it would be your name?
Murray No, of course not. I mean, I can't honestly ever think that I would -- or say that thought I would win one, especially this year, and also in the mixed doubles.
But it's happened. Lovin' it, yeah.
Question How about the reaction of the crowd? The five-minute standing ovation was quite extraordinary. What were the emotions like lifting the trophies up?
Jankovic This is what it's all about.
Murray Yeah.
Jankovic These feelings that you have, these emotions that you feel inside, it's something that you have to feel. It's really an incredible feeling for me to be there and to hold the trophy. It's something that I always dreamed of.
I would love one day to have that feeling and have a trophy, singles trophy, you know. But it was very nice to play first mixed doubles title, first Grand Slam title for me. I cannot ask for more, for sure.
Question What is it like to be an honorary Brit?
Jankovic I'm an adopted Brit?
Question Yes, adopted Brit.
Jankovic I don't know. It feels great actually.
Question Are you going to go out for dinner to celebrate maybe?
Jankovic We're going to the ball.
Murray To the ball, yeah.
Jankovic He was looking so forward to this ball. He was asking me the whole day what kind of dress I'm wearing, if it's going to be short or long. I had to disappoint him. It's very long.
Question Are you more likely to go to Scotland for Christmas now?
Jankovic I don't know. Christmas, it's a long way. We have so many things to do before.
Question Will you be playing again together?
Murray I don't know. I guess that's up to her. She obviously has singles commitments and stuff, so I guess I'll keep asking her from now on until she agrees to play again.
Jankovic He'll keep bugging me until I accept.
Question Have you had other offers from other players?
Murray No, no. I think I would expect the guys normally ask the girls to play.
Jankovic Now he will get a lot of offers, but he's sticking to me I think.
Question It's going to be difficult at the US Open because you have a huge amount of points to defend. Will you make a decision, do you think, at the time?
Jankovic I really don't know. I'm just focused on my singles. As soon as I leave here I would love to do well in the tournaments in California and then play well in New York. It's important for me. I have to defend semifinals.
But, you know, playing makes it something that it's kind of a relaxing game that you don't have so much pressure. You're just going on court and you can just enjoy your game.
I don't really expect too much from mixed. It can actually help me. So I can improve my returns, my serves, my volleys, and I can even maybe play better in my singles.
So I'll look forward. I hope that we can maybe play at the US Open. It would be nice.
Question Does this make up for missing out on the singles?
Jankovic Yes, it was a good consolation for me to play the mixed doubles after I was very disappointed with my singles performance here.
But, you know, winning Wimbledon in the mixed doubles, it's great. I won a Grand Slam, so what else can I ask for, you know?
Question Jamie, does it feel strange that your brother is actually more nervous watching you than he is when he plays his own matches?
Murray Yeah, I guess so. Yeah, but I think it's always harder to watch than when you're actually out there yourself.
Obviously he wanted me to do as well as I possibly could. We won the tournament, so he can't ask for more.
Question Did you ever joke about things growing up, who would be the first to have some kind of big success?
Murray No, no, I don't think so.
Question Who would win a singles match between you two?
Jankovic Between me and him?
Question Yes.
Jankovic I win it from the baseline; he wins it at the net.
Murray This is true, yeah.
Jankovic That's why we are a good mix.
Question Did Andy give you any advice before today?
Murray No. Actually I didn't really speak to him much at all during the tournament because he was kind of off doing his own thing, doing his rehab and that.
I saw him this morning. We actually arrived at the same time. He was going to watch the men's final. He wished me luck and stuff, but nothing major, no.
Question Did Andy go to America in between?
Murray No, he's going next week.
Question The fact that you've won now, might you get asked more questions about yourself than about your brother?
Murray It's been about half and half so far tonight. I can't really do too much more (laughter).
Question What about your mum's reaction? She was up and down in the box, showing her emotions.
Murray Well, yeah, I hope so. Her son just won Wimbledon. I'd be disappointed if she wasn't doing that.
Question Have you had a chance to speak to her yet?
Murray No, no, I haven't. I've been in the gym, seeing my dad and stuff. He had to leave to get the train back. I haven't seen her yet.
Question Can you talk about Louis, the influence he's had for almost the year now?
Murray Not a lot (smiling).
No, no, I think I wouldn't be sitting in this chair right now if it wasn't for him, to be honest. I hope that he knows that, as well. He taught me so much about doubles, all the movements and the strategies and everything. I think now it's starting to pay off.
Question Is it right that you haven't actually played mixed doubles before in a tournament, and it's all due to finding the right woman?
Murray Yeah, I'd never played mixed doubles. I didn't really know what to expect. Obviously I wanted to play this year. But I got lucky that I got probably one of the best partners out there, and I think she had a lot to do with our success.
Question Jelena, had you played mixed before this?
Jankovic No. I played once or twice. I don't really play much of mixed doubles. It's not something that I really know. I don't know much about doubles, mixed doubles.
I'm mainly a singles player. And we were joking when we were playing, the referee was telling, You take a lot of time between when I'm serving. He has to explain where I have to go, what I have to do.
Jamie was saying, She doesn't know the signs is why. I don't know. I'm not into all these things, signals. Doubles game is a completely different game than singles.
I was trying my best. But winning Wimbledon, it's not what I expected. But I'm very delighted, for sure.
Question Are you going to defend your title?
Jankovic I think so. I hope so. I hope so, we will be back here next year, and I would love to defend.
Murray I've got witnesses to that, as well.
Jankovic We're going to sign a contract, don't worry.
Question Before you actually asked Jelena, when you were looking around for a partner, what was it about her or her game that made you choose her?
Jankovic It's not about my game, for sure. Admit it.
Murray She's a good player. It's a bonus that she's very attractive. I guess you want to get a girl who can serve well, which she obviously does.
Jankovic I don't.
Murray She's so steady throughout the whole tournament. She hardly missed any shots, only off maybe the guy's returns. Even the volley, she never misses the volley. The guy keeps playing to her and she keeps putting it back. Yeah, certainly didn't expect that at all.
She told me how scared she was whenever the guy hit the ball at her, but she kept putting it back in the court.
Jankovic I'm kind of like, Go away. I'm hitting some kind of shot, somehow it always goes in, over the net. I was probably lucky like the whole two weeks.
Question Is it the fact that Jelena kept smiling at the opposition put them off?
Murray You'd have to ask them.
Jankovic It put them completely off. They didn't see the ball at all.
Question It seems like you were giving the orders, Jamie.
Jankovic Yeah, he was giving the orders and I was, you know --
Murray -- fulfilling them.
Jankovic I was fulfilling his wishes, for sure.
Question Any time you get to be the boss?
Jankovic Me?
Murray She was getting mad when I was missing all those returns right at the end.
Jankovic All I wanted was make them play at least. That's all. Make the ball over the net. But he did it. At the end, it was amazing. I was very happy when we broke to have the lead 5-1, then I serve it out. So, great.
Murray So it's all down to you (smiling)?
Jankovic No, no, not to me. I cannot play alone, no. He's just making fun. Actually in our previous matches, every time I get into a streak, maybe I cannot return the guy's serve, and it happens somehow that he gets, you know, few returns in the court.
He says, Don't you feel sorry? Don't you feel sorry that you just did that? You know, I did all the work. I'm like, Thanks, Jamie, you just make me feel better. Then the next game, and I just start somehow to put them in. Then I go to him, You see what you're doing now?
We are just enjoying our time, and that's the most important thing.
Question We've talked about why Jamie asked you to be a doubles partner. Why did you say yes?
Jankovic I told you, it was, you know, his agent asked me first. I said, I will think about it. Because of my singles, I'm very tired. I played a lot of matches this year. I didn't know how I would feel. Especially playing on grass, it's really tough on your body. I'm quite stiff everywhere. I have pains.
And then I told you that morning, I don't know, I think it was Sunday, we both came at the same time. You know, the vans arrived. He said, Are you going to play with me? I said, Okay, go and sign. I was just -- I didn't think too much.
Then between when I decided to play my singles, I was thinking, maybe it's not a good decision because I don't feel that great, especially with the rain, there's so many delays.
Murray If you'd won that singles match, there was no way you were going on court. You know that.
Jankovic It was so much behind. I was thinking, my God, what are we going to do? We have to play thousands of matches. How am I going to do that, you know, per day?
But in the end, after two weeks, there's nothing I could ask. I made a good decision and I'm very, very happy.
Question If you had beaten Bartoli, you probably wouldn't have played?
Jankovic No, no, I would play, but we would have to play so many matches. I don't know how I could do it. It would be too much. Maybe four, five matches a day. I don't know how that would be possible for me to make good performances.
