40 Years – Goran Ivanisevic: 'The best place to play indoors'
Honoured on Wednesday evening during the ceremonies celebrating the tournament’s 40th anniversary, Goran Ivanisevic looked back on his memories of the event and his title-winning run in 1993.
What memories do you have of your victory in 1993?
Goran Ivanisevic: That was a long time ago... But watching some of the highlights from my run during the 40th anniversary ceremony brought a lot of memories back. I remember that the crowd wasn't particularly happy during the final because the match was too quick. The spectators were disappointed by how fast it went! I tried not to think about that while I was playing. I wanted to stay focused on competing and keep reminding myself of what I needed to do.
I don't remember every detail, but I know I played unbelievably well that year. I saved a match point (against Svensson), then beat some great players: Chang, Sampras, Edberg, Medvedev... I also remember how fast the court was. So fast! And then there was that name. "Bercy, Bercy..." You heard that name all year long. It was always in my head.
At that stage of the 1993 season, were you playing the best tennis of your life?
It was definitely some of the best tennis of my career. I've always loved indoor conditions. At the Rolex Paris Masters, the court was extremely fast, which suited my game perfectly. And I always enjoyed that time of year. I generally felt at my best during the indoor season.
What do you think of the new home of the tournament, the Plenitude Arena?
It's magnificent! It's huge, there are plenty of courts, and both the players and the fans have a lot more space. Honestly, it's the best place to play indoor tennis. When you're a player, indoor tournaments can be quite funny because you never really know whether it's 10 in the morning or 10 at night. But if you ask me, honestly, for the players it's far better in this stadium than it was in the past.