2002 The Championships at Wimbledon, England, on Wednesday, June 26, 2002
Anna Kournikova and Chanda Rubin defeated Eva Bes and Marta Marrero, 6-1, 4-6, 6-4

An Interview With Anna Kournikova and Chanda Rubin

THE MODERATOR: Questions, please.

Q. Congratulations. Can you talk about your chemistry on court.

CHANDA RUBIN: Well, I think a match like today, we, you know, got it clicking fairly early but it got better as the match went on. That's all you hope for in doubles, is that you keep giving your partner the chance, and you can kind of see what they like to do and you can see what they like to do. Kind of work together in a match.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It's only our second match together, we've never played before. This is our second match. So I think we did great for a second match. I think that we complement each other well. And Chanda, you know, sets up the points well and I can finish them off.

Q. Your knee is obviously doing fine if you're able to play two days in a row?

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, I've been playing a lot of matches over the last few weeks or so. You know, I've played singles and doubles as well. But definitely it's holding up. I feel like I can come back the next day and play again and play again. So I don't have any problems with it.

Q. Chanda, just out of curiosity, when was the last time you were brought into an interview room after the first round doubles match?

CHANDA RUBIN: I cannot remember the last time. I don't think it's ever happened. Obviously, I mean, doubles, it's not something people really want to talk about unless -- once I think we beat Venus and Serena. That was sort of like big news, but...

Q. Why do you think you're in here today?

CHANDA RUBIN: Because I'm playing with Anna (smiling).

Q. Can you go back to what you just said, considering that at least most of the people in America that play tennis play doubles. Why do you think there aren't interviews for doubles?

CHANDA RUBIN: The focus is just not on doubles. Singles is sort of the glamorous part and doubles is relegated I think a lot of times to just back courts or, you know, an afterthought - when, in reality, more people play doubles and more people can relate to playing doubles. I think the more you showcase it, especially great teams -- I mean that's what you want to continue to promote, you know, is really good teams who know how to play doubles. So I think it's definitely, you know, the down side, the down side to it. Because I enjoy playing.

Q. If you would, we're asking the top players a question about the mindset of leading players. Our question is based on a comment that John McEnroe made in his book, that cockiness is a necessity, a survival mechanism for the top players, and that you can't exist without it. That's not only self-confidence, but selfishness is a must on the tour. Could you take a moment and reflect on that, please.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I don't really have to take a moment. I can answer right away. I don't think that has anything obviously to do with me because obviously I'm not a top player right now. Maybe I'm not cocky enough to be a top player.

Q. Do you think you have to have a certain selfishness to exist on the tour? Do you think that's a must? Or do you think you can just let the adulation roll off of you, so to speak?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I don't know. I think, you know, first of all it depends on personality. And it depends on the person. You know, whatever helps a person to succeed, you know, that's the way it is.

Q. And all the attention you've gotten, does that affect you inwardly? Do you step back and say, "Wow, this is pretty incredible? I must be pretty great." Or what is this response to all this attention you get?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think I'm just more protective of myself and, you know, certain things that I want to keep just to myself - my friends and my family. I'm much more protective of those things and private moments or private times and stuff like that, just outside of, let's say, Wimbledon, you know, the tournament. But otherwise, you know, I don't really pay attention to that.

Q. Can I ask you both, a British minister today said that women in Wimbledon should receive the same prize money as the men. Do you agree with that? Do you feel that you're being discriminated against?

CHANDA RUBIN: Well... That's probably food for another discussion, you know. I think in a Grand Slam, women and men play equally, you know. They bring the same entertainment to fans. You have some women's matches that are longer than some of the men's matches. So I think there is an argument that can be made for that, certainly. And especially the way women's tennis is now, it's so strong.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah, it's pretty hard to, you know, just decide -- you know, have it resolved right away or say, "Yes," and, "No." I think there's, you know -- just like in everything, there's pluses and the minuses. I think it's just discussion , you know. There's got to be a lot of decisions made about that and there should be a discussion about that.

Q. How did you find each other as a doubles team? How did you get together?

CHANDA RUBIN: We've been playing against each other for a number of years.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: So many years. We talked at the French?

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, the French. We thought we'd try to play some. I hadn't been playing a whole lot of tournaments yet so I didn't have anyone regularly. I think she was the same.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah, I didn't play any tournaments 'cause Martina is injured. So I didn't have a partner for the rest of the year, so basically I could -- I had to find somebody.

Q. If I'm not mistaken, your next singles tournament will be Palo Alto, Stanford. It's been a few years since you played there.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It's been one year [Anna actually last played at the Stanford tournament in 2000].

Q. One year. What are your thoughts about returning to California and playing that tournament on the campus there?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: It's great. I really like that tournament. You know, I've played it I think three or four times; I can't remember exactly. I played San Diego also last year, so I was in California last year. I always like to go there, and I had good results there, especially the last time I played. It's a very good, you know, setting to play. It's nice and quiet and you can practice and I think it's just great preparation for the Open.

Q. Are you still angry, Anna, at the BBC for showing that interview with you after your defeat in the first round?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I wasn't angry, you know. It's not like I'm still angry, because I wasn't angry.

Q. How did you feel then?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think it's an old story to talk about it right now already. You know, I really --. THE MODERATOR: I think we're here to talk about tennis.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: There's been already so much said about it that I really don't want to get into any conversation about it because it really -- it's not something that I should be worried about right now.

Q. Who is your next opponent and how do you prepare for them?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Who are we playing?

CHANDA RUBIN: I'm not sure who won the first match. It was a match between Arendt and Huber, who are the seeded teams, playing against someone. So we never really discussed it.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: We just walked off the court.

CHANDA RUBIN: Haven't had any time.

Q. Have you had the opportunity to practice before your next match together?

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah, we practiced before this match, warm-up, do our same routine, so...

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Yeah.

Q. How much harder is it to play after being criticized in TV and in the papers?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: I think -- you mean me?

Q. Yeah.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: Well, I don't know if I've been criticized. Plus, some people criticize and some people, you know, do other things. But like I said, I really don't read that stuff, so I don't know if I've been criticized or anything. The fans have been great, and today being on the court was great. We had a good match. And that's all that matters. I mean, I really enjoyed playing today. The support, I think, was great. Everybody were real excited.

CHANDA RUBIN: Yeah.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: As long as we get supported when we play, nothing else matters. We're playing here for the fans.

Q. When are you playing again?

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: The doubles?

Q. Yeah.

ANNA KOURNIKOVA: We'll know the day before that.

CHANDA RUBIN: Probably will be Friday [it would actually be Saturday, June 29th], but we'll know by the end of today.


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