By Chris Oddo | @TheFanChild | Monday January 24, 2022
Alizé Cornet has her first Grand Slam quarterfinal to prepare for – and a very formidable opponent to study in Danielle Collins – but before she does any of that hard work the Frenchwoman wants to sit back and savor one one of the greatest accomplishments of her career.
On Monday, after defeating Simona Halep to reach her first Grand Slam quarterfinal in her 63rd appearance at a major (which sets a new record), Cornet told reporters that she’s flooded with positive emotions.
“I couldn't stop crying after my match when I realized after the match point that I made it,” she said. “I was very emotional, and I didn't know it would feel so good. I think it will feel really good for the next couple of days till I have to get ready for my next match. But I really want to enjoy this moment, because I've been waiting for it for a long, long time.”
Cornet has participated in every Grand Slam main draw since the 2007 US Open, and earned her share of Top-10 wins at the majors. But this year in Australia, she believes that she still has room to run.
“I'm not gonna stop now,” she said. “I'm still ambitious. I just have to soak it in, like, you know, take time to appreciate the moment and be proud of what I did today. But definitely from tomorrow I will have to think about my next match and how I can go farther in the tournament.
“The sky's the limit. I mean, I really want to be ambitious on this slam. For the first time of my life, I really believe I can go till the end. I think that's what makes a difference.”
When asked if she knew why it had taken so long for her to make this breakthrough at a Grand Slam, Cornet said she didn’t even want to think about it.
“I don't know,” she said. “What I know is that I'm in quarterfinal now. That's what matters. After 16 years on the tour, I never give up. Today I realized this goal that was very important to me for a while. After beating few big names, Muguruza, today Halep, they are all players that I admire a lot.
“I don't know what happened in the past, and really, honestly, right now I don't care.”
A Tender Moment with Jelena Dokic
During her post-match interview on court Cornet took a moment to share some heartfelt emotions with Jelena Dokic. Cornet reflected on 2009, when she missed out on two match points in the round of 16, mentioning that she would have played Dokic had she had one, and telling her that she admired her game and would have loved to play her.
The two exchanged a warm hug before Cornet left the court, with the crowd applauding as they soaked in the moment.
During her press conference she explained why she felt it was important to do it.
“It made sense,” Cornet said. “13 years ago, when I had these two match points against Safina and I didn't make it to the quarterfinal, she was expecting me in the quarterfinal and I was supposed to play against her.
“I don't know why when I won today I had a thought for her, because this is a match that I could never play and we never actually played after that. I was following her, you know, when she published her book, and I was following her story. Now I can see how she's commentating and how she's doing. I think she's great. I just wanted to share this moment with her, because it all made sense at that moment.”