By Chris Oddo | Saturday May 25, 2019

A gang of top players has come through the press room on Friday at Roland Garros, and while we can’t bring you ever entertaining snippet, we certainly do owe it to you all to bring you some. So, without any further ado, you shall have snippets…

Dominic Thiem, on his expectations for #RG19

“I don't have any expectations. I mean, my goal is to win the tournament, that's for sure. I mean, I played semis, semis, final. So I really would love to make that one last step, but it's so tough.”

Our Take:

Dominic, Dominic, Dominic. Your expectations should match your goal. Win and your in, kid…

Kiki Bertens on the Babolat ball that Roland Garros is using this year in Paris.

“I love this ball, to be honest.

“No, it's bouncing a little bit more, I would say. Last two weeks with the Dunlop ball in Madrid and Rome, of course it depends also because in Madrid it's still doing a lot. In Rome I really had to work hard for my strokes to get something in the ball. But, no, I really like the ball here.”

Our Take:

Bertens and Madison Keys both seemed to really enjoy the heavier ball. This could bode well for the bigger hitters.

Novak Djokovic, on what motivates him here in Paris

“This is the tournament that I was preparing for, so to say, for last couple of months I wanted to peak in this tournament and this is where I want to play my best tennis. I'm sure I'm not the only one, but, you know, for me, there is an extra motivation and incentive to win Roland Garros because of the opportunity to hold all four slams, something I did three years ago in my career, and that gives me obviously enough reason to believe I can do it again.”

Our Take:

The historical implications of what Novak Djokovic and Rafael Nadal are chasing on the men’s side in Paris are almost too much to fathom. It has taken more than a decade to set the table for this mad dash for the Coupe des Mousquetaires. When one walks the grounds of Roland Garros, one can literally feel tennis tectonic plates shifting.

Sloane Stephens, on her happiness about having a coach again.

"I'm not gonna lie. It sucked. It was not enjoyable. A lot of the time it was—I mean, it was just all over the show. We don't need to go back there. We are totally moving forward."

Our Take:

Stephens’ split with Kamau Murray didn’t make a whole lot of sense to us. We hope that Groeneveld can bring his incredible level of expertise and professionalism to get Stephens firing on all cylinders. She’s one of the most amazing talents in the game, particularly on clay, when she’s in high gear and battle mode is engaged.

Gael Monfils, on not being in Nadal or Djokovic’s quarter

“Well, it's a good thing, otherwise I'd be dead.”

Our Take:

It’s funny. But Monfils was also très seriuse in press, saying that he was looking forward to finding the form that he had carried in the beginning of the season and that he wants to be a player that could potentially win a Grand Slam. Lofty words, yes, but nice to hear Monfils committing to his profession and believing that he can still be a part of the equation.

Simona Halep, on whether she might be too happy about the fact that she won Roland Garros last year.

“Probably (smiling). I am too happy to be in this position, I have to admit this. But is nothing bad.”

Our Take:

Love the candor from Halep. Honestly, in the beginning of the season it seemed that she might have an issue with priorities, but she has done nothing but put forth that same honest grittiness that characterized her rise. Don’t sweat her humor, she’s a legit repeat contender.

Rafael Nadal, on the ATP and Laver Cup merger

“When I have been asked, I supported this. I understand is a good event. Is a good event for tennis, is a good event for the fans, and is a good event for the players, too. So of course we cannot give points to this, because is difficult today, but I think is great news for the event and for the ATP to be part of it.

Our Take:

Yeah this is big-time win-win for the ATP. The event is different. It’s refreshing. It packages the legends of the sport in a way that they haven’t been before, and it opens up new markets. And no it doesn’t need ranking points. It’s already a little sketchy to see many players getting big prize money for this event while so many players at the bottom rungs of tennis can barely eat. Another discussion for another time, perhaps.

Kristina Mladenovic, on her new coaching relationship with Sascha Bajin.

“I was very flattered when we met to have a debriefing on the way he saw my game. I liked it very much, because we had the same vision of my own feelings on court. But it's not easy to manage everything. What I liked was also the exercises that he made me do. I liked the way he made me practice and the workload.”

Our Take:

This is great news for Mladenovic. Positive vibrations are the name of the game in player-coach relationships. Bajin has had success everywhere he has gone and you better believe that the bedrock for a solid coaching career was laid when he served as Serena Williams’ hitting partner.