Alize Cornet hoping to set 'miracle' record after Livesport Prague Open exit
At the Livesport Prague Open, she confided that she is very tempted to reach the world record for the number of Grand Slam tournaments played in a row. She can break it already at the upcoming US Open.
Prague is a favourite destination for Cornet. And the Czech capital is not just one of her tennis addresses.
"I love this city, I've been here several times, I think seven or eight times.
"The last time I played here was six months ago at the Billie Jean King Cup, but it was freezing here, so the conditions were completely different and I have to say that I love Prague in the summer," smiles the Frenchwoman, who was the fifth seed at the Livesport Prague Open.
"You have a lot of parks here, which I really like. I like to walk in them and there is one right next to the tennis complex, so sometimes I pick myself up between training sessions and go for a walk in Stromovka."
The French player had the best period of her career in 2009, when she climbed to the 11th position in the WTA rankings.
"I think I am a better player now than I was 15 years ago, even though my ranking was better then.
"I'm really happy because my performance has been consistent throughout my career, even now I'm in the top 40.
"But I'm definitely different, I'm much more in control of my emotions, I'm more mature and calm," reflects the Nice native.
"I definitely have the same fire in me as when I was 15 years old, and that's what people like about me. They know that they will always see the way I fight on the court. That's just the way I am."
The Prague tournament is Cornet's first stop after a successful Wimbledon, where in the third round she sensationally knocked out world number one Iga Swiatek (21) of Poland. She would bow out to Linda Noskova (17) in the second round.
"It was a special moment for me. To beat Iga, who was undefeated at the time and was on a 37-match unbeaten streak, was a really big thing. I told myself that someone had to stop that streak and I was happy that it was me.
"Plus, it was at Wimbledon on Court One, which was incredible. It's moments like that that make me work hard every day," she said of her feelings a few weeks ago at the All England Club in London.
"I haven't missed a single Grand Slam out of the last 63, which is a bit of a miracle. Now I should break the record at the US Open, so I hope to stay healthy until then. I'm really excited about that because that's probably the true statement of my career.
"Playing consistently at this level and not being injured even once is something I can be proud of," says the quarter-finalist at this year's Australian Open.
Currently, she and Japan's Ai Sugiyama have 62 Grand Slam appearances in a row, so a new world record may be set in New York.