Press conference : the players are ready !

2018 is an important year. Indeed, the French Open has changed his statute, becoming a "Super 750" tournament. As always, Paris is delighted to welcome the world greatest players. This is an incredible event that helps promoting the city of Paris and its sport.

The press conference began with some words from the President of the French Federation and both of its partners : Yonex and HSBC. They were glad to welcome everyone for this opening. Supporting such an event is pretty much what makes it so great and bigger every year.

Unfortunately, as every year, some players cannot be present. Indeed, the world champion and Olympian Carolina Marin had to withdraw from the tournament. The same goes for the young Danish player Anders Antonsen. Both injured from previous tournaments, they had to skip the Parisian tournament.

Leverdez awaited by the crowd

Speaking of French players, Brice Leverdez said that he feels comfortable to play in France and enjoys hearing the French audience supporting him. After the World Championships, he made some changes in order to improve his performances. His first match against the Olympic Champion Chen Long promises to be intense and Brice (also known as « The Giant Killer ») is ready to give his best. However, he knows it could also be seen as a weakness and show his lack of regularity on the court.

Momota and Sindhu on the way to victory ?

The Japanese player Kento Momota explained how he feels. It seems that he really missed playing in Paris. According to him, the French open is very different from Asian tournaments and he always feels closer with the audience. Moreover, the world number one is very motivated and wants to keep going this way. Momota never won in Paris but he is hoping to succeed this year. And he seems in the right way to do so : nowadays he seems unstoppable.

As for Pusarla Sindhu, she expressed that she is very motivated even after her first-round defeat at the Yonex Denmark Open last week and is hoping for a victory in Paris. Knowing the withdrawal of Carolina Marin, one of her best rival, Sindhu is staying focused as much as possible. After her silver medal in Rio, her life completely changed and she enjoys being in the fame while she keeps working hard everyday.

Tran and Lefel will enjoy playing at home

Playing at home can be an advantage. For Anne Tran who is playing women’s double with Emilie Lefel, this tournament has always been a special event. She used to come and watch it as a kid and is now part of the players. Emilie thinks they built a strong bound and their age gap of 8 years can be a strength on the court. Their first match is against the World Champions but they feel ready to do their best and enjoy playing at home.