Nicole's interviews

I don't know if it's been posted before but I don't think so...
Anyway, I just found an old french interview I translated but it's a nice one (made in July 2006 by Claire Steinlen) :


Are you rather Hingis or Williams?
Rather Williams, she has a fast and agressive game, closer to mine.

Strength or sharpness ?
Strength !

Good or bad loser?
(She hesitates and smiles) I think that I am a good loser, don't you?

Frog's legs or hamburger?
Hamburgers ! Frog's legs, honestly, that doesn't tempt me ! But, there is a lot of things in French food that I like : cheese, bread, ...

Loft or Cottage?
Loft, I am rather urban, I live between Prague and the Florida.

Rock or rap ?
Both ! As much "Metallica" that "50 Cents", but I can change type of music without problem.

Roland Garros or Wimbledon ?
Roland Garros, I keep an excellent memory there. Not only because I made a great tournament by beating great players (Mauresmo and Williams for example) but because of the crowd too but also because of the public who was very cordial. I really like France. I hope the reception and the tournament is gonna be as good in Wimbledon...

Czech school (where she started tennis) or american school (where she went to learn tennis at 12) ?
The american school, because it L'école américaine, because it corresponds me better, it gives me trust in me and it's capital to win . At the same time, my father is czech and he trains me, so a little of both !

Prague or Nuremberg?
Prague. It's my favorite town, where my parents live.

Coca or Vodka ?
(She laughs) Coca of course ! I am an athlete first of all !

Tennis shoes or high-heeled shoes ?
Mostly I wear tennis shoes for my trainings and on courts but I like wearing high-heeled too.

Asleep at down or awaked with the sun?
Asleep soon and awaked at down ! I awake soon in the morning.

More seriously, what is the first grand slam tournament you would like to win?
The US Open, it's there that I live and train, it's the most important tournament for me and who is particularly difficult. And New York is a town that I love !

Which celebrity (athlete or not) you would like to meet?
A sporting celebrity? (She's thinking) Tiger Woods, the golfor, because my brother plays golf and because he's a sporting that I really admire : his talent, his concentration, his calm... I'd mention Madonna too, not only for her music, but also for her strength, her personality, her longevity...Her carriere is really single.

Which is your main character trait?
My honesty I think. I am a whole girl. And the frankness too.

Which is the holidays destination where we could meet you this summer?
(Laughs) The summer, tennis players aren't in holidays, we play ! but I'd like to go back to Bahamas, where I went last year, or to a Caribbean island.

Do you make up yourself before going on the court?
I don't put nothing at all, just a cream to protect myself from the sun. I'm not really a making up girl !

In the skin of which person you would like to be?
Myself ! The slogan of my sponsor "I am what I am" express this philosophy very well : rather than trying to be someone else, We should try to be the best of ourselves, No ?

Your biggest phantasm ?
Being happy and feel good in my skin. It's more a dream than a phantasm...

You are studying french, what would you say to conclude?
Oh no ! At this moment, everything is going very fast and I really have difficulties to continue to work my french, I speak very bad !

Thanks for posting the interview!

Are you rather Hingis or Williams?

Rather Williams, she has a fast and agressive game, closer to mine.
It's about Serena, right?

Thank you for the interview :)

Thanks for posting the interview!


It's about Serena, right?

I think so

http://www.sportsmediainc.com/tennisweek/index.cfm?func=showarticle&newsid=17319&bannerregion=
Biofile: The Nicole Vaidisova Interview

Years before Nicole Vaidisova became unstoppable she was already unbeatable in her first tournament appearance. Vaidisova's earliest tennis memory dates back to the day she won her first amateur title at the tender age of six.

Times have changed and so has Vaidisova. The girl who once played for club titles has grown into a teenager completely capable of beating the world's best players in the game's major events. The 18-year-old Vaidisova has scored Grand Slam tournament victories over Venus Williams, Amélie Mauresmo, Elena Dementieva and Anna Chakvetadze. A 2006 French Open semifinalist, Vaidisova advanced to the Australian Open semifinals in January, losing to eventual-champion Serena Williams. She followed that effort with quarterfinal appearances at Roland Garros and Wimbledon.

Martina Hingis, who reached her first French Open final in 1997 at the age of 16, beat Vaidisova in Rome last year, gaining a glimpse of the game that propelled Vaidisova to a career-high rank of No. 7 earlier this year. Hingis believes Vaidisova's fearlessness on court is partly a product of her youth.

"She still has more to give. Where, us, we're a little older, 26, you don't recover as fast any more," Hingis said. "There the freshness, being young, really comes into play. It's definitely an advantage. On the other hand, she's also got nothing to lose, so she just really goes for it. Somehow makes you feel young again when you see someone like that who is playing so well. Yeah, she's definitely got potential. She really speeds it up. She comes in, moves forward all the time, tries to attack. Big first serve. Not really a weakness. Moves well for her height."

A case of glandular fever has confined Vaidisova to the sidelines since she lost to Ana Ivanovic in last month's Wimbledon quarterfinals. Though she has skipped the entire U.S. Open Series, Vaidisova is still hopeful she will play the Open, which begins on Monday. She calls Flushing Meadows her favorite tournament.

"New York's my favorite tournament. Hard courts are my favorite surface," Vaidisova said. "And it was my first Grand Slam in general. Even in juniors it was my first Grand Slam. My first Grand Slam where I played in the stadium — first time I played the number one player in the world [Justine Henin], so, I just love it."

Even when she's not playing tournaments, Vaidisova is still an active presence on tennis telecasts as the start of the Citizen Watch Company's international "Unstoppable" ad campaign, which often airs on ESPN during its tennis coverage.

Scoop Malinowski caught up with the 14th-ranked Vaidisova for this Biofile interview.

Height/Weight: 5-foot-11, 139 pounds.

Born On: April 23, 1989 in Nurnberg, Germany.

Childhood Heroes: "Probably Steffi Graf when I was growing up."

Hobbies/Interests: "I love to read. I read a lot. Also watching hockey. I live close to Tampa so I go and try to watch a couple matches. I do yoga. I love music and fashion. Bike riding."

Favorite Movies: "Kill Bill, I loved those. Sin City. Stuff like that."

Favorite TV Shows: "I used to love Friends and Sex In The City. And from the old ones Full House probably."

Musical Tastes: "Everything except jazz and country, I'm into everything [laughs]. Madonna, Gwen Stefani, Will Smith."

Early Tennis Memory: "First memory — winning my first tournament, just playing the first tournament. How nervous I was. And how good it felt to win, so (age six)."

Favorite Meal: "I love my mom's [cooking], she's a great cook, she cooks a lot. So, my mom's. And I also love Japanese."

Favorite Breakfast Cereal: "What? Favorite breakfast cereal? Cheerios [smiles]."

Favorite Ice Cream Flavor: "Any. Cookies and cream."

First Car: "A black Range Rover Sport."

Pre-match Feeling: "Excited, nervous, usually."

Greatest Sports Moment: "I hope I haven't had a greatest one yet [smiles]. But probably winning my first tournament was really exciting (defeated Laura Granville in Vancouver in 2004)."

Most Painful Moment: "Some losses probably. There's always tough losses, so."

Favorite Tournament: "U.S. Open. (Why?) It all falls together. New York's my favorite tournament. Hard courts are my favorite surface. And it was my first Grand Slam in general. Even in juniors it was my first Grand Slam. My first Grand Slam where I played in the stadium — first time I played the number one player in the world [Justine Henin], so, I just love it."

Closest Tennis Friend: "Probably Barbora Strycova."

Funniest Players Encountered: "I think all the young girls I get along with very much, with Shahar Peer. And Kim [Clijsters] is a great person."

Toughest Competitors: "I haven't played everybody yet, so, you know, I don't know, we'll see [smiles]."

Favorite Players To Watch: "When I'm at home I don't really watch much tennis on TV [smiles]."

Favorite Athletes To Watch: "Vincent Lecavalier."

Embarrassing Tennis Memory: "Luckily none yet [smiles]."

People Qualities Most Admired: "Honesty. Probably sense of humor. Correct people."

Not an interview with Nicole but with her father Aleš. I guess he isn't happy about her and Radek. Teenagers and their revolts :help: :lol:, but everyone has to go through this period. :tape:

Ales Kodat, stepfather and coach of Nicole Vaidisova, says that he is concerned about the Czech number one's fitness after her fourth-round loss at Melbourne.

Vaidisova lost her bid to return to the quarter-finals at the Australian Open last week, falling to defending champion Serena Williams 6-3 6-4.

Q: How would you describe the period of time Nicole has been going through now in her career? She has not won any tournament in last two years.

Kodat: She takes part in the toughest tournaments. Grand Slams, Tier I and Tier II tournaments. It makes no difference that she has not won a tournament for some time. It is more important for her to reach 100 percent of her performance. There is no sense in speaking about figures now. It is necessary to make the work with maximum effort, about as possible as it can be. What that will bring, we will see.

Q: At what percent has Nicole developed her potential, then?

Kodat: I will say 75 percent. She is capable of playing better in some aspects. She has to have a better movement and make fewer mistakes.

Q: Movement, that is the attribute she used to be better at in the past.

Kodat: On the other hand, she is now better in reading the game. That gets improved with increasing age and number of games played. But yes, unambiguously I am aware that she moved better in Paris or Wimbledon last year.

Q: It is clear to see that Nicole has put on weight. That must limit her.

Kodat: It is definitely the reason for how she moves nowadays. She has reserves in it, I agree.

Q: When you remind her about this issue, how she reacts?

Kodat: I remind her such things but she has her fitness coach so that is more his job.

Q: Tell me, how different is it to direct a young girl when 16 years old and now when she is more of an adult.

Kodat: It is natural that a girl of this age wants to have her way, to have her own opinions on certain things. And I can understand that. Earlier I used to give orders, nowadays I rather give my recommendations and leave it to her to decide what is useful and what is not so that she can try out if it works or not.

Q: So you feel that she puts up with you less?

Kodat: (sighs) I don't think so. She just wants to put through her opinion, although it is not a good one in my opinion and considering my experience. I have a heart for it, I told it to Nicole as well. At her age a human behaves simply against everything.

Q: Revolts.

Kodat: Yes. Although in the extreme conditions of the professional tennis world he or she should not afford that. As I say, in 90 percent of cases I am just recommending her what she should do and am trying to convince her that it works.

Q: This is a very important year for Nicole. Aren't you afraid that her career can take a wrong course?

Kodat: Already in the last year we were saying this would be an important year and she was not so mature to achieve great results. And we are again at results... I will tell you this: I am convinced that Nicole just needs to work at 100 percent and show a fair amount of work. I cannot imagine that she could be going downwards in the rankings if she went according to my training plan.

Q: Nicole is in love with another tennis player Radek Stepanek. First loves are part of growing process, aren't you afraid that it could make her no good?

Kodat: She creates her private life. If there is anything she wants to know or she has any problems, I am willing to recommend her some things. I wish her to be happy because then you can work well. If she is unhappy in her private life, then it will affect her on the courts. I wish her only to be happy.

Vasek Kadlec translated from Sport / Eurosport

http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/23012008/58/wta-tour-vaidisova-s-coach-worried-fitness.html

I also think she put on weight a lot.. she should put it down asap because it's really too much :sad: I hope she'll play much better in the next tournaments.. because I'm not glad what she played against Sugiyama and Serena :sad: